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The Shortest History of China

From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower: A Retelling for Our Times

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The Shortest History of China

By: Linda Jaivin
Narrated by: Nancy Wu
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About this listen

From kung-fu to tofu, tea to trade routes, sages to silk, China has influenced cuisine, commerce, military strategy, aesthetics, and philosophy across the world for thousands of years.

Chinese history is nothing if not messy. Heroes are also villains; prosperity mingles with violence; cultural vibrancy coexists with censorship and repression. Modern China is seen variously as an economic powerhouse, an icon of urbanization, a propaganda state and an aggressive superpower seeking world domination.

Jaivin distills this vast history into a sparkling narrative, from mythical origins to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a story in which China's women, from the earliest warriors to 20th-century suffragettes, receive long overdue attention.

As historical specters of corruption and disunity continue to haunt the People's Republic, Jaivin discusses what may lie ahead - not just for China but for the world.

©2021 Linda Jaivin (P)2021 Tantor Asia China Jewish Heritage Politics & Government World Haunted
All stars
Most relevant
As advertised- a short history of China. Very engaging given the scope of what needed to be covered.

Solid review of China’s history

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This book offers a great little introduction to the broad timeline of Chinese history, alongside introducing some of the key figures and events that has shaped China into what it is today. For what can be a somewhat overwhelming topic (given the vast number of eras and important individuals) this book did a good job in choosing which eras, events, and figures to cover and in restraining itself from going into excessive detail. The commentary was well balanced - including both reasonable criticism of China as well as dismantling some of the narratives about China in the west. There were also some moments of lightheartedness and irony within each chapter, with the author making sure to include some of the less significant but no less interesting stories and legends in Chinese history. Overall the narrative was quite engaging in spite of the inherent rigidity within a timeline-orientated telling of history.

A great little introduction to China’s vast history

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