The Story of China

China is a tough subject to tackle in a succinct and interesting way, but the author did a pretty impressive job of doing both. I'm not a history buff, but this seems well researched (although every history book seems to have academic detractors). Nonetheless, this is written in a friendly, engaging style (not academic) that I welcomed. The history of China is so long and complicated. This provides a solid overview in one volume. Nicely done.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

"In the freezing December of 1899, two days before the winter solstice, the Guangxu emperor left the Forbidden City through Tiananmen Gate at the head of a huge and colourful procession."

The Story of China is a highly engaging history of the many dynasties that were finally swept away by revolution. This comprehensive account starts with an examination of how geography, especially flooding, shaped local beliefs and gave rise to the Shang dynasty. The book ends with the emergence of Xi Jinping, the latest emperor in “the new dynasty founded by Mao.”

Michael Wood is a notable historian and broadcaster, also known for his films on China under the same title. Although Wood modestly admits that he is not a Sinologist, it is his passion for archaeology and presenting the voices of the people with a broadcaster’s finesse which sets this book apart from other Chinese history books. China has an uneasy record when it comes to the preservation and presentation of history, and much has been written on what was lost during the Cultural Revolution. Thus, it is a joy to read his numerous inclusions and descriptions of very recent and emerging archaeological and astronomical finds that are shedding new light on China’s ancient past and the historical facts behind myths and folklore.

Amazingly, some of these new finds include written records, such as highly relatable letters from homesick soldiers in the Qin Army and Han garrisons on Silk Road watchtowers. With his film maker’s manner, Wood regularly presents his “view from the village” derived from written records and letters from imperial officials, Buddhist monks, women sold into slavery, children, feminist authors, declining grand families and farmers to enrich our picture of how it really was to experience these massive historic events. In more recent years, personal interviews, oral traditions and family documents replace archaeology, but when possible, he interviews members of the families we were introduced to hundreds of years before. In this way, the book creates a vivid sense of immediacy and takes the reader along for the transformation of China, through all its achievements and losses. These families endured through “…population growth , overtaxation, natural disasters and that indefinable loss of group feeling that can undermine even the most powerful states…”

For readers interested in visiting China, Wood as a travel show host does not disappoint. Each chapter, generally divided by dynasty, begins with an explanation of how the area looks now if you were to visit. If you were to arrive by high speed train, walk through its alleyways and past the factories, what’s the story of that pagoda there? He then introduces what remains of this ancient history, and explains if that monument or building has been rebuilt or restored in the modern era. Then, he takes you back to that time, with careful explanations of daily life, religion, ritual, family and relationships, power struggles, war and climate. These vignettes are brought to life through quotes from those who lived it. These memorable portraits allow readers to wrap their heads around the many dynasties and the creation of this “centralised, authoritarian bureaucracy ruled by a sage-emperor and his ministers and scholars…”

I especially enjoyed the feature on the Song dynasty poet Li Qingzhao (李清照). In the happy days of her marriage, she and her husband collected antiques, books, art and enjoyed the food stalls throughout the lanes near the university. “We lived happy together those years. By the fire we made tea…and were untroubled by sudden storms…so long as we could share a cup of wine, and a sheet of fine paper.” Concubines, war, and widowhood would turn her to a career in Hangzhou publishing poetry and essays.

This is an exceptionally well balanced book. If you are interested in travel, religion, war, literature, class or gender studies, there is ample coverage of these topics through each time period. Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang are only lightly covered, as is Empress Dowager Cixi. “Sparked by drought and famine, poverty and class war, peasant risings were flaring up across China. Then, in 1894– 5, China suffered a humiliating defeat in a disastrous war with Japan. Now the colonial powers gathered like vultures: the Russians, Japanese and Germans in the north; the French and British in the south.” He uses broad strokes to describe events from the 1940s onward. I believe this is more due to scope of the text, rather than any intentional avoidance on the author’s part. However, his historical daring in tackling ancient China with a travel writer’s flair is perfection. Overall, the introduction to China’s ancient dynasties makes this book worth purchasing alone.

It is due to this balance and the above mentioned inclusion of different voices through history that you won’t be able to put this book down. It is a massive and slightly intimidating history, but nicely divided into easily consumed wedges. Wood kindly refers repeatedly to where we are at in the Western timeline (Such as who was the Roman emperor during that time period) or draws parallels to similar events in Western history, which helps the unfamiliar reader mentally locate these events in world history. For example, in describing the cultural losses of the Taiping Rebellion he says that it was “as if, let us say, the scholarly heartland of Western Europe in the 1860s had been smashed from Amsterdam to Paris, its scholars killed or dispersed and its libraries destroyed.”

