The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream
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- Create Date：2021-08-14 08:51:26
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Michael Wood
- ISBN：1471175987
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Summary
A single volume history of China， offering a look into the past of the global superpower and its significance today。
Michael Wood has travelled the length and breadth of China producing a magisterial new book that combines a sweeping narrative of China’s story with the stories of its people， the history of its landscape and commentary from his extensive travel journals。 He begins with a look at China’s prehistory—the early dynasties， the origins of the Chinese state， and the roots of Chinese culture in the teachings of Confucius。 He looks at particular periods and themes that are being revaluated by historians now such as The Renaissance of the Song with its brilliant scientific discoveries。 He offers a revaluation of the Qing Empire in the 18th century， just before the European impact， a time when China’s rich and diverse culture was at its height。 Wood takes a new look at the encounter with the West， the Opium Wars， clashes with the British and the extraordinarily rich debates in the late 19th century as to which path China should take to move forward into modernity。 Finally， he brings the story up to today by giving readers a clear， current account of China post 1949 complete with a more balanced view of Mao based on newly-opened archives。 In the final chapter， Wood considers the provocative question of when， if ever， China will rule the world。 Michael Wood’s The Story of China answers that question and is the indispensable book about the most intriguing and powerful country amassing power on the world stage today。
Michael Wood has travelled the length and breadth of China producing a magisterial new book that combines a sweeping narrative of China’s story with the stories of its people， the history of its landscape and commentary from his extensive travel journals。 He begins with a look at China’s prehistory—the early dynasties， the origins of the Chinese state， and the roots of Chinese culture in the teachings of Confucius。 He looks at particular periods and themes that are being revaluated by historians now such as The Renaissance of the Song with its brilliant scientific discoveries。 He offers a revaluation of the Qing Empire in the 18th century， just before the European impact， a time when China’s rich and diverse culture was at its height。 Wood takes a new look at the encounter with the West， the Opium Wars， clashes with the British and the extraordinarily rich debates in the late 19th century as to which path China should take to move forward into modernity。 Finally， he brings the story up to today by giving readers a clear， current account of China post 1949 complete with a more balanced view of Mao based on newly-opened archives。 In the final chapter， Wood considers the provocative question of when， if ever， China will rule the world。 Michael Wood’s The Story of China answers that question and is the indispensable book about the most intriguing and powerful country amassing power on the world stage today。
Reviews
cumrade
，
Overall it is a remarkable concise history of China。 What I like the most is the way Mr。 Wood starts his telling from often obscure points of view， which is rare in the rendering of histories I've read so far。 Overall it is a remarkable concise history of China。 What I like the most is the way Mr。 Wood starts his telling from often obscure points of view， which is rare in the rendering of histories I've read so far。 。。。more
Andrew Hartshorn
，
If it is not in here it is not worth knowing。
Pat Hearps
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Covers 4000 years of history in enough detail to give a feel for what went on。I'll admit I got a bit lost through the early dynasties。 Seems they lasted a few hundred years give or take。 Interesting that several new dynasties were founded by someone who started as a lowly peasant， then gathered together enough disgruntled fighters to form an army big enough to overthrow the ruling power。Highlighted that what I'm probably most interested in is from the Qing onwards， and then particularly the 20th Covers 4000 years of history in enough detail to give a feel for what went on。I'll admit I got a bit lost through the early dynasties。 Seems they lasted a few hundred years give or take。 Interesting that several new dynasties were founded by someone who started as a lowly peasant， then gathered together enough disgruntled fighters to form an army big enough to overthrow the ruling power。Highlighted that what I'm probably most interested in is from the Qing onwards， and then particularly the 20th century。 But good to get a bit of historical context from this book。 。。。more
Rohini Musa
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An exhaustively researched history of one of the oldest civilizations in the world。 Enjoyable and educational
