10 Best Books on the History of China

Cover of Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

10 Best Books on the History of China

China is one of the biggest countries in the world. It has over 1.4 billion people, 56 ethnic groups, five thousand years of history and has undergone extraordinary revolutions.

From the politics and economy to its rich history and culture, China has several complex and impenetrable contradictions, customs and histories.

As you are looking to learn about the history of this country, read on to discover the 10 best books on the history of China.

These 10 books provide an introduction to contemporary China. Reading them will give you a better understanding of this Asian superpower.

1. China in Ten Words by Yu Hua

Yu Hua is one of China’s most famous present-day writers. China in Ten is his most celebrated novel alongside To Live which propelled him to international fame.

This book contains ten popular Chinese phrases that tell personal stories to reveal unknown facts about the world’s most populous yet often misunderstood nation.

In the book, Hua illustrates the expanding gaps that separate citizens of the country. In one chapter he depicts the escalating trend of piracy and imitation as a creative new form of revolutionary action.

Read on the mysteries of modern China written from a witty and refreshing Chinese perspective.

2. China Witness by Xinran

This is another innovative book that gives a voice to the silent generation. It shares the untold stories from the 20th-century history of China.

Written by renowned author Xinran, he travelled across the country and spoke to the elderly during his research.

He specifically targeted people that experienced the massive shift in China between 1912 and 1949. In 1912 was when the five thousand years of feudal rule ended, and then in 1949, Mao Zedong rose to power.

The book’s subjects share their experiences, struggles and dreams, many for the first time. Many of whom were still afraid of repercussions for speaking out.

3. Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang

China has an immense population of migrant workers, which represents more than 114 million people. This has always been the driving force behind its booming economy.

However, very little is known about the movement or its importance. This is where Leslie Chang comes in. In her book, she portrays the unknown story of these workers by documenting the lives of two women over three years.

She integrates her own experiences to create a poignant portrait of the migrant worker and discover how the movement is transforming the lives of families across the nation. This book is a must-read on Chinese culture and history.

4. The Corpse Walker by Liao Yiwu

The Corpse Walker starts by talking about regular men and women at the bottom of Chinese society. This group of people have had difficult lives but have managed to retain their dignity.

They are regarded by different names as a professional mourner, a human trafficker, a public toilet manager, a leper, a grave robber, and a Falun Gong practitioner, among others.

Yiwu manages to interview them about their lives, desires and vulnerabilities. This book unravels the captivating aspect of modern China by describing the lives of everyday Chinese citizens in ways that are constantly provoking and surprising.

5. Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang

The cover of Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang

This is regarded as one of the most authoritative life of the Chinese leader ever written.

The book, Mao: The Unknown Story is based on a decade of research, and interviews with many of Mao’s close circle in China, some of whom have never talked before.

Jung Chang reveals startling information about the Long March and Mao who was unknown. He shows that Mao was driven by idealism or ideology.

Further, you get to learn about the complicated and intimate relationship he had with Stalin back in the 1920s.

In the quest to fight, Mao chased this dream and caused the deaths of 38 million people in the greatest famine in history.

6. Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE – 220 CE) (Understanding China Through Comics (1)) by Jing Liu

This book will answer some of your questions such as who founded China, the religion of the Chinese people, the culture of the Chinese people as well as how the country has changed over time.

Jing Liu gives you an accessible and fun Understanding of China through this comic series. What is impressive is that this book is suitable for all ages.

Find out more about Confucianism and Daoism, the story of the Silk Road, famous emperors like Han Wudi, and the process of China’s unification.

7. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

This book is written based on true events. It shares the tale of three generations of women spanning the 20th century. This was one of the most transformative eras in China’s history.

The story is about Jung Chang, the author. She was a Red Guard and her mother was a high-ranking member of the Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution; subsequently, her grandmother, was a warlord’s concubine.

She narrates captivatingly, the turbulent time in Chinese history. It is one of the books highly recommended to know more about the impact of the Cultural Revolution in China.

8. Beijing Welcomes You by Tom Scocca

The Cover of Beijing Welcomes You written by Tom Scocca

Tom Scocca wrote about his experience in Beijing when he arrived in 2004. He was, then, an eager American wanting to experience another culture.

This was when Beijing was preparing to host the World Olympics in 2008. There were efforts put in place to make the city ready for the event. One such activity was changing the weather.

He took the opportunity to interview the scientists, designers and architects commissioned for that project.

It was a new opportunity for Beijing to open to the World. For centuries, Beijing was closed off, turned inward and built around the imperial Forbidden City.

During his research, Scocca discovered a city of contradictions; modern and ancient, friendly yet wary, bold and insecure.

9. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang

Cover of Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

This next book narrates the painful but essential illustration of the Rape of Nanking that unfolds from three perspectives: The Japanese soldiers who performed it, the Chinese civilians who underwent it, and a group of Europeans and Americans who, instead of abandoning the city, chose to save many lives by creating a safe zone.

Iris Chang tells the story of the tragedy itself but also explains why the Japanese soldiers committed the carnages, why the victims were shamed in the outcome, and why the world ignored such disgraces.

The events took place in December 1937 when the Japanese army invaded the ancient city of Nanking. Other than raping and torturing the women and girls, they murdered more than 300,000 Chinese civilians.

10. The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The last history book on our list today is one of the oldest preserved books in China. It is considered to be a timeless classic that has influenced countless politicians, executives, military figures and anyone looking to master the art of conflict and become a better leader.

The Art of War was written by the warrior-philosopher Sun Tzu over 2,000 years ago. He famously states that conflict is an inevitable part of life, but “to win without fighting is best.”

Unlike contemporary translations that have focused too heavily on applying this military classic to corporate conflicts, this definitive interpretation maintains the impact of the original.

The book was originally written for martial artists by a martial artist.