Throughout the text he examines the psyche of Chinese culture and how this idea of a unified state and a feeling of togetherness has persisted through peasant uprising, warlords, Japanese invasions, civil wars, revolution, famine and trauma. He examines both the cities and countryside equally, as “China in the 1920s and ’30s was a land of extraordinary extremes and hugely uneven development. In places in the deep countryside , peasants laboured barefoot with medieval implements, faced with famine and flood, selling their children into slavery while warlords and their militias extorted and murdered at will.”

This is well handled in his overview of Tiananmen Square 1989. Wood does not make excuses nor claim to be a mind reader into what led to those decisions, but rather examines recently released 2019 documentary sources, such as memoirs, Politburo papers and diaries. He closes with a brief presentation about the continuing questions related to their credibility and significance.

The thematic backbone of this history is that China has suffered great upheavals, caused by their fellow humans and by natural disasters. The “astonishing patience and stoicism of the Chinese people” in the face of these seemingly endless catastrophic events allows the reader to understand this country’s yearning for stability, economic growth and recognition for the remarkable accomplishments of Chinese civilisation.

Excellent, comprehensive resource on China in a very concise form.

I was thrilled to receive the ARC of this book; as a China Studies graduate, I'm obsessed with learning about this complex country. The one downside of studying this astonishing nation is that I'm often ashamed to find myself confused by it's long history and the various dynasties, emperors and names. That's why I really needed a book like Michael Wood's "The Story of China" which is long enough to be comprehensive, but short enough to actually keep my interest.

To be fair, I was wary of reading such a specific book by a historian whose "special interest was Anglo-Saxon history" (from his bio)- in other words, Wood is not an expert on China. However, I didn't find any errors in his book, and although I'm not an expert either, I believe it can be fully trusted. I'm glad I reached for it because unlike a history book, Wood's work reads in a more engaging way which actually felt like something I would read for pleasure.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The Story of China is a lengthy history covering 4,000 years of Chinese history. The throughline through the work is how the past and the present are tied together, and elements of current China can be traced back to events from decades, centuries, and millennia past. It begins with a moving description of the last instance of sacred solstice rites by the Emperor before the world-shattering events of the 20th century and how those rituals tie back to the Bronze Age. In addition to addressing major events, a substantial amount of the text is devoted to excerpted text from philosophers, government workers, and other writers of each era, including women and accounts from ordinary people as available. The author's documentary background shows through the occasional detailed descriptions of the modern cities overlaid on historic places. While these additions occasionally bog down the text, the end result is a rich, nuanced, and enjoyable history.

It's hard to pick favorite sections, but here are just a few:
-the lush descriptions of cosmopolitan Song-era Kaifeng had me swooning in delight. If I ever time travel, I want to go here/then, and I really want to see the amazing scroll Festival on the River (Quingming shanghe tu).
-the travels of Xu Xiake from the Late Ming, the most famous traveller in China
-the surprisingly nuanced portrayal of Mao (as the book sums up by quoting Chen Yun, "Had Mao died in 1956 he would be an immportal; in 1966 still a great man but flawed. But he died in 1976. Alas, what can one say?")

The Story of China will invite comparison most readily to the PBS documentary series of the same name and to Superpower Interrupted by Michael A. Schuman , another sweeping history of China published in 2020. I can't comment on the documentary series since I haven't watched it, but I read Superpower Interrupted a few months ago. The two books have substantial similarities— both are 2020 comprehensive histories of China for a western audience. If a reader has the bandwidth, I think it's well worth reading both. They bring a different take, and I found pleasure in reading them so close together since elements of The Story of China nicely emphasized points made in Superpower Interrupted. The Story of China is definitely more meandering, especially with the many paragraphs of excerpted writings and modern descriptions, so even though the books have similar page counts, it felt a lot longer. I'd recommend Superpower Interrupted for those looking for a history much more targeted on drawing influences from historical China to the present.

This is a dense read but full of insights and wonderful stories. The readers will be taken to the rich and colorful history of China. I like that the vivid description of events.

Thank you for the ARC!
This is one of those books that gets your attention from the first page. The opening scene was so beautifully described, the tension between the emperor and the dowager is very evident.
The China of today and how it can trace its existence through so many events in its past is wonderfully captured.
I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Chinese history in not something that is studied with any depth here in the west. As a casual study of history, I have frequently attempted to do this on my own with mixed results. Most of the books that I have read are structured a lot like the history text books from which we learn our own history ... basically a list of dates, events and people on a timeline to memorize. Rarely do we see any attempt to explain the impact of these events on the social consciousness of the society in which they happen. This book not only provides an accessible survey of Chinese history, it compares and contrasts the social difference as well as presenting a reasonable hypothesis for why East and West have such divergent approaches to governance. Key to this examination are the references to contemporary western (greek/roman) philosophers and historians. From this I believe that I have a better understanding of the importance of conformity within eastern cultures, and how such could fall under the influence of such "Machiavellian" thought found within "The Book of Lord Shang." (Loc 1088/12%).