Henk
，
An impressive summary of Chinese history， easily readable and with fascinating glimpses of personal life， from the stone age to COVID-19Stability is in unity - MenciusMichael Wood takes on the impossible task to describe the history of the most populous nation on earth in a one volume book。 Kudos to him for succeeding quite well in his goals: The Story of China: A Portrait of a Civilisation and Its People is a highly readable account of how the tides of history have swept dynasty after dynasty f An impressive summary of Chinese history， easily readable and with fascinating glimpses of personal life， from the stone age to COVID-19Stability is in unity - MenciusMichael Wood takes on the impossible task to describe the history of the most populous nation on earth in a one volume book。 Kudos to him for succeeding quite well in his goals: The Story of China: A Portrait of a Civilisation and Its People is a highly readable account of how the tides of history have swept dynasty after dynasty from great achievements to their downfall。 The only thing I missed in the account， if in all fairness an unanswerable question， is some kind of view on why the scientific and industrial revolution did not occur in China， while the level of civilization， technology and the sheer number of people in the nation outstripped that of the rest of the world at almost any point in history。Also the book reminds me of just how little I at least know of the history of this fascinating country; for instance I was not aware the Manchu Qing dynasty was as foreign/non-Han as the Mongol Yuan empire。A final critique I have is the link between the terra-cotta army and the Hellenistic world; as if a certain form of artistic expression and quality would not have been achievable without influence from "The West"。 Still an amazing book， with many sneak peeks in life during the various dynasties while not loosing view of the broader history of the country。Some basic facts that amazed me while reading the book:Hope is like a path in the countryside， at first there is no path， but if enough people walk in the same direction the path appears- Before the start of western calendar already more than 140。000 literate bureaucrats were employed by the Qin state- The Tang dynasty founder in the 7th century after Christ being the first emperor who was known to Western historians by name- Also interesting how only around this time Buddhism came to China- A Syrian monk arriving in the imperial capital and being allowed to build a church looked after by 21 priests in 654- Wars during the Tang period leading to 2/3 decline of the households who pay tax and a loss of lives of an estimated 30 million people- Move over Harvard and GMAT testing: only 219 bureaucrats passing an exam with over 14。000 applicants in 1002 - In the 11th century the army of the Song was 3 times as large as Rome’s at its height - So much impact of climate strange， like the little ice age， that lead to fall of dynasties- Like the concept of Rome， the Chinese state is being raised again and again after disasters， but every time not just the idea of China comes back but also the geographical unity of the nation is achieved once more， quite in contrast to the Roman Empire's successors。- Wow， the Qing Emperor diplomatic rebuke to the English king is spectaculair， if ill thought of in view of later events- Between 20-30 million dead after the Taiping rebellion， while the 1907 famine led to 25 million dead; its amazing that the dynasty managed to keep on ruling in the face of such disasters- The Great Famine killing 25% to 30% of people on the countryside - China's CCP currently spends more on internal surveillance than on external defence 。。。more
Joshua
，
I could only get through 120 pages of it before I was sick of it。 Wood keeps referring to the present which I feel like is anachronistic and feels like less of a history book。 It did not read like a history book but rather an archaeological book with social history。 More emphasis was given on the individual characters and who they were rather than what they did。 It didn't feel like I was going through history one step at a time， but rather history was in the background while we look at some indi I could only get through 120 pages of it before I was sick of it。 Wood keeps referring to the present which I feel like is anachronistic and feels like less of a history book。 It did not read like a history book but rather an archaeological book with social history。 More emphasis was given on the individual characters and who they were rather than what they did。 It didn't feel like I was going through history one step at a time， but rather history was in the background while we look at some individuals。 As a fan of history， I cannot say I can recommend this book。 But maybe you would enjoy it if you didn't care much for history。 。。。more
Amanda
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Beautifully written introduction to Chinese history， which goes further than the documentary series of the same name。
