Great State China

The world-renowned scholar and author of Vermeer’s Hat does for China what Mary Beard did for Rome in SPQR: Timothy Brook analyzes the last eight centuries of China’s relationship with the world in this magnificent history that brings together accounts from civil servants, horse traders, spiritual leaders, explorers, pirates, emperors, migrant workers, invaders, visionaries, and traitors - creating a multifaceted portrait of this highly misunderstood nation.

China is one of the oldest states in the world. But, despite the desires of some of the most powerful people in the Great State through the ages, China has never been alone in the world. It has had to contend with invaders from the steppe and the challenges posed by foreign traders and imperialists. Indeed, its rulers for the majority of the last eight centuries have not been Chinese. Timothy Brook examines China's relationship with the world from the Yuan through to the present by following the stories of people navigating the spaces where China met and meets the world.

Step inside the towering walls of Chinese governance with the gripping eBook – "Inside the Great Wall"; an exclusive tour into the layers of power in the world's largest nation. The narrative begins with Chapter 1, a comprehensive introduction that unravels the complex structure of the Chinese Government. Get captivated as you understand the historical forces that shaped their governance in Chapter 2. As you delve deeper, the all-important role of the Chinese Communist Party is extensively dissected. From the National People's Congress to the State Council and the strategic judicial ...

As heard on NPR's Fresh Air, We Have Been Harmonized, by award-winning correspondent Kai Strittmatter, offers a groundbreaking look, based on decades of research, at how China created the most terrifying surveillance state in history.