Summary
ONE major trend in books for 2008 that is already apparent is an intense interest in all things Chinese, what with the Beijing Olympics and an increased awareness of China's economic strength (and its environmental impact). In the next few months there are books on the Forbidden City and Rupert Murdoch's business dealings with China; novels by Man Asian Literary Prize winner Jiang Rong and Orange shortlisted filmmaker Xiaolu Guo; economic analyses such as Mark Leonard's What Does China Think?; and a tie-in to the BBC's Wild China series.
It's a trend I wholeheartedly welcome. Browsing one high street bookshop before Christmas, I noticed that the entire 'Chinese History' section comprised four books. We all sigh at the Weakest Link contestant who doesn't know the name of the king defeated at Bannockburn - but how many of us would fire back the name of Emperor Shizu's grandfather? (It was Genghis Khan, by the way).See the full content of this document
Extract
Year of the Dragon
An excellent broad outline of Chinese history is Jonathan Fenby's beautifully illustrated The Dragon Throne. It charts the imperial dynasties, from the legendary emperors and the feuding local warlords, ...
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