Iris
，
I found the first half of this book to be so engaging as Wood sets up the foundation for his interpretation of China's philosophy。 The rise and fall of dynasties are characterized by periods of relative prosperity followed by chaos—natural disasters， political turmoil， war， etc。 "The state is destroyed but the country remains。" This sense of grief and "sustained articulation of remembrance in the face of loss" is something that really resonates with me， and I think still true today， despite the I found the first half of this book to be so engaging as Wood sets up the foundation for his interpretation of China's philosophy。 The rise and fall of dynasties are characterized by periods of relative prosperity followed by chaos—natural disasters， political turmoil， war， etc。 "The state is destroyed but the country remains。" This sense of grief and "sustained articulation of remembrance in the face of loss" is something that really resonates with me， and I think still true today， despite the rise of Chinese consumerism and tech。 I think China is able to have a relatively optimistic outlook on the future *because* they learn by looking at the past—and we can see this optimism even in Tongdian， a Chinese institutional history and encyclopedia text written in the 8th century:> Optimism was a key theme in the book， along with a Confucian belief in the moral advancement of society by ‘transformative education’ and a faith in what we would describe today as consultative autocracy –‘ despotism with Chinese characteristics’。The coverage of the last few decades， from the collapse of the Qing to present， seemed rushed and a bit oversimplified， but I had to remind myself that 100 years is nothing compared to China's history。 Additionally， the modern rise of China is not "novel" or "unexpected"—it's grounded in historic principles and in the trend of rising and falling dynasties that has occurred for centuries。 。。。more
Aj Ar。
，
The first 20% and last 20% of the book were quite intresting。 The parts in-between I felt were at times repetitive and didn't add much to the core topic of Chinese history。 It is a good piece to grab if you want a unique "narration" of a history though。 The first 20% and last 20% of the book were quite intresting。 The parts in-between I felt were at times repetitive and didn't add much to the core topic of Chinese history。 It is a good piece to grab if you want a unique "narration" of a history though。 。。。more
John Holmes
，
A solid history from the earliest roots of China to the present day。 It tends towards the grand sweep of history with occasional snap shots of individual lives， with perhaps not enough inbetween an the institutional level。 While I came away with a better understanding of China and its development， I felt there were not enough engaging stories or delving into particular phenomena。 For example， only the first opium War is given significant attentions， Tank Man is never mentioned， nor is the Great A solid history from the earliest roots of China to the present day。 It tends towards the grand sweep of history with occasional snap shots of individual lives， with perhaps not enough inbetween an the institutional level。 While I came away with a better understanding of China and its development， I felt there were not enough engaging stories or delving into particular phenomena。 For example， only the first opium War is given significant attentions， Tank Man is never mentioned， nor is the Great Wall discussed at any length。 Events that are given their own section often under-deliver。 For example， the Boxer rebellion is covered and its horrors alluded to but only coyly described， with similarly brief asides mentioning the lack of accurate reporting of the British response。The book is better in emphasising the Confuscian ideology that shapes Chinese thought and the behaviour of emporers and in drawing out the distinctions between this and western imperialism。Overall， a useful read on a grand scale but the writing and structure mean it never rises rarely to anything more than useful。 。。。more
Ron
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China - a powerhouse now and in the past。 But how did it get to where it is today？ Who started this juggernaut rolling， who grew it to this size， and at what cost？ Join Michael Wood as he takes the reader on a epic exploration into The Story of China。 Michael Wood opens The Story of China with the December 1899 winter solstice ceremony when the Emperor performed a ritual dating back to the Bronze Age at the Temple of Heaven for the last time。 Then， in nineteen chapters， Wood takes the reader bac China - a powerhouse now and in the past。 But how did it get to where it is today？ Who started this juggernaut rolling， who grew it to this size， and at what cost？ Join Michael Wood as he takes the reader on a epic exploration into The Story of China。 