Chinese society and culture are evolving with a booming economy, expansion, production of consumer and industrial goods, and a growing influence upon the world. The History of China enables readers to delve into the rich history of this powerful nation.China is both the world's oldest continuing civilization and an emerging global super power. Over the last two millennia, this rich and complex nation has often been the wea...

The story behind the mythic brutality of Genghis Kahn, one of the most successful leaders in human history.A new title in the series created for the modern reader, introducing the heroes, cultures, myths and religions of the world. The tale of the legendary Mongol General Genghis Khan is as phenomenal as the man himself. Probably the greatest conqueror in history, he ruled vast swathes of land in the early 1200s, vanquishing people across Asia and Europe, so that b...

For more than twenty years after the Communist Revolution in 1949, China and most of the western world had no diplomats in each others' capitals and no direct way to communicate. Then, in July 1971, Henry Kissinger arrived secretly in Beijing on a mission which quickly led to the reopening of relations between China and the West and changed the course of post-war history.For the past forty years, Kissinger has maintained close relations with successive generations of Chinese leader...

The Mongols erupted out of Central Asia in 1206 and soon controlled an empire stretching from Poland to Korea; although remembered as a destructive force, they united a great part of the world under one rule, and their combined arms and mobile tactics have had considerable influence on subsequent military thinkers.Jeremia Curtin, born 1835, was an American translator and folklorist. He died in 1906.

The turbulent and chequered past of the world's most populous country is one of the most fascinating in world history, and relatively little known in the West. From the beginnings of Chinese prehistory right through to internet censorship with the 'Great Firewall of China', Gordon Kerr offers a comprehensive introduction to the sprawling history of this enormous country. A Short History of China provides an absorbing introduction to more than 4,000 years of Chinese history, telling the sto...

Genghis Khan was the founder and Great Khan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his demise. He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia. After founding the Mongol Empire and being proclaimed "Genghis Khan," he started the Mongol invasions that resulted in the conquest of most of Eurasia. These included raids or invasions of the Kara-Khitan Khanate, Caucasus, Khwarezmid Empire, Western Xia and Jin dynasties...

The need to understand this global giant has never been more pressing: China is constantly in the news, yet conflicting impressions abound. Within one generation, China has transformed from an impoverished, repressive state into an economic and political powerhouse. In China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, Jeffrey Wasserstrom provides cogent answers to the most urgent questions regarding the newest superpower and offers a framework for understanding its meteoric rise.Focusin...

According to Wikipedia: "Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (19 March 1821 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian, and African languages. Burton's best-known achievements include trave...

Saladin, one of the most prominent figure of the time of the Crusades, was a great muslim leader, respected and praised even by his Crusader foes.

Here is a fascinating compact history of Chinese political, economic, and cultural life, ranging from the origins of civilization in China to the beginning of the 21st century. Historian Paul Ropp combines vivid story-telling with astute analysis to shed light on some of the larger questions of Chinese history. What is distinctive about China in comparison with other civilizations? What have been the major changes and continuities in Chinese life over the past four millennia? Offering a gl...

Can't get enough true crime? Love to hate history's miscreants? Dive into a juicy slice of early modern history with this gripping account of the life of Ali Pacha, a "remorseless tyrant" who ruled over part of the Ottoman Empire with an iron fist. This account of Pacha's many transgressions will enthrall and appall even longtime fans of the true crime genre.

At the age of only twenty six, Alexander Burnes proved himself to be one of the most effective intelligence agents of his time. Making two dangerous journeys beyond the frontiers of the Indian Empire, he reported back via the East India Company to Downing Street on the geography and politics of the kingdoms that lay to the northwest as far as fabled Bokhara. He travelled simply, disguised as a local, but with his rapier-like mind, an ear for languages and an infectious charm and curiosity,...