As expected given the time periods covered, this is a huge book packed with a great deal of information; some more interesting to me and some less so. I found myself skimming over a lot of the literary references in part because I had a hard time understanding how they reinforced or supported some of the authors points on Chinese culture. That still left a lot of material to slog through. The book is organized by dynasties (Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qin) and interregnums (Warring States, Three Kingdoms, Five Dynasties, Taiping & Boxer Rebellions, etc.), highlighting the cultural contributions (and continuity) of each as well as the reasons for decline and inevitable fall (loss of the Mandate of Heaven). What I found most interesting was the intersection of the Confucian ideal of the sage-ruler and the evolution of rather autocratic rulers (almost as if they knew they didn't have what was needed and through increasing paranoia harshly suppressed any criticism). Criticism and/or failure of any kind seems detrimental to life (not just your own, but you entire family to the 9th degree). This all has something of a discordant feel to people raised within a modern western culture (aka me). For pivotal events ... such as Mao's revolution ... the author tries to show multiple viewpoints (from traditional history to how it played in the rural areas with the common man).

Of all I found this book to be significantly helpful in understanding the differences between the east and west world views and I highly recommend it.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheStoryofChina #NetGalley

I realy enjoyed this book. It didn't only give us a histiry of China. It showed how the events in Chibese history impacted the people of China themselves. It also explored the conflict between our western world views and that of China's eastern world view. I didn't find this book to be dry as some history books can be. I found it to be well written and engaging. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to get a comprehensive look at China.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I have read a few books on Chinese history and I was surprised by the unique perspective the author provided on the topic. Despite China having a complicated and expansive history, Michael Wood was able to weave together the pieces of history in a coherent way. This book felt much more engaging than previous historical sagas I have encountered.

This is an incredible, epic read of Chinese history. Covering 4000 years of history is a daunting task, however the author does an excellent job of it. Breaking down the history into specific dynasties, Wood's makes you feel like you are there as history is being made. He manages to accomplish this not by reciting boring facts and dates, but by telling a story in each section.
This is not a book that you can plow through in one sitting. It requires your attention, and the reading of one chapter at a time, then taking time to digest it. But....you will come away with a much greater appreciation of China and it's people.
On a different note, as I read this, I was discussing the chapters with a Chinese student that we have hosted. She was very surprised, stating several times that she "did not know that"!
I highly recommend this book!

This is an expansive mighty documentation of China’s history going all the way back to 1900 BCE chronicling the rise and fall of various dynasties through the Cultural Revolution and into modern-day China. It is a tome of information, with meticulous research, including liberal quotes from people who lived during those times and journaled about their lives, historians living through the ages, as well as the many Chinese poets that graced China’s vast geographic span building a culture rich in the arts, culture, and literature. I’m more familiar with China’s history around the nineteenth century, so this was an interesting look at where China came from centuries before then. This is a dense book, replete with sometimes minute details, so pace yourself and know that you’ll be with the book for quite a while. It took me awhile to follow the first couple of chapters or so as the author went back and forth a bit, but it evened out after that and felt more chronological as the book went on. All in all, a comprehensive account of China’s history along with great insights into the lives of the cumulative Chinese people and their relations to the outside world - great for anyone interested in a thorough account of the history of China. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is mind-blowing beyond words. Its attention to detail amazed me. I’ve got way too many passages highlighted.

The author vividly brought China’s history to life - from how China got its name, to showing Confucius’s influence since the Bronze Age (or in China known as Age of Philosophers), the rise of the Qin Empire under King Zhang, the First Emperor, that changed China forever; from getting to know the lives of people through Liye strips, the real life terra-cotta army which included letters written by two brothers giving us a glimpse into their lives behind the army, to the fascinating story of the building of the royal tomb of the First Emperor and so much more.

We’d even get a glimpse into Sima Qian’s life, the lives of poor farmers and their families during the Han era, learn how Greek culture spread into Central Asia and how the Silk Road came into being. Included were also recent findings like letters in silk envelopes with the address and delivery instructions still on the package! And I’m so fascinated by Chang’an!

I plan to visit China one day and this book would definitely help me appreciate my trip there even more. Maybe visit some of the places mentioned in the book such as the Epang Palace, Sima Qian’s tomb, and of course the Terracota Army!

Taut, accessible, well-researched and documented, this is a must-read for those who have an interest in getting to know more about China.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this book once it’s published!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting and readable single-volume history of China.

