Table of Contents

Preface. About the author. 1. Ape--men to the Shang (700,000--1750 BC). 2. The Shang (?1523-- ?1027 BC). 3. TheWestern Chou (?1027 -- 771 BC). 4. The Eastern Chou (771--476 BC) -- I. 5. The Eastern Chou (771-- 476 BC) -- II. 6. From Confucius to Empire -- I. 7. From Confucius to Empire -- II. 8. Ch'in into China. 9. The Former Han -- I (206--141 BC). 10. The Former Han -- II: WuTi (141--87 BC). 11. The Former Han -- III (87 BC -- AD 9). 12. Interregnum (AD 9--25) and the Han revived -- I. 13. The Han revived -- II (25--220). 14. Partition (220 -- 589). 15. The Sui (581--618). 16. The T'ang (618--907) -- I. 17. The T'ang (618--907) -- II. 18. TheT'ang (618 -- 907) -- III. 19. Five Dynasties,Ten Kingdoms and the Sung -- I. 20. The Sung -- II (960--1279). 21. The Mongols' YuA" an Dynasty (1271 -- 1368). 22. The Ming -- I (1368--1487). 23. The Ming -- II (1487--1644). 24. The Ming Dynasty in perspective. 25. The Manchus' Ch'ing Dynasty (1644--1911) -- I. 26. Ch'ing: OpiumWars and theTaipings -- II. 27. Into the twentieth century. 28. Epilogue: the twentieth century. Bibliography. Index.

About the Author

Rayne Kruger was born in South Africa and began his working life in a Johannesburg goldmine before becoming in succession a lawyer, broadcaster and actor. He immigrated to England in 1947 where he joined the BBC. He wrote a number of successful novels, followed by a history of South Africa in 1959, Goodbye Dolly Gray, which has remained in print ever since. An astute businessman, he then founded a property group. He subsequently went into partnership with his wife, the successful restaurateur and cookery school entrepreneur, Prue Leith. He died on 21 December 2002.

Reviews

"!Kruger posthumously presents a lively synthesis of Chinese history, mythology and customs!" (Western Daily Press, 17 January 2004) "!Kruger's monumental and magnificent book charts 25 centuries of Chinese history ! An astoundingly good volume!" (Scotland on Sunday, 25 January 2004) "! his thoughts are worth hearing, and the author is always good company!" (Daily Telegraph, 24 January 2004)