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.
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
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.
Ma Jian on Chinese Dissident Literature
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.
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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.
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Hong Kong
by Jan Morris -
2
Hong Kong Noir: Fifteen true tales from the dark side of the city
by Feng Chi-shun -
3
Hotel China
by the Hong Kong Writers Circle -
4
The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong
by Pete Spurrier -
5
Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong
by Gordon Mathews
The best books on Hong Kong, recommended by Jason Ng
The best books on Hong Kong, recommended by Jason Ng
In 2014 Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Protests’ made news around the world. But will continuing protests in Hong Kong lead to advances in democracy or crackdowns by Beijing? Jason Ng, lawyer and author of Umbrellas in Bloom, chooses five of the best books for understanding China’s ‘foster child’ city.
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.
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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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.
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.
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Aftershock: Essays from Hong Kong
by Holmes Chan (editor) -
2
Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang
by James Millward -
3
Forbidden Memory: Tibet during the Cultural Revolution
by Susan Chen (translator) & Tsering Woeser -
4
Beijing from Below: Stories of Marginal Lives in the Capital's Center
by Harriet Evans -
5
Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai
by James Carter
Best China Books of 2020, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
Best China Books of 2020, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
All eyes are on China as it occupies an increasingly important role on the world stage and its economic growth continues to barrel on. But behind the Chinese Communist Party’s apparent competence lies a deep insecurity about its relationship with its own citizens, particularly those who question its right to rule them. American historian and Sinologist Jeffrey Wasserstrom picks the best books of 2020 on China.
The Best Books on the Hong Kong Protests, recommended by Ben Bland
Around the world people have followed the standoff in Hong Kong with apprehension, as local protestors have taken on the might of China’s powerful Communist Party. Here Ben Bland, author of Generation HK and Director at Australian think tank the Lowy Institute, talks us through books to better understand what’s been going on these past few years and what’s at stake for Hong Kong’s citizens and activists.
The best books on China’s Darker Side, recommended by Harry Wu
Activist Harry Wu spent 19 years in Mao’s labour camps and devoted years to uncovering what goes on in China’s ‘laogai’ or ‘reform-through-labour’ camps. He picks five books showing China’s darker side.
The best books on Obstacles to Political Reform in China, recommended by Richard Baum
The late China specialist and UCLA professor Richard Baum said that he sometimes felt genuine admiration for China’s technocratic leaders. Other days, he shook his head at their obsessive intransigence and China’s endemic political insecurity
The best books on The Chinese Economy, recommended by Victor Shih
Victor Shih’s selection highlights rising inequality, economic irregularity and political heavy-handedness at the heart of modern China. As its economy blazes on, uncertain times may be looming
Books every Chinese Language Learner Should Read, recommended by Chris Livaccari
China covers a vast territory, and is far more ethnically and culturally diverse than many outsiders assume. Chris Livaccari, a veteran Chinese language teacher, recommends books he believes every Chinese language learner should read.
Shanghai Novels, recommended by Paul French
Though it was the fifth biggest city in the world in the years following the Second World War, there aren’t nearly as many novels set in Shanghai as there are in Paris, Berlin and other international cities. Author and expert on modern Chinese history Paul French takes a look at the literary history of an often underwritten city from the 1930s through to the new millennium.
The best books on The Cultural Revolution, recommended by Roderick MacFarquhar
Countries do have to come to terms with their own history, and it’s unhealthy that China has not yet come to terms with the Cultural Revolution, argues the West’s leading scholar of the period, Roderick MacFarquhar. He chooses the best five books on the Cultural Revolution.
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The Silk Road: A New History
by Valerie Hansen -
2
Sogdian Traders: A History
Étienne de la Vaissière (trans. James Ward) -
3
Diary: Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law
Ennin (trans. E O Reischauer) -
4
Foreign Devils on the Silk Road
by Peter Hopkirk -
5
Silk Roads: Peoples, Cultures, Landscapes
by Susan Whitfield
The best books on The Silk Road, recommended by Valerie Hansen
The best books on The Silk Road, recommended by Valerie Hansen
From the Han dynasty to the time of Marco Polo, the routes connecting Asia, Africa and Europe—now known as the Silk Road—were responsible for enormous amounts of global trade. Yale historian Valerie Hansen, author of The Silk Road: A New History, introduces us to its rich history: “one of the reasons the Silk Road is a misnomer is that silk was not the main good moving along.”