Single-volume histories of complex, powerful nations are often tricky endeavours. They are either unwieldy in their detail and length (and weight, if you're reading a hardcover); or they are too brief, skimming over certain events that a reader might consider important.

Wood does a good job of composing his history, and selecting what he wants to focus on and use to create an overall picture of China's history and how it's relevant to its place in the world today. He draws on well-known figure, and a few lesser-known figures, to paint a fascinating, engaging, and interesting picture of one of the world's most important and dynamic countries.

Definitely recommended.

A single-volume history of China, offering a look into the past of the global superpower and its significance today. Michael Wood has travelled the length and breadth of China, the world’s oldest civilization and longest-lasting state, to tell a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity, and deep humanity that stretches back thousands of years. After a century and a half of foreign invasion, civil war, and revolution, China has once again returned to centre stage as a global superpower and the world’s second-largest economy. But how did it become so dominant? Wood argues that in order to comprehend the great significance of China today, we must begin with its history.

The Story of China takes a fresh look at the Middle Kingdom in light of the recent massive changes inside the country. Taking into account exciting new archaeological discoveries, the book begins with China’s prehistory—the early dynasties, the origins of the Chinese state, and the roots of Chinese culture in the age of Confucius. Wood looks at particular periods and themes that are now being re-evaluated by historians, such as the renaissance of the Song with its brilliant scientific discoveries. He paints a vibrant picture of the Qing Empire in the 18th century, just before the European impact, a time when China’s rich and diverse culture was at its height. Then, Wood explores the encounter with the West, the Opium Wars, the clashes with the British, and the extraordinarily rich debates in the late 19th century that pushed China along the path to modernity.

Finally, he provides a clear up-to-date account of post-1949 China, including revelations about the 1989 crisis based on newly leaked inside documents, and fresh insights into the new order of President Xi Jinping. All woven together with landscape history and the author’s own travel journals, The Story of China is the indispensable book about the most intriguing and powerful country on the world stage today. This is a fascinating, informative and accessible book on an exponentially rising economy and country. Written in fluid, languid prose, Wood has crafted a sweeping exploration of the evolutionary path the country has taken from centuries past right through to the present day and punctuates the timeline of the book with important events that have been most cataclysmic or beneficial to its growth and prosperity. If you have an interest in China and understanding how it became what it is today then I simply cannot recommend this exhaustive volume enough.

Four thousand years of history fitted into a single volume means there is going to be a great deal of summary, especially when the subject is China, which was developing written history when my own European ancestors were still running around in the woods.

So the question becomes, where to summarize and what details to include to illustrate one’s point? It’s for the expert to evaluate Wood’s choices in a judgment call. All I—a learner—can confidently say is that I got very involved in this book. I enjoyed great parts of it, specifically the details Wood chose from very recent archaeological finds that are shedding new light on China’s ancient past. Such as letters from homesick soldiers in the Qin Army and Han garrisons on Silk Road watchtowers, some written on sticks, others on silk, monks, mid-range and low ranking officials, women, slaves.

Each dynasty has its illustrative detail, the highlights of its rule, and how it failed. There is plenty of attention paid to China’s geography, specifically the rivers, and how life rose and changed around these rivers—including the utter devastation when the rivers flooded or altered course.

Confucius is summarized, Mencius barely gets mentioned, but their legacy is worked through the summaries of the evolution of imperial government. I really appreciated the attention paid to the poets, both male and female, and the marvelous descriptions of ancient cities, such as Chang’An. There is also superlative focus on specific works of art that convey an idea of its time as well as its timeless beauty.

The astounding ructions of Chinese history in the twentieth century rightly would take up volumes, but Wood navigates his way by use of diaries, journals, and in more modern times, witness accounts. He includes everyone—grand families with long pedigrees going back centuries, even millenia, farmers, protestors.

I think my favorite bit was the vivid depiction of Song-era Kaifeng, and the description of the amazing scroll-painting “Festival on the River”—which is a highly detailed trip all through the city, from river bank to urban center and out. I would LOVE to see that in person—it’s as close to a time machine glimpse of the past as we can get.

Altogether an absorbing read, enjoyable in many places, heart-breaking in others: when China turned on itself in its wars, millions died, rivaling the profoundly disastrous effects of drought, quake, famine, flooding, and plague. Yet through it all the Chinese rose again and rebuilt, hearkening to their past, their thinking shaped by the enlightened views of ancient sages.

A Vast Panorama of Ancient and Modern China

China has had a long and varied history. Wood makes a point of how the Chinese culture vacillates between unification and dispersion. The dynasties provided unification until peasant uprisings, natural catastrophes and wars pulled the country into individual fiefs. It’s a fascinating theme underlying Chinese history and for me explained much of the Chinese character.

