Books on China
Last updated: May 14, 2025
The best books on China, as recommended by historians and political scientists, journalists and novelists. 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 sections dedicated to Chinese history books and Chinese politics.
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1
Granta 169: China
by Thomas Meaney (editor) -
2
Women and Their Warlords: Domesticating Militarism in Modern China
by Kate Merkel-Hess -
3
Thoughts from the Ice-Drinker's Studio: Essays on China and the World
by Liang Qichao & Peter Zarrow (translator) -
4
The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform
by Chen Jian & Odd Arne Westad -
5
Chop Fry Watch Learn: Fu Pei-mei and the Making of Modern Chinese Food
by Michelle T. King
The Best China Books of 2024, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
The Best China Books of 2024, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
From an issue of a literary magazine that brings together contemporary writing from across mainland China to books focusing on different periods of its 20th-century history, it’s been another good year for books about China available to English readers. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor at UC Irvine and specialist in modern Chinese history, talks us through some of his favorite books about China published in 2024.
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Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel
by Luo Guanzhong & Moss Roberts (translator) -
The Water Margin
by Shi Naian & translated by J M Jackson -
The Water Outlaws
by S L Huang -
Monkey King: Journey to the West
Wu Cheng'en, translated by Julia Lovell -
The Story of the Stone (also called Dream of the Red Chamber)
by Cao Xueqin
Classic Chinese Novels
Classic Chinese Novels
During China’s Ming and Qing dynasties, a number of novels were written which are regarded as classics of Chinese literature. Several of them have been recommended on Five Books, including one modern retelling.
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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 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
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 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.
Books to Change the Way You Think About China, recommended by Anne Stevenson-Yang
It’s important to understand what goes on beneath the surface in China, and how people feel and react, says Anne Stevenson-Yang, who spent many decades living and working there. She recommends books to better understand the country, from its imperial history to the economic take-off of the last four decades.
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 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.