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Chinese Hegemony: Grand Strategy and International Institutions in East Asian History
by Feng Zhang -
2
Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan
by Timothy Brook (ed.) -
3
The Annals of King T'aejo: Founder of Korea's Choson Dynasty
by Choi Byonghyon -
4
Tradition, Treaties, and Trade: Qing Imperialism and Choson Korea, 1850-1910
by Kirk W. Larsen -
5
Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World
by masuda hajimu
The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad
The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad
China has had close political and cultural relations with Korea for centuries and the history of that relationship can shed light on China’s approach to international relations more broadly—including in its imperial past. Yale historian Odd Arne Westad recommends the best books on China, Korea and the relationship between them.
The best books on China, recommended by Evan Osnos
Travelling to China? What are the best books to read to get a more in-depth understanding of this complex country? Longtime Beijing resident and New Yorker writer Evan Osnos picks some of his favourites.
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The Religious Question in Modern China
by Vincent Goossaert and David Palmer -
2
Qigong Fever
by David Palmer -
3
The Missionary's Curse and Other Tales from a Chinese Catholic Village
by Henrietta Harrison -
4
Zen Baggage: A Pilgrimage to China
by Bill Porter -
5
Democracy’s Dharma: Religious Renaissance and Political Development in Taiwan
by Richard Madsen
The best books on Religion in China, recommended by Ian Johnson
The best books on Religion in China, recommended by Ian Johnson
China is a religious country with all kinds of faiths being practised across its vast territories—despite Mao’s attempts to eradicate them. The Chinese Communist Party tolerates a variety of religions but continues to grapple with the potential challenge they pose to its authority. Prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson introduces the best books on the complex topic of religion in China.
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Rebellion Against Heaven
Adapted by Chu Yi, illustrated by Wang Weizhi, translated by Liu Guangdi -
2
The Moose of Ewenki
by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane, Jiu Er (illustrator) & translated by Helen Mixter -
3
An's Seed
Zaozao Wang, Li Huang (illustrator), translated by Helen Wang -
4
Express Delivery from Dinosaur World
Yanan Dong, translated by Helen Wang -
5
Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village
by Fang Suzhen, Sonja Danowski (illustrator) & translated by Huang Xiumin
The Best Chinese Picture Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
The Best Chinese Picture Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Of the many children’s books published in Chinese, few make their way into translation. Here, our Children’s Editor picks five outstanding Chinese picture books that are available for readers around the world to enjoy in English.
The best books on Confucius, recommended by Daniel A. Bell
As Confucianism makes a comeback in China, Daniel A. Bell, a professor of philosophy at Tsinghua University in Beijing, lists which books to read for an understanding of Confucius and his legacy.
The best books on The Opium War, recommended by Julia Lovell
The 19th century opium war marked the clash of the world’s great empires of the age – Britain and China. Historian Julia Lovell says its legacy of Chinese humiliation is still felt keenly in Beijing.
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Why The West Rules - For Now: The Patterns of History and what they reveal about the Future
by Ian Morris -
2
Why Nations Fail
by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson -
3
China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative Society
by Development Research Center of the State Council & World Bank -
4
The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World
by Ruchir Sharma -
5
Uprising: Will Emerging Markets Shape or Shake the World Economy?
by George Magnus
The best books on Emerging Markets, recommended by George Magnus
The best books on Emerging Markets, recommended by George Magnus
What determines whether a country goes backwards or forwards? Why have so few developing countries joined the ranks of rich nations? George Magnus, former chief economist of UBS, chooses books to help us reflect on what it is that societies need in order to be successful.