The book presents the earliest history and progresses through the dynasties ending with modern China. When dealing with history, the author takes time to look at what the places he discusses look like today. It’s fascinating to see how the ancient monuments exist in industrialized setting and how the are in many cases being restored.

I found the use of recent archaeological finds particularly interesting. Many documents have been discovered which allow a glimpse of the life of average people. Letters describe the loneliness of a soldier serving in an outpost and another begs for shoes to be sent to him. Other documents give accurate recordings of the number of people in an area, how much acreage they owned, and other details that give a picture of ancient communities.

This description of the long history of China gives an insight into the psychology of the Chinese today. The author does and excellent job describing China since 1949 including recently leaked documents. This is a very rich book. It’s not an easy read. It takes time to digest all the information especially if you are unfamiliar, as I was, with the scope of Chinese history.

I highly recommend this book. China is a major player in the world today. While most of us are familiar with European history we are ignorant of China’s past. This book is an excellent way to get a better understanding of some of the forces driving this vast country.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, cultural-heritage, cultural-exploration, illustrations*****

I've read the Charles River Editors segments of the history of China, but most of them are so obviously Publish or Perish that it becomes hard to remember what I learned. This tome is so very different, even if a few of the illustrations appear to be the same. This one is eminently understandable and the retention should be much better. I actually enjoyed it! But it does require reading it in segments to avoid being overwhelmed.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

After having read extensively about the history of the United States, Europe and the Middle East I found that I wanted to know something about the history of China, the country that is now challenging the United States for global economic leadership. I was looking for a book that could introduce me to the history of China and serve as the basis for further reading on the subject. I was very fortunate to find The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power From the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream by Michael Wood.

Wood manages to pack the entire 4000-year history of the Chinese Empire, from its pre-history, through its multiple dynasties, to the evolution of its Communist led republic into today’s world power into a very readable 624 page volume. The book can best be described as Chinese History 101, 102 and 103.

It would have been one thing if Wood had simply described the rise and fall of the various dynasties that have ruled China throughout the millennia. But he has gone a huge step further by using letters, poems and other documentary evidence to bring to life individual Chinese residents who lived during those dynasties. And he helps the reader understand how these citizens viewed life in their authoritarian societies through the lens of their underlying philosophy of Confucianism and Daoism

Throughout the book Wood leads the reader through the ongoing challenges to the rulers who tried to govern the vast area, the innumerable people and the multiple ethnic groups that are China. He shows that the ruling dynasties were, at times, able to foster great economic, artistic and scientific achievements. But he also shows that, due to natural disasters, famines and revolts on the outer edges of the empire, each of the dynasties ultimately fell.

Unfortunately, what makes this book great, the presentation of a 4000-year history in a very concise format, is also its potential weakness. Because the history moves very quickly, it could be something of a challenge to keep track of the numerous characters and events that come and then go. But if this is an issue, it is easily solvable. In 2017, the author, who is also a documentarian, presented a 6-hour documentary, entitled the Story of China, on PBS. That documentary, which can be found on both Amazon and PBS, covers much of the same territory as the book. By watching the documentary while I was reading the book I was able to easily keep up with the fast paced history.

The Story of China was exactly what I was looking for. It was a concise, enjoyable history of the Chinese Empire that gave me the background that I need to read further about China. I give it 5 stars and recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about the society that now challenges United States for global economic leadership.

Thanks to #netgalley and to St. Martin’s Press for my early release copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Richly descriptive, carefully and thoroughly researched, and written in an engaging style, "The Story of China" is perfect for people who know little about the country's extended history, or are looking for more details from new sources. Wood uses the most up to date archaeological and literary sources to give readers the latest understanding of China's past as told by the people who lived it. I did appreciate Wood occasionally referencing what was happening in Europe at the same time to help give readers more familiar with Western history additional reference points. But readers shouldn't worry that this is China's history told from Europe's point of view- it isn't. This is China's history told from China's view, including women and the small villages as well as the grand courts and generals. An excellent history beautifully written.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Floods on the Yangtze River… the different dynasties, such as Han, Tang, Song, and Ming…a society far advanced from Europe. These and many other illuminating facts await you in “The Story of China” by Michael Wood.

Don’t be turned away by the 600+ pages in this book. My impression before opening the book was that I was in for a long slog of dry reading, facts and dates and endless paragraphs of useless knowledge guaranteed to fill up countless pages with mind-numbing data. Right from the start, Mr. Wood demonstrated that this book would be different than many of the offerings on the market.

