Overview

A Brief History of China tells of the development of a rich and complex civilization where the use of paper, writing, money, and gunpowder were widespread in ancient times and where silk, ceramics, tea, metal implements, and other products were produced and exported around the globe. It examines the special conditions that allowed a single culture to unify an entire continent spanning 10 billion square kilometers under the rule of a single man--and the unbelievably rich artistic, literary and architectural heritage that Chinese culture has bequeathed to the world. Equally fascinating is the story of China's decline in the nineteenth and early twentieth century--as Europeans and Americans took center stage--and its modern resurgence as an economic powerhouse in recent years. In his retelling of a Chinese history stretching back 5,000 years, author and China-expert Jonathan Clements focuses on the human stories which led to the powerful transformations in Chinese society--from the unification of China under its first emperor, Qinshi Huangdi, to the Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan and the consolidation of Communist rule under Mao Zedong. Clements even brings listeners through to the present day, outlining China's economic renaissance under Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping.

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"Elfer, with his steady and flexible voice, is able to sustain narrative flow while also achieving a sense of immediacy.-- ""AudioFile"""

Author Information

Jonathan Clements is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal. He has written for Euromoney magazine in London and Forbes magazine in New York before joining the Journal, where he worked for eighteen years. He is the author of 48 and Counting and The Little Book of Main Street Money: 21 Simple Truths that Help Real People Make Real Money. Clements was born in London, England, graduated from Emmanuel College, and now lives in New York City. Julian Elfer is an award-winning, classically trained British actor with extensive stage experience. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and the British Academy at Oxford University, where he studied with the likes of Derek Jacobi, Fiona Shaw, and Alan Rickman. Elfer currently resides and acts in New York City.

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