The best books on June 4th, 1989, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
In contrast to Eastern Europe, the 1989 protests in China did not lead to the overthrow of the Communist Party. But if China’s leaders chose the right course on June 4th, 1989, why are they still frightened to come to terms with it? Sinologist and historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom picks the best books to understand events at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and around China on that hot summer night.
The best books on China and the Internet, recommended by Gady Epstein
The ‘Great Fire Wall of China’. How has the Chinese Communist Party managed to survive the internet? Economist correspondent Gady Epstein chooses books on the world’s most successful case of authoritarian control of the internet.
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The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia
by James C Scott -
2
The Manchu Way: The Eight Banners and Ethnic Identity in Late Imperial China
by Mark C Elliott -
3
Wolf Totem
by Jiang Rong -
4
The Sacred Routes of Uyghur History
by Rian Thum -
5
Forgotten Kingdom: Lijiang and the Naxi People
by Peter Goullart
The best books on Minority Survival in China, recommended by James Palmer
The best books on Minority Survival in China, recommended by James Palmer
China’s minority peoples have shaped the country’s history and its identity. They led its most successful dynasty, the Qing. But nowadays, their role has been reduced to that of tourist spectacle. Beijing-based writer James Palmer picks the best books on China’s ethnic minorities.
The best books on Tibet, recommended by Robert Barnett
Discussions about Tibet are often reduced to arguments about China’s right to run it. The Tibetologist says this obscures a much more subtle debate about what it means to be Tibetan in modern Tibetan society.
The best books on China and the West, recommended by Orville Schell
The changing relationship between China and America will be one of the defining foreign policy issues of our times. To understand its dynamic, says sinologist Orville Schell, we must take account of China’s lingering sense of victimhood.
The best books on Modern China, recommended by Rana Mitter
In October 1911, China’s last imperial dynasty fell. The legacy of that revolution remains deeply ambiguous in today’s People’s Republic. China scholar Rana Mitter tells us about the country’s tumultuous changes from 1911 to the present day.
The best books on The Decline of the West, recommended by Dambisa Moyo
The author and economist argues that the West is in decline, the U.S. faces structural unemployment, and authoritarian states like China are in many ways better positioned to deal with financial busts
The best books on Chinese Life Stories, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
Historian and Sinologist Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor’s Professor, History at UC Irvine, says that to get a real sense of China you need to focus on individuals and their stories. Here he chooses five books that draw on the country’s long tradition of biographical writing.
The best books on Life in China, recommended by Marianne Bastid-Bruguière
The renowned sinologist and holder of the Legion D’Honneur reflects on Chinese attitudes towards life. Discusses the five books she feels gives the reader the best all-round appreciation of Chinese society
The best books on China’s Environmental Crisis, recommended by Isabel Hilton
Editor of the website China Dialogue, Isabel Hilton says the evidence of environmental disaster in China is dramatic. She discusses six of the most influential books on environmentalism in China.
The best books on The Chinese Communist Party, recommended by Richard McGregor
Former Beijing bureau chief of the Financial Times shares his insights on the Chinese Communist Party – from the absolute horror at the destruction of Maoist times, to Yao Ming, to political power structures and more
The best books on China in the World Economy, recommended by Kent Deng
Professor Kent Deng says there are no grounds for Eurocentricism in explaining the world history of economic growth. Intensive growth of the modern type was first recorded in Song dynasty China
The best books on Uyghur Nationalism, recommended by Michael Dillon
It’s hard to understand what’s going on in the Xinjiang region of China and the nationalism of the Uyghurs who live there without reading some history. Here Professor Michael Dillon, a historian at King’s College London, suggests books to read on the Uyghurs, focusing in particular on scholars and diplomats whose work gives insight into the period before the Chinese Communist takeover in 1949.
The best books on Popular Protest in China, recommended by Elizabeth Perry
To fully understand unrest in China today you have to go back to the 1930s and the circumstances which led to the Chinese Communist Party taking power, says Harvard political scientist Elizabeth Perry. She recommends the best books on popular protest in China.