While the history is told in chronological order, the author regularly injects current day facts, thus tying the two time periods together and explaining how past events dictated the way China is today. Many history books get caught up with a strict chronological version of events, but I like that Mr. Wood would easily switch to the current day and describe a certain part of the country as it is now before referring back to what happened many years ago in that same area, or would interview a person and find out about that person’s ancestors.

The tremendous research is the five-star element in this book. The author referenced many written records that were used to compile this book, and readers are treated to a history that offers the facts as well as includes the human element. The famous and the not-so-well-known are all featured here. The written records left by China’s previous inhabitants lent a personal side as we gained a deeper knowledge of how history affected the people living at that time, which is not usually seen in other books.

There is much to learn here and it is one of the most enjoyable history books I have ever had the pleasure to read. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.

Engaging and comprehensive read on a subject that is extremely difficult to cover. The reader will come away with a better understanding on the complexity of the history of China without being completely overwhelmed. This is a great resource for anyone interested in China's history, regardless of their level of knowledge on the subject prior to reading.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my hones review.

Wow, this was a long book. It covered nearly 4,000 years of Chinese history in over 500 pages. There were a lot of hundreds of names, dozens of places and dozens of threads detailing the story of China. Even with all that, it was well-written and not as difficult as it sounds like it could have been. However, it would have benefited greatly from a few maps. So many of the places were unfamiliar to me. I did got look up maps a few times.

Because there are so many names that look so similar, I had a tough time keep them differentiated. Still, the story managed to flow.

If you are willing to invest the time, this will definitely fill you in on the history of China.

The Story of China is a daunting read because of its length and subject matter which May repel some readers. However, it is a valuable resource for those who are curious about Chinese culture.
The book is styled like a documentary. It gives sweeping coverage of events in an interesting way. It infuses its narrative with first person diary entries, writings by scholars, and poems. That format makes the story less dry and more interesting.
I learned so much about this complex country as well as more insight into the little I did know of various time periods and people. The names that come to mind are Marco Polo, the Ming dynasty, Kublai Khan as well as Genghis Khan, and Mao. What really fascinated me, though, were the amazing advances the development of the printing press, the creation of maps, and their approaches to government and climate control. China accomplished that and much more, predating the advancements in other cultures. I learned so much and now appreciate it even more.
The book is difficult to follow in parts. It progresses from BCE to modern times, but it jumps back and forth across the centuries, which makes it confusing. Then, it throws in first person writings with a line stating what it is in such a way that it often feels like it is being thrown in without integrating it into the narrative of the book. That line is attached to a previous paragraph without any real transition. It took me some time to adjust to that.
Another problem I found was not the author’s fault, but was the result of the format. Reading the book in Kindle presented many difficulties. The book would reference later pages as further information about a subject. With Kindle, the links to subsequent pages along with jumping back and forth on the surface is an efficient way to access knowledge quickly, but I found that I can far better do so with a text in hand. Call it old fashioned, but the physical flipping through a book seems more satisfying to me personally. It is also easy to refer to bibliographical entries with a physical format.
Overall, The Story of China is an excellent book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about China. I now, as promised understand it much better and have insight into its politics today.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

The Story of China takes on the daunting task of covering a huge span of China's history. If you've ever studied it, even in passing, you know that they have long and complex history. Michael Wood does an incredible job of covering thousands of years, and while condensing it, manages to do more than gloss over things. One of the things that I loved about this book was that he really told it from the perspective of the laypeople and not just the ruling class. The author makes use of early recordings, and interviews with surviving family to tell the stories from different perspectives. Michael Wood covers multiple dynasties (Song, Tang, etc) all the way up to today in a way that gives you a good sense of what life was like during those times. I think though, that what I loved best was that he makes us take our Western view of a "closed China" and throw it out the window. China is vast and has long had contact with many nations throughout its history. I really made myself pace this one out so I could really absorb everything. This is an incredibly well researched and well written book, I absolutely loved it.

Wood brings four thousand years of China history to life in The Story of China. Arranged by dynasty, Wood's venture through history is filled with wonderful stories (albeit a few were too reference-filled) that entertained while educated. This book would be a wonderful addition to any history buff's collection.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

I was offered the opportunity to read and review this book; I did not seek it out. However, I'm glad I got the chance. The author gives a quite detailed history of China, its people and its culture. Most of my knowledge involved the Pu-Yi and Mao eras; digging into the details of the past put it in perspective and was very enjoyable.

