To paraphrase a wise observation - we will only know where we are heading if we know where we have come from - is in part the inspiration for this series of national histories. In addition to that understanding, it was the conviction of series editor, Justin Wintle, that increasing globalization makes it ever more essential to understand our own history and the history of other nations, neighbouring or worlds away. Home to a quarter of the world's population, China is the rising super-power of the 21st century. This text gives you the country's core history in accessible style, covering more than 4000 years from the earliest kingdoms to today's communist republic. Featuring a continuous time-line, sidebars on Confucius, the Terracotta Army, the invention of printing, Mao Zedong and a host of other topics, plus dozens of illustrations and quotations, this guide should appeal to travellers and students alike.