Presents the heroes, villains, ideas, and major events of ancient China which shaped the identity and actions of Chinese people for thousands of years.
Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note: The Chinese way -- The seeds of Chinese civilization -- The legendary emperors and the Xia Dynasty -- Shang Dynasty: war and grandeur -- Western Zhou: an age of peace and prosperity -- Eastern Zhou: chaos and solutions -- Qin: the first unified empire -- Early Han: a flowering of culture -- Epilogue: Wang Mang: heaven's mandate, gained and lost.