This is an incredible book. I thought, at 600 pages, that I would have a daunting read ahead of me. I wanted to read it to learn more about China and this was my chance. It was so worth the time it took. Taking it just one chapter at a time and really focusing on what I was reading, I came away with many historical blanks filled in and an admiration for Michael Wood's writing style. He ties the past to the present in a seamless fashion, not in a straight dull line of events. After consuming this tome I want to investigate his other books - so many wonderful historical topics, so much to explore. It will be a challenge to decide which one to read next. One thing is certain, I'll have to have my own copy so I can savor each book chapter by chapter at a leisurely pace.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This might want you the check out the PBS documentary with the same name.
Anybody that is interested in the history in China this is definitely a book for you, it might be a bit too much detail for the general public but even then a lot of people might like getting tidbits of new information. Just take your time and enjoy. It’s not a book to hurry through. I visited China for a month about 20 years ago and reading about the various places brought back the memories of the trip. Most of the books I have read so far where for the 50 years following World War II and so it was great to get a better overview over the centuries. The author explains the rise and fall of the various dynasties. I always knew China had a very interesting history and reading this book endorsed that point.
I took a while to get into it because the first part of the book does a bit of jumping around and I felt like getting information overload. After that I enjoyed it more. Not an easy task to pack 4000 years of history into 600+ pages. Wood makes clear the different stages of the history of China.
I would have given the book a five star but I felt that the book could have used clearer breaks to make it easier for the reader

Michael Wood's miniseries on the history of China is great; if you have seen it, and like it, and are more interested in the complexity and trajectory of China, continue on with this book.

It really does a nice job with helping readers, who probably are more familiar with "western" history and its contours, navigate a part of the world which may feel more removed from their lives and beliefs. At the end of the day, Wood does a great job explaining that human civilizations ultimately have the same motivation: to prove greatness, to build up its people, to continue to have a lasting impact on the world. I think it was really nice to read up on specific events or people that I was unfamiliar with, but it also of course is a wonderful narrative.

Wood pulls back on the curtain on the elusive qualities of China, explaining how religion and military beliefs have affected the course of the country.

As China continues to rise and becomes a superpower that many people will be interacting with on multiple levels, Wood's book serves as a go-to for information and context of the country.

I've long been interested in China and was interested in learning more about the country. This book gives an excellent overview of China's history. It is written in a friendly, assessable style. This surprised me. Who would've guessed such an ambitious book would be so readably readable?

China - a powerhouse now and in the past. But how did it get to where it is today? Who started this juggernaut rolling, who grew it to this size, and at what cost? Join Michael Wood as he takes the reader on a epic exploration into The Story of China.
Michael Wood opens The Story of China with the December 1899 winter solstice ceremony when the Emperor performed a ritual dating back to the Bronze Age at the Temple of Heaven for the last time. Then, in nineteen chapters, Wood takes the reader back to the beginning of civilization in what became China and works his way forward to the present time. Along the way the reader visits the major events that shaped China including stops at the Shang, the First Emperor, the Han, the Tang, the time of the Five Kingdoms, The Song (North and South), the Yuan/Mongols, the Ming, and returning to the time of the Qing, then into the age of the Republic, the time of Mao, and the current regime. Along that journey are many side trips to understand the Mandate of Heaven, and discover what ordinary folks were doing, writing, and enjoying, and why societies fall apart and reform.

While the reader could rush through this title, The Story of China rewards the careful reader who takes the time read and ponder what he/she has read. The story of China is cyclical - a kingdom/empire is founded, grows and then falls, only for a new kingdom/empire to rise from the ashes and build upon the earlier foundation. The culture of China was formed early and is a thread that Michael Wood weaves through the whole book. The thoughtful reader will see that certain attitudes regarding the role of the state and the importance of cultural stability underlies most of the empires despite what reformers tried to change. Micheal Wood has written a very insightful history that so easily could have been a hagiography for the present oppressive regime.

Thanks, St. Martin's Press, for inviting me to review this title.

My dad was a university professor. When I was a kid, he’d often host students from other countries. I grew up in a house where students from Georgia, Germany, Russia, and China came in and out of my life frequently. Though I was just a kid, often my first real understanding of the wider world came from these visits. I remember, for example, we had some people over at our house from Georgia right around when the USSR was collapsing. The first time I ever heard the word “Stalin” was at that meal, when my dad was discussing the collapse of the USSR and its subsequent fallout with them.

A few years later, my dad got a job teaching at a university in China, and from that point on, he’d spend every summer teaching in China, and then sometime during the year, a group of Chinese students from that university would come to our house.

It was a real eye-opening experience, to be able to talk to these people who were from such different parts of the world. These visits opened up the world for me in a way I don’t think I’ve really appreciated until I got older. My dad would tell me stories about what it was like to teach at universities in other countries, and when people from these far-flung nations and diverse cultures would come to our house, I’d sit at the table while they talked to my parents and soak up everything they said like a sponge. It always fascinated me.

