Digital List Price:	$2.99
Kindle Price:	$0.00 Save $2.99 (100%)
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add an

audiobook with Audible narration for $5.49

Audiobook Price: $6.08

Save: $0.59 (10%)

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Henry Freeman

+ Follow

More books from this author

The History of China in 50 Events: (Opium Wars - Marco Polo - Sun Tzu - Confucius - Forbidden City - Terracotta Army - Boxer Rebellion) (History by Country Timeline Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Henry Freeman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 764 ratings

Book 2 of 3: History by Country Timeline

See all formats and editions

☆ Chinese History in 50 Events ☆

As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, China has a vast, rich history. In order to assist with the study of Chinese history, this book has been broken down into a series of straightforward, easy-to-read vignettes.

Inside you will read about...

✓ The Great Flood
✓ The Great Wall is begun
✓ The Terra Cotta Army is created
✓ Gunpowder is invented
✓ Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
✓ Marco Polo travels to China
✓ The Forbidden City is completed
✓ First Opium War
✓ SARS outbreak
And much more!

This book will provide in-depth insights into some of the most important events in Chinese history while providing an overall context within which these events took place. Designed as an introductory overview of Chinese history, this book is the perfect resource for those who are seeking to expand their knowledge of China and world history.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BMVK0DC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ (February 9, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 9, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1853 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 48 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,774 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3 in History of China
- #5 in Ancient Early Civilization History
- #6 in 90-Minute History Short Reads

Customer Reviews:
4.1 764 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Henry Freeman

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Henry Freeman is an author and archaeologist. He has a passion for history and loves to travel the world exploring various historical sites. Henry graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double major in History and Archaeology and shortly after that started his career as an archaeologist. After traveling the world getting first-hand experience with history, Henry was determined to take up his dream of becoming a best-selling author. He decided to partner up with the newly formed publishing company Hourly History writing short, concise and straightforward history books that never takes more than one hour to read.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

764 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

NancyCalifornia

A great job of synthesizing a complex topic

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book caught my interest because the author makes a wild claim to summarize Chinese history in one hour of reading. And guess what: it actually works!
As an amateur student of all things Chinese, I’ve been reading up on Chinese history, culture, and politics since my visit a few years back, and I’m pretty aware of the complexity of the topic and the multitude of writing, that grows with time. A short book such as this put together the pieces of the puzzle and greatly contributed to my understanding of this complex topic.
The book is organized into fifty short chapters arranged chronologically, beginning with the arrival of homo sapiens in China around 125,000 BCE and ending with the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. Chapters in between deal with government (from the dynasties to the rise of Communism), philosophy (Confucius, Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu), invention (paper, gunpowder, the compass, printing, to name a few), and the role of western nations in Chinese history (Dutch and British trade, the Opium Wars, Nixon’s visit to China).
The author made good choices in selecting 50 defining topics and provided historical context when necessary. There is obviously little space for opposing opinions, examples, or any topic treated in depth. The writing is clear and succinct. Lacking are notes on sources, a bibliography, or an “about the author” statement with his credentials. One or more of these additions would raise the level of authority.
There is a great deal to be said in favor of a short format for complex ideas. I gained a better understanding of the big picture that is China, filtered through this broad lens, and all the better because I could read through the 125,000 year history in a single sitting. Straightforward history shed of digressions, ramblings, and revisionism.
With only 1-2 hour reading time, this book would make a great introduction for any student of Chinese studies from high school on up, for anyone traveling to China, or anyone wanting to better understand the news. It is a great companion book to some of my own favorites: Yu Hua’s China in Ten Words, Pearl Buck’s The Good Earth, Simon Winchester’s The Man Who Loved China, Joseph Needham’s Science and Civilization in China, or Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Alastair Browne

A Short and Concise History of China

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2016

Verified Purchase

I have been requested to read and do a review of this book.
If you have read about China in the news lately but are not familiar with who they are, this book will give a good introduction to Chinese history, culture, and can, in a way, get you to understand their side of the story in international relations. To understand a country, read its history and know its culture.
This book covers 50 different times from their earliest settlements back in the Stone Age, to their gathering of tribes and cultures, eventually forming one civilization. This includes all their dynasties, their conflicts with the Mongols, including the infamous Ghengis Kahn, his grandson Kublai Kahn who ruled China, to the decline of their dynasties leading to the democratization of the country in the early 1900s, the succession over to Chaing Kai-Shek and Mao Zedong, to it reemergence as the industrial power we see today.
Its inventions are covered, such as gunpowder, the invention of paper, the compass, and printing. China’s invention and culture has contributed greatly to the rest of the world.
China did have contact with the Roman Empire and established trade with them on the famous Silk Road.
Britain forcefully opened up China to the world, got them addicted to opium, and with the Opium Wars, China ceded Hong Kong to Britain in the 1840s, beginning a century of humiliation as China decline as a power and dominance by the West, and later Japan.
These facts answer the question on why China is as aggressive as it is today. They are regaining their identity and confidence as a world power, and wants the rest of the world to know that are a strong country, are here to stay, and will no longer be pushed around, by anyone.
This are just a few of the factors that made China what it is today. China is the oldest continuing civilization in the world. You might say that it is the oldest country in the world, and with that, have the most experience of any country in its relations with its own people and the rest of the world. With their age, their culture, and their history, the rest of us are but children compared to them, from their point of view. They also want to regain everything they have lost, which explains their stand amongst their neighbors in Asia.
Every chapter is brief and to the point, but they are also informative, so this book is not boring by any means. They are short and in chronological historical order, so you get to understand the major events in their history which made it what it is today.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mark Alsip

Too much speculation, gave up

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024

Verified Purchase

This was a promising book based on others in the series but the author seems to play fast and loose with history by presenting questionable events as fact.

For example, a “generations long” flood during the Xia Dynasty is presented as absolute fact. As this seems scientifically implausible I researched it and found many historians consider it to be a myth.

Likewise the purported “first discovery” of North America by the Chinese in the 1400s. The very same author already gave this “honor” to Vikings in a prior book, and admits in his China text that much later the evidence of the Chinese discovery seems to have been faked, but comes to the very unscholarly conclusion that since not all of the evidence can be proven false, it should be considered as possibly factual.

It’s a shame these types of passages are found in the book, as there are fascinating passages on Mongol rule of China, important Chinese contributions to science and literature, etc. But by mid-book I found myself unsure whether I was reading fact or speculation, so I put the book down and stopped reading.

I’m very, very far from being an expert in Chinese history, but I don’t get the sense this particular book is going to give me a solid foundation for reaching that level of knowledge.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Ty Harvey

Good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2024

Verified Purchase

Good read and basic information on everything you need to know about Chinese history. Enjoyable and easy reading from Henry Freeman

Vai

To the point and informative

Reviewed in India on August 29, 2021

Verified Purchase

This books explains about the events that took place in China till 2008 (Beijing Olympics). Overall this book is very informative and useful, providing just the right amount of information to those who want to know about the history and politics of China but don't want to get too deep into it. The number of pages is just right. Hope the author would write and publish similar books about other East Asian countries like Thailand, Korea, Vietnam etc. It is like a quick history guide. I'm happy to read it.

Sierra Larson

Interesting quick read

Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a good surface knowledge book. I now have a list of topics I want to learn more about, with the Opium Wars at the top of that list!

andressa

Destaques importantes

Reviewed in Brazil on March 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

Ótima linha do tempo da história da China. Leitura fácil e direta. Muito conhecimento repassado em poucas paginas