Michael Wood opens The Story of China with the December 1899 winter solstice ceremony when the Emperor performed a ritual dating back to the Bronze Age at the Temple of Heaven for the last time。 Then， in nineteen chapters， Wood takes the reader back to the beginning of civilization in what became China and works his way forward to the present time。 Along the way the reader visits the major events that shaped China including stops at the Shang， the First Emperor， the Han， the Tang， the time of the Five Kingdoms， The Song （North and South）， the Yuan/Mongols， the Ming， and returning to the time of the Qing， then into the age of the Republic， the time of Mao， and the current regime。 Along that journey are many side trips to understand the Mandate of Heaven， and discover what ordinary folks were doing， writing， and enjoying， and why societies fall apart and reform。While the reader could rush through this title， The Story of China rewards the careful reader who takes the time read and ponder what he/she has read。 The story of China is cyclical - a kingdom/empire is founded， grows and then falls， only for a new kingdom/empire to rise from the ashes and build upon the earlier foundation。 The culture of China was formed early and is a thread that Michael Wood weaves through the whole book。 The thoughtful reader will see that certain attitudes regarding the role of the state and the importance of cultural stability underlies most of the empires despite what reformers tried to change。 Micheal Wood has written a very insightful history that so easily could have been a hagiography for the present oppressive regime。Thanks， St。 Martin's Press， for inviting me to review this title。 。。。more
Al Hynes
，
I enjoy reading history books that cover the same ideas again and again。 I believe that reading the same history by different authors is a great way of coming to terms with various aspects of a narrative which one writer may take for granted while another may not。This book is a really great look at China， but it lacks anything novel when compared to some others I have read。 Nevertheless， it’s definitely worth a read by anyone who wants a detailed， yet not too thick， look at the fascinating story I enjoy reading history books that cover the same ideas again and again。 I believe that reading the same history by different authors is a great way of coming to terms with various aspects of a narrative which one writer may take for granted while another may not。This book is a really great look at China， but it lacks anything novel when compared to some others I have read。 Nevertheless， it’s definitely worth a read by anyone who wants a detailed， yet not too thick， look at the fascinating story of China。 。。。more
JDK1962
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Long， involved history--~4000 years of it--of China。 In retrospect， I wish there had been fewer （or shorter） chapters on 2000 BCE - 1000 CE， and more emphasis on the past 150 years， since that seems more critical in identifying China's current issues and its path forward。May was kind of my "China Month，" where I watched the six-part "The Story of China" series on PBS， and read this and The Last Boat Out of Shanghai （plus doing a re-read of James Clavell's Noble House as my bedtime read）。 Long， involved history--~4000 years of it--of China。 In retrospect， I wish there had been fewer （or shorter） chapters on 2000 BCE - 1000 CE， and more emphasis on the past 150 years， since that seems more critical in identifying China's current issues and its path forward。May was kind of my "China Month，" where I watched the six-part "The Story of China" series on PBS， and read this and The Last Boat Out of Shanghai （plus doing a re-read of James Clavell's Noble House as my bedtime read）。 。。。more
Evelyn Hewett
，
Focussed on personal written accounts from across class and geography， this is fantastic popular history。 I learned a lot and was still left keen to learn more。
Declan Waters
，
China is the second largest economy in the world and the most populous （although India may overtake it soon）， but I knew shockingly little about the country and it's history。 This book by Wood is a great start on the journey of learning more about China。 China had been the most civilization for much of it's history despite rebellion & natural disasters until the western renaissance and industrial revolutions。 Unfortunately my （Anglo-Saxon） education did not mention China often and I am now remed China is the second largest economy in the world and the most populous （although India may overtake it soon）， but I knew shockingly little about the country and it's history。 This book by Wood is a great start on the journey of learning more about China。 China had been the most civilization for much of it's history despite rebellion & natural disasters until the western renaissance and industrial revolutions。 Unfortunately my （Anglo-Saxon） education did not mention China often and I am now remedying that。 This book is a good start。 。。。more
Andy C。
，
