Chinese History Books

Showing 1-50 of 3,262
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (Paperback)
by (shelved 42 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.28 — 112,746 ratings — published 1991
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The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II (Paperback)
by (shelved 38 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.21 — 41,878 ratings — published 1997
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Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War (Hardcover)
by (shelved 37 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.23 — 1,718 ratings — published 2012
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The Search For Modern China The Search For Modern China (Paperback)
by (shelved 34 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.20 — 2,963 ratings — published 1990
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The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution 1945-1957 The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution 1945-1957 (Hardcover)
by (shelved 32 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.14 — 2,178 ratings — published 2013
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Mao's Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-62 Mao's Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-62 (Hardcover)
by (shelved 31 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.06 — 4,403 ratings — published 2010
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The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976 The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976 (Hardcover)
by (shelved 26 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.04 — 1,665 ratings — published 2016
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Mao: The Unknown Story Mao: The Unknown Story (Paperback)
by (shelved 26 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.81 — 12,869 ratings — published 2002
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The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han (History of Imperial China, #1) The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han (History of Imperial China, #1)
by (shelved 26 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.77 — 520 ratings — published 2007
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God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan (Paperback)
by (shelved 26 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.93 — 1,162 ratings — published 1996
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Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 25 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.33 — 2,377 ratings — published 2018
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Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (Hardcover)
by (shelved 24 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.89 — 9,701 ratings — published 2013
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China: A History China: A History (Hardcover)
by (shelved 23 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.92 — 2,069 ratings — published 2008
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The Art of War The Art of War (Paperback)
by (shelved 22 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.96 — 486,899 ratings — published -400
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Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China (Hardcover)
by (shelved 20 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.46 — 3,410 ratings — published 2011
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China Between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties (History of Imperial China, #2) China Between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties (History of Imperial China, #2)
by (shelved 19 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.84 — 219 ratings — published 2008
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Life and Death in Shanghai Life and Death in Shanghai (Paperback)
by (shelved 17 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.32 — 13,435 ratings — published 1986
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China: A New History China: A New History (Paperback)
by (shelved 17 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.88 — 905 ratings — published 1992
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China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty (History of Imperial China, #3) China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty (History of Imperial China, #3)
by (shelved 16 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.93 — 251 ratings — published 2009
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1587: A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline 1587: A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline (Paperback)
by (shelved 14 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.32 — 1,355 ratings — published 1981
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Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine, 1958-1962 Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine, 1958-1962 (Hardcover)
by (shelved 14 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.14 — 896 ratings — published 2008
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Empress Orchid (Empress Orchid, #1) Empress Orchid (Empress Orchid, #1)
by (shelved 14 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.89 — 24,555 ratings — published 2003
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The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1) The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1)
by (shelved 14 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.00 — 249,390 ratings — published 1931
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Red Star Over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism Red Star Over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism (Paperback)
by (shelved 13 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.06 — 1,278 ratings — published 1937
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Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 Soulstealers: The Chinese Sorcery Scare of 1768 (Paperback)
by (shelved 13 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.33 — 607 ratings — published 1990
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The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China (History of Imperial China, #4) The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China (History of Imperial China, #4)
by (shelved 13 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.04 — 170 ratings — published 2009
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The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams, and the Making of Modern China The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams, and the Making of Modern China (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.89 — 1,353 ratings — published 2011
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The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850-2008 The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850-2008 (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.91 — 681 ratings — published 2008
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The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties (History of Imperial China, #5) The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties (History of Imperial China, #5)
by (shelved 12 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.90 — 274 ratings — published 2010
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The Emperor's Tomb (Cotton Malone, #6) The Emperor's Tomb (Cotton Malone, #6)
by (shelved 11 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.97 — 20,434 ratings — published 2010
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China's Last Empire: The Great Qing (History of Imperial China, #6) China's Last Empire: The Great Qing (History of Imperial China, #6)
by (shelved 11 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.06 — 270 ratings — published 2009
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On China On China (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.18 — 9,072 ratings — published 2011
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Falling Leaves Falling Leaves (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.90 — 28,009 ratings — published 1997
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The Cambridge Illustrated History of China The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.87 — 542 ratings — published 1996
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The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.16 — 1,518 ratings — published 2020
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 10 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.05 — 73,374 ratings — published 2004
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The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners that Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners that Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 (Paperback)
by (shelved 10 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.78 — 699 ratings — published 1999
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Imperial China, 900–1800 Imperial China, 900–1800 (Paperback)
by (shelved 10 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.41 — 171 ratings — published 2000
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Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.89 — 3,501 ratings — published 2019
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Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945 Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945 (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.12 — 1,958 ratings — published 2013
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Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.23 — 1,022 ratings — published 2013
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Tao Te Ching Tao Te Ching (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.30 — 157,155 ratings — published -400
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The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.01 — 3,038 ratings — published 2010
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China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.16 — 215 ratings — published 2005
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Red Scarf Girl Red Scarf Girl (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.78 — 15,691 ratings — published 1997
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1421: The Year China Discovered America 1421: The Year China Discovered America (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.61 — 14,624 ratings — published 2002
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Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.21 — 7,223 ratings — published 2006
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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 4.09 — 372,024 ratings — published 2005
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A Daughter of Han: The Autobiography of a Chinese Working Woman A Daughter of Han: The Autobiography of a Chinese Working Woman (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.65 — 438 ratings — published 1945
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The Death of Woman Wang The Death of Woman Wang (Paperback)
by (shelved 9 times as chinese-history)
avg rating 3.46 — 880 ratings — published 1978
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Pénélope Bagieu
“Official historians have long depicted wu zetian as a sort of chinese version of the Red Queen from The Alice and Wonderland, by focusing on her secret police and fondness by bumping off enemies. "And she slept her way to the top".
An interesting angle given that her brief dynasty was one of the most prosperious periods in many respects (in terms of peace, arts, and social progress.)
On the other hand, what is always pointed out (and emphasized as fact) is that she was fearsome, ambitious, and ruthless. Common (and valued)character traits in just about every emperor...but clearly not easy to digest in an empress”
Pénélope Bagieu, Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World

John  Holliday
“It's a terrific book and I can't wait for the movie," says Phillip Adams on Late Night Live, ABC Radio National.”
John Holliday, Mission to China: How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient

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