The best books on China, as recommended by some of the most eminent historians and political scientists as well as journalists working on or in China.
China is a complex country that is also rapidly changing. With our interviews about which books to read on China we aim to at least introduce you to the country’s history, economy, literature, poetry and politics, depending on your particular interests. We also have a reading list for Chinese language learners.
If you’re visiting China for the first time, one useful reading list is by New Yorker correspondent Evan Osnos, which was compiled with a first-time traveller to China in mind. For an insider's view, journalist and author Xinran has a great interview and reading list on understanding China, which is more novel-heavy (and is also available in Chinese). We also have sections dedicated to Chinese history books and Chinese politics.
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1
Sparks: China's Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future
by Ian Johnson -
2
Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution
by Tania Branigan -
3
Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food
by Fuchsia Dunlop -
4
Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation
by Clarissa Wei -
5
Waiting to Be Arrested at Night: A Uyghur Poet's Memoir of China's Genocide
by Tahir Hamut Izgil and translated by Joshua Freeman
The Best China Books of 2023, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
The Best China Books of 2023, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
The rise of China has led to an ever broader range of books about the country becoming available in English. There’s also a greater focus on its diversity, which the country’s Communist leadership likes to downplay. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor of Chinese history at UC Irvine, talks us through his favourite books of 2023, from painful historical episodes to the harsh policies targeting a largely Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang today—by way of two lighter books that focus on food and cooking.
The best books on Understanding China, recommended by Xinran
What books should we read to understand China—its culture, its history? British-Chinese journalist, author and activist Xinran picks five to get started with, including the book believed by many to be the greatest Chinese novel ever written. (You can also read this interview in Chinese by clicking here.)
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1
Xi: A Study in Power
by Kerry Brown -
2
The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State
by Elizabeth Economy -
3
Xi Jinping: The Hidden Agendas of China’s Ruler for Life
by Willy Lam -
4
Dictatorship by Degrees: Xi Jinping in China
by Steven Feldman -
5
The Politics of the Core Leader in China: Culture, Institution, Legitimacy, and Power
by Xuezhi Guo
The best books on Xi Jinping, recommended by Olivia Cheung
The best books on Xi Jinping, recommended by Olivia Cheung
Despite his own and his family’s suffering under Maoism, China’s president, Xi Jinping, has turned his back on some of the reforms of the past four decades, dismantling safeguards designed to ensure that some of the disasters of that era never happen again. Olivia Cheung, a research fellow at SOAS and co-author of The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, recommends books to better understand China’s leader and his quest to build a new world order—led by China and admired by all.
The Best Chinese Philosophy Books, recommended by Michael Puett
What do the sages of ancient China have to teach us about living in the 21st century? The Harvard professor and author of The Path, Michael Puett, recommends the texts you need to read to find out. He picks the best Chinese philosophy books.
The Best Chinese Dissident Literature, recommended by Ma Jian
Writers in China are afraid to criticise the state and society, says London-based author Ma Jian. From the 3rd century BC to 2008, these five exceptional works show how it’s done.
The best books on Classical Chinese Poetry, recommended by Qiu Xiaolong
The translator, poet and author of the best-selling Inspector Chen series, Qiu Xiaolong, says there is no one road when it comes to translating Chinese poetry. He chooses five anthologies that capture its magic.
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1
Fragile Cargo: The World War II Race to Save the Treasures of China's Forbidden City
by Adam Brookes -
2
Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA's Covert War in China
by John Delury -
3
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China's Civil War
by Zhuqing Li -
4
Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong
by Louisa Lim -
5
Accidental Holy Land: The Communist Revolution in Northwest China
by Joseph W. Esherick
The Best China Books of 2022, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
The Best China Books of 2022, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
From a true story that reads like a spy novel to a detailed study of the mythic origins of the Chinese Communist Party in Northwest China, there were lots of interesting books published about China this year. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor at UC Irvine and specialist in modern Chinese history, recommends some of his 2022 favourites.
The best books on Chinese Food, recommended by Fuchsia Dunlop
The English chef who studied cooking in Sichuan tells us that there is no one Chinese cuisine, how Western perceptions of Chinese food are changing, and why carrots are called “barbarian radishes” in Mandarin
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1
Mao’s Last Revolution
by Michael Schoenhals & Roderick MacFarquhar -
2
Maoism at the Grassroots
edited by Jeremy Brown and Matthew D. Johnson -
3
Red Star over China
by Edgar Snow -
4
The Bullet and the Ballot Box: The Story of Nepal's Maoist Revolution
by Aditya Adhikari -
5
A Critical Introduction to Mao
by Timothy Creek
The best books on Maoism, recommended by Julia Lovell
The best books on Maoism, recommended by Julia Lovell
While researching Maoism, China expert Julia Lovell battled against two incorrect assumptions: “firstly that Maoism is a story of China; and secondly that Maoism is a story of the past.” Here she recommends five books for coming to grips with the global, still-relevant impact of Maoism.
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1
The Shortest History of China: From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower
by Linda Jaivin -
2
Monkey King: Journey to the West
Wu Cheng'en and Julia Lovell (translator) -
3
The Chinese Communist Party: A Century in Ten Lives
Edited by Timothy Cheek, Klaus Mühlhahn and Hans van de Ven -
4
Land of Big Numbers
by Te-Ping Chen -
5
In the Camps: China's High-Tech Penal Colony
by Darren Byler
The Best China Books of 2021, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
The Best China Books of 2021, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
Whether you want to read the entire history of China in 250 pages or find out what’s going on right now in Xinjiang, enjoy a new translation of a 16th-century fantasy novel or delve into contemporary short stories, 2021 has been another good year for books about China. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor’s Professor of History at UC Irvine, recommends his favourite China books of 2021.