The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850-2008 - Jonathan Fenby
An excellent book to read if you want to understand how modern China has become what it is now and how it is functioning. Of course I knew a bit about China, like we all do, but the history for me was no more than snippets. This book gives you the full picture, the complete history. The starting point of 1850 of this book is well chosen. From being the poor, very populated country that was kicked around by the more powerful countries of these days things have changed beyond recognition. The path from The Dowager Empress to Sun Yat Sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and finally Xi Jinping has been painful for the country and caused a lot of victims. Especially Mao Zedong who officially should be named the biggest crook in history all over the world. A life in China was never very valuable, but Mao took this principle to the limit. Like all dictators things were double: there is the wish to let the heritage of the rule continue and pick a strong person who can take over, but