a long book， but well written and in my view worth the time。 I walked away thinking， 'there is nothing new under the sun。' The current leadership style and dynamic in China is an old story， and it has an old ending。 T'will be interesting to see; will China follow previous cycles。 a long book， but well written and in my view worth the time。 I walked away thinking， 'there is nothing new under the sun。' The current leadership style and dynamic in China is an old story， and it has an old ending。 T'will be interesting to see; will China follow previous cycles。 。。。more
Ron Welch
，
This book transformed my thoughts about China。 Though I still wouldn't want to live under the current regime I now have a better understanding and even compassion for the people， culture and institutions of this great civilization。 The author describes the importance over the millennia of the sage-emperor who mediates between heaven and （almost exclusively his） people， and the importance of this "mandate from heaven" to legitimize his power， create enlightened order in society and prevent chaos。 This book transformed my thoughts about China。 Though I still wouldn't want to live under the current regime I now have a better understanding and even compassion for the people， culture and institutions of this great civilization。 The author describes the importance over the millennia of the sage-emperor who mediates between heaven and （almost exclusively his） people， and the importance of this "mandate from heaven" to legitimize his power， create enlightened order in society and prevent chaos。He weaves history with views from villages and key poets， artists， historians and ordinary people to demonstrate the importance of the Confucian ideals of family， village solidarity and strong central rule。 These cultural values have endured throughout a 4000 year history filled with periods of stability and sometimes long periods of frightening civil strife。 The author doesn't shy away from critical commentary of rulers past and present， but shows profound understanding of the deep roots underlying their actions。I first saw his six-part BBC series （currently on Amazon Prime） of the same name， but the book is far more comprehensive。 I wholeheartedly recommend the book。 。。。more
Lee
，
Drawing on 4000 years of Chinese history and culture， Michael Wood identifies common themes affecting and empowering the Chinese。 Impressive history， impressive culture written at the times the history was taking place。 Not surprisingly， parallels are drawn between the Emperor’s and the communist leadership， both being autocratic and bureaucratic。
Pramod Pant
，
Informative， surely。 But the end is pretty lame。 With a country like China one has to try to predict the future trajectory， however fraught that venture may be。 And in today’s world， talking of China has to have a marked political and strategic hue。 Both are missing。 That’s a major flaw in the book。
Aron van der Beek
，
This author has quite clearly 'gone native'， which is the first mistake any student of a foreign （high） culture should be at pains to avoid。 Sure， Mr。 Wood， China's history is interesting and important， but I feel your description of it is somewhat one-sided and fed by a lack of understanding of regions you have not made a particular study of。 For example: it is just to claim that China was able to create and maintain a strong state bureaucracy much earlier than any other state。 But the claim th This author has quite clearly 'gone native'， which is the first mistake any student of a foreign （high） culture should be at pains to avoid。 Sure， Mr。 Wood， China's history is interesting and important， but I feel your description of it is somewhat one-sided and fed by a lack of understanding of regions you have not made a particular study of。 For example: it is just to claim that China was able to create and maintain a strong state bureaucracy much earlier than any other state。 But the claim that China would probably have set out on a path of modernisation comparable to the one in Europe if it had only been left alone by outside forces seems totally unfounded to me。 And even though early discoveries such as that of gunpowder are admirable， this really cannot be compared to the systematic formalisation of a 'scientific method' as happened in the West and which could serve as the basis for a /general/ program of investigation and increase of knowledge。Also: it seems a bit strange to say that 'the vote is still out' to decide whether Chairman Mao was a great man or not。 Such statements make me wonder whether he did not soften his discourse in order to flatter the current government。 He needs their approval， after all， because their country is his place of work and they could probably make his life a lot harder if they wanted to。 Nowhere in this book， in any case， he gives the impression that he /is/ willing to criticise it more than superficially。 。。。more
Jack Walsh
，
This book helped me understand more about modern China than anything else I have read。 Wood does a masterful job of weaving historical narratives with contemporary political and cultural topics， while also keeping the book engaging and not too dense。 Highly， highly recommend。
