The Great Wall of China by Arthur Waldron

The Great Wall of China by Arthur Waldron

The Great Wall of China is renowned as one of the most impressive and intriguing man-made structures on earth. It is also the subject of an awesome mythology, embedded in both learned and popular imaginations, which has grown up and now obscured the historical record. Even the maps which chart the Wall's position offer erroneous accounts of a phenomenon which has never been accurately surveyed. Arthur Waldron reveals that the notion of an ancient and continuously existing Great Wall, one of modern China's national symbols and a legend in the eyes of the West, is in fact a myth. His fascinating account reveals the strategic and political context for the decision to build walls as fortified defences, and explores its profound implications for nomadic and agricultural life under the Ming dynasty. Taking up the insights offered into more recent Chinese politics, the book concludes with a searching investigation of the Wall's new meanings in the myths - departing from that history - fostered in our own century.

'Historical writing at its best, a brilliant and very readable account' The Asia Society
'This book has a wisdom, a patience, and a confidence about it that enrich Waldron's wonderful knack for writing history.' History Book Club
'One of the few books that change our basic assumptions about China.' Publisher's Weekly

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521427074
ISBN 10	052142707X
Title	The Great Wall of China
Author	Arthur Waldron
Series	Canto Original Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	1992-01-31
Number of pages	316
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.