All Under Heaven

Description

A one-volume narrative history of China, from the earliest inhabitants to the twentieth century, for a popular readership.

China is a country with an ancient and highly sophisticated civilization of which the Chinese have been justly proud.When the countries of Europe were struggling to move beyond mud huts and stone tools the Chinese already had a highly complex society and were creating works of great beauty. Yet, although it has for many years been a source of great fascination to the West, the history of China remains a mystery to the layman. In this highly accessible narrative Rayne Kruger produces a synthesis of Chinese history for the non-specialist reader.

Reviews

"...this work serves as a vital pre-history to the modern nation..." (Lloyds List International, 26 November 2004)

Author description

Rayne Kruger was born in South Africa and began his working life in a Johannesburg goldmine before becoming in succession a lawyer, broadcaster and actor. He immigrated to England in 1947 where he joined the BBC. He wrote a number of successful novels, followed by a history of South Africa in 1959, Goodbye Dolly Gray, which has remained in print ever since. An astute businessman, he then founded a property group. He subsequently went into partnership with his wife, the successful restaurateur and cookery school entrepreneur, Prue Leith. He died on 21 December 2002.

Table of contents

Preface.About the Author.1. Ape-men to the Shang (700.000-1750BC).2. The Shang (?1523-?1027BC).3. The Western Chou (?1027-771BC).4. The Eastern Chou (771-476BC)-I.5. The Eastern Chou (771-476 BC) - II.6. From Confucius to Empire - I.7. From Confucius to Empire - II.8. Ch'in into China.9. The Former Han - I (206-141 BC).10. The Former Han - II:Wu Ti (141-87 BC).11. The Former Han - III (87-141 AD 9).12. Interregnum (AD 9-25) and the Han revived - I.13. The Han revived - II (25-22).14. Partition (220-589).15. The Sui (581-618).16. The T'ang (618-907) - I.17. The T'ang (618-907) - II.18. The T'ang (618-907) - III.19. Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms and the Sung - I.20. The Sung - II (960-1279).21. The Mongols' Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).22. The Ming - I (1368-1487).23. The Ming - II (1487-1644).24. The Ming Dynasty in Perspective.25. The Manchus' Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911).26. Ch'ing: Opium Wars and the Taipings - II.27. Into the twentieth century.Epilogue: the twentieth century.Bibliography.Index.