ryan copeland
，
Loved it。
Moses
，
The story of China， the world's oldest continuous civilisation， is of course too much for twenty books of this size。 But this is a bravura attempt， although I suggest pairing it with Dikotter's trilogy on communist China for crucial 20th century insights。One feels， reading the book， the truth of the saying that Chinese greatness is the rule， not the exception。 The story of China， the world's oldest continuous civilisation， is of course too much for twenty books of this size。 But this is a bravura attempt， although I suggest pairing it with Dikotter's trilogy on communist China for crucial 20th century insights。One feels， reading the book， the truth of the saying that Chinese greatness is the rule， not the exception。 。。。more
Olivier
，
Perhaps one of the more sweeping studies about China， its people and culture to be released。 As a primer （if you haven't learned much of China until now）， this will make you want to learn more。 I actually procured this， in part， to get the list of sources used - it is well and thoroughly researched。 Some of the accounts are gleaned from interviews and visits to places where events took place。This book is meant to accompany the television documentary on PBS/BBC。 There is a lot of additional infor Perhaps one of the more sweeping studies about China， its people and culture to be released。 As a primer （if you haven't learned much of China until now）， this will make you want to learn more。 I actually procured this， in part， to get the list of sources used - it is well and thoroughly researched。 Some of the accounts are gleaned from interviews and visits to places where events took place。This book is meant to accompany the television documentary on PBS/BBC。 There is a lot of additional information here that obviously could not be covered in the TV version。 Definitely one of the better studies written on China。 By delving into the past， this book also explores several questions on the nature of the potential future direction of China's relationships with the West and the World。Notes: I decided to take my time reading this。 During which， not only did I look further into the sources; but I actually decided to read some of the other sources; and look at other available materials to get a better sense of the topic。 。。。more
Mike Kovacic
，
A wonderful read detailing four millennia of Chinese history。 It was fascinating to learn about the different eras of Chinese history and gain an understanding of how China got to where they are today。
Bruce Barrett
，
Author has been very successful in covering 3000 years of Chinese history in a single volume。 It was an enjoyable， relatively easy read， imparting to me a better appreciation of the foundation of Chinese civilization and it's amazing accomplishments although enduring almost unspeakable upheaval and violence in periodic chaos。 Author has been very successful in covering 3000 years of Chinese history in a single volume。 It was an enjoyable， relatively easy read， imparting to me a better appreciation of the foundation of Chinese civilization and it's amazing accomplishments although enduring almost unspeakable upheaval and violence in periodic chaos。 。。。more
Rob Roy
，
This is a magnificent history of a much-misunderstood nation。 The author treats each dynasty and includes the current communist party as a dynasty itself。 What comes through is a civilization， in many ways superior， yet achieving its greatness only to fall once again。 Not only are the politics covered but also the literature and philosophy。 There are heroes and villains， but all contribute。 The author portrays the events through the eyes of regular people。 If you only read one book on China， thi This is a magnificent history of a much-misunderstood nation。 The author treats each dynasty and includes the current communist party as a dynasty itself。 What comes through is a civilization， in many ways superior， yet achieving its greatness only to fall once again。 Not only are the politics covered but also the literature and philosophy。 There are heroes and villains， but all contribute。 The author portrays the events through the eyes of regular people。 If you only read one book on China， this is the one。 。。。more
Joel
，
LÄS denna。 Främst om du är intresserad av （en introduktion till） Kinas historia， och om du inte är det så borde du vara det。 Längre men inte svårläst på något vis。 Glad att jag fick biblioteket att köpa in den。 5/5。
Jaime
，
It's quite impressive to compaction the story of a civilization as old as chinese， but part of the stories written are rather boring。 Yes， it's history， not fiction。 It doesn't have to be exciting， but still is a bit heavy sometimes。 It's quite impressive to compaction the story of a civilization as old as chinese， but part of the stories written are rather boring。 Yes， it's history， not fiction。 It doesn't have to be exciting， but still is a bit heavy sometimes。 。。。more
Ashley Cracknell
，