No country on earth has suffered a more bitter history in modern times than China. In the second half of the nineteenth century, it was viewed as doomed to extinction. Its imperial rulers, heading an anachronistic regime, were brought low by enormous revolts, shifting social power patterns, republican revolutionaries, Western incursions to "split the Chinese melon" and a disastrous defeat by Japan. 
The presence of predatory foreigners has often been blamed for China's troubles, but the much greater cause came from within China itself. In the early twentieth century, the empire was succeeded by warlordism on a massive scale, internal divisions, incompetent rule, savage fighting between the government and the Communists, and a fourteen-year invasion from Japan. Four years of civil war after 1945 led to the Maoist era, with its purges and repression; the disastrous Great Leap Forward; a famine that killed tens of millions; and the Cultural Revolution.
Yet from this long trauma, China has emerged amazingly in the last three decades as an economic powerhouse set to play a major global political role, its future posing one of the great questions for the twenty-first century as it grapples with enormous internal challenges. Understanding how that transformation came about and what China constitutes today means understanding its epic journey since 1850 and recognizing how the past influences the present. 
Jonathan Fenby tells this turbulent story with brilliance and insight, spanning a unique historical panorama, with an extraordinary cast of characters and a succession of huge events. As Confucius said, To see the future, one must grasp the past.

Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present

History

Fenby, Jonathan

Americas

Ecco

"A sweeping, reasoned history.Essential desk-side reference to help with the sifting and understanding of the enormous changes taking place in a China poised between the old and the new."

Asia

Perennial

Softcover Penguin Publisher 762 pages

Penguin History Of Modern China,The: The Fall And Rise Of A Great Power 1850-2008

Penguin Uk

In 1850, China was the "sick man of Asia." Now it is set to become the most powerful nation on earth. The Penguin History of Modern China shows how turbulent that journey has been. For 150 years China has endured as victim of oppression, war, and famine. This makes its current position as arguably the most important global superpower all the more extraordinary. Jonathan Fenby's comprehensive account is the definitive guide to this remarkable transformation.

The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present

Penguin

In 1850, China was the "sick man of Asia." Now it is set to become the most powerful nation on earth. The Penguin History of Modern China shows how turbulent that journey has been. For 150 years China has endured as victim of oppression, war, and famine. This makes its current position as arguably the most important global superpower all the more extraordinary.

The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power 1850 to the Present

The only battle of World War I to be fought in East Asia, how it came about, and why its aftermath is still relevant today In 1914, Europe was not the only continent coming to terms with a new form of conflict. Through a mix of complex alliances and global ambition, the war had spread to northern China, where the German-held port of Tsingtao became a key battleground. To strike a blow at Kaiser Wilhelm's naval forces, Britain and its ally Japan lay siege to the port during October and November. In The Siege of Tsingtao, the first of the Penguin China Specials on World War I, celebrated historian Jonathan Fenby examines the causes of the battle, the ulterior motives for it, and the path it helped set East Asia on for decades to come.

The Siege of Tsingtao: Penguin Special (Penguin Specials)

Viking China

Hong Kong, the 'fragrant harbour', was handed back to China in 1997 after being a British colony for nearly a hundred years. In that time the territory established itself as one of Asia's major trading areas and one of the world's most exciting and cosmopolitan cities. At the time of the handover many Westerners feared that the Communist regime in Beijing would kill this golden goose in their eagerness to plunder its riches. So far, that hasn't happened, but many other changes have taken place - more subtle, perhaps, than tanks in the streets, but still altering the culture and atmosphere of the place where East meets West. Jonathan Fenby's masterly survey of his last year in charge of Hong Kong's leading English-language newspaper is both a fascinating insight into this amazing place and an entertaining and enlightening personal story of changing fortunes.

Dealing With the Dragon: A Year in the New Hong Kong

Little,Brown & Co

China is the oldest continuous civilization on earth and holds a unique global place in the twenty-first century. The Great Wonders of China's wide focus shows what makes China such a special country, with topics stretching from the natural wonders, including mountains and rivers, to the Silk Road; the technological innovations of printing and the compass; and the modern, vibrant cities of today as well as famous monuments, such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall. In this new and updated paperback edition, a team of leading scholars from Asia and the West provide a compelling history of China. Beyond the quality of the individual entries, The Great Wonders of China provides a chronicle of Chinese history and culture as well as helping readers understand and appreciate this vast country.

The Great Wonders of China

Thames&Hudson

An unprecedented photographic tour of North Korea that examines life under the Kims' totalitarian regime. For more than half a century, North Korea has been the epitome of a rogue state. Since the defeat of the Japanese occupation in 1945 it has been a nation apart, ruled by father-and-son autocrats—the late Kim Il-sung, known as the Great Leader, and his successor Kim Jong-il, known as the Dear Leader—who have expanded the cult of personality to unparalleled lengths. No regime, past or present, has ever created an environment of such ubiquitous propaganda. In finely orchestrated detail, flags, murals, and slogans praise the party, while monuments, statues, and portraits glorify its leaders. Philippe Chancel's neutral but sophisticated photographs explore how the political has been transfigured into an all-encompassing aesthetic. He shows us the wide, car-less avenues of Pyongyang—the capital city rebuilt to plans drawn up by the Great Leader himself—the Children's Palace, and the gigantic May Day Stadium, which seats up to 150,000 people. It is a remarkable scenography of a uniquely chilling reality. 129 color photographs.

North Korea

Arts & Photography

POIVERT, Michel

Photography & Video

The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850-2008. by Jonathan Fenby

World

Allen Lane.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fenby, Jonathan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Fenby, Jonathan

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fenby, Jonathan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present

Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present

Penguin History Of Modern China,The: 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 to the Present

The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power 1850 to the Present

The Siege of Tsingtao: Penguin Special (Penguin Specials)

Dealing With the Dragon: A Year in the New Hong Kong

The Great Wonders of China

North Korea

The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850-2008. by Jonathan Fenby