But China is not a place I know very well. I’ve never been there. My dad has told me some things, and I’ve talked to the Chinese exchange students that would come to our house, but I don’t really know China. To be quite honest, the country has always intimidated me because it’s so ancient. There’s just so much of it, where do you start? When I saw this book, I honestly had almost no hope for it. How on earth could someone distill the history of an entire region of the world that spans so much time into one book, no matter how long?

Well, the truth is, you can’t. Not really. There’s just so much there, that all you can expect from a book like this is an overview. Some topics are going to be touched on in more depth than others, but if you want to really get into the details of any specific event, you’ll have to use this book as a jumping-off point for further research. However, that’s not really a bad thing. I don’t know a whole lot about China, and what I really needed was an overview, an introduction, as it were. An overview to show me just how rich the history is, presented in such a way that allowed me to shake hands with it, and really get comfortable.

The Story of China is an absolutely fascinating book, which almost feels cinematic in how it is written. Some of the events and people are focused on in such a way, I could almost feel the camera zooming in on a macro level, really allowing me to not only understand what I was reading about, but also forging a connection that made me truly care. The way Michael Wood writes this book kept me engaged and enthralled in a way that a lot of nonfiction books just don’t manage.

The history covered in this book is told in chronological order, but Wood intersperses modern-day events and more modern details into the narrative here or there, thus showing the reader how history impacts the modern day. One cannot really exist without the other. These connections were rather fascinating to see, and it’s something I wish more historical nonfiction authors would infuse their writing with. History does not happen in a vacuum and being able to actually see how the ripples in the historical pond spread out and impact other, more modern events and/or people, was really one of the most interesting parts of the book.

The research that went into this book is absolutely mindboggling. There are a lot of referenced texts, artwork, and the like. I was quite honestly amazed by the amount of detail packed into this historical account. Woods absolutely infuses The Story of China with information, and somehow he never manages to lose sight of the story he’s actually telling, nor does the research become cumbersome, overwhelming, or confusing. He knows when to zoom his camera in and focus on one specific detail, person, or event, and when to use his wide-angle lens to show the sprawling scope, the wider landscape, the totality of the event.

There are some familiar events covered here like the rise and fall of dynasties, the Terracotta Army, the flooding of the Yangtze River, famines, and more. There is also a lot here that you won’t be aware of, and all those connections I mention above make all of this even more interesting. In fact, I daresay, out of all the history books I’ve read in my life, this had to be one of the most informative, enjoyable ones. There’s something about the way Woods manages to tell such a sprawling, illustrious history with such intimacy and care that just worked for me.

Lush descriptions of landscapes, palaces, cities, and officials brought many of the settings and the people to life. Outside forces that impacted events were covered, like the Little Ice Age, which brought sweeping political change to the fore. Small facts dropped in here or there were, quite honestly, staggering. For example, by the time the Western calendar began, there were already 140,000 literate Chinese bureaucrats employed by the Qin state. There was also a fairly nuanced study of Mao, which surprised me, as he is such a polarizing figure and is easily painted over with a large brush.

While I truly loved this book, I will say that readers who are familiar with China’s history might not find anything new here. This is, after all, an overview. It’s a long book, but there is absolutely no way you can cover a history as storied and intricate as China’s adequately in one volume. For people like me, who aren’t terribly familiar with the region, this is exactly what the doctor ordered, and it’s given me a ton of ideas about books I want to read next, and things I want to learn about. I do advise, however, to keep in mind this is an overview, and depending on your familiarity with China, it may or may not give you new information.

For me, though, The Story of China blew my socks off. This was a digestible, interesting, intricate view of history that not only captivated me, but kept me coming back for more. Wood’s ability distill weighty, complicated history into digestible bites for his readers is laudable.

The Story of China is history as it should be written.

Really, just excellent. It's a huge topic to cover but the author makes is manageable, and he does not pretend to have all the answers, or even very simple answers. This would be a great course text.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I got a DRC just as COVID hit and, in the mishegas of having it twice and wanting to make a review commensurate with the book's quality, have so far failed to get any review at all done. It really is a terrific job of work, just as writing almost a thousand pages goes. One expects Wood to be top-flight at research, given his forty-plus years of making and presenting TV shows about history (his In Search of the Dark Ages series easily being my favorites!) but the clarity and the wit of his sentence-by-sentence storytelling really brings his anecdotes alive.

Dense work, but extremely insightful. The history of China has always seemed a bit intimidating because it seems overwhelming and vast. Wood is able to succinctly and eloquently present the story of China in a way that kept me interested and able to keep me turning the page.

While late (and after purchasing a physical copy), thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this work honestly in exchange for an eGalley of the work.