China in the 20th Century: From Rice Fields to the Atomic Bomb

The People's Republic of China is increasingly asserting itself as a global leader in today's world. The Middle Kingdom has long been seen not only as the most populous country on the planet but also as an industrial superpower, a true "factory of humanity."
Technological breakthroughs, space rockets, high-speed trains, and soaring megacities – this is what China looks like in the first quarter of the 21st century. Against this backdrop, it's hard to believe that a century ago, the Middle Kingdom was a poor, dependent semi-colony, teetering on the brink of collapse and final disintegration.
Why did the Qing Empire experience a revolution? How did China manage to survive in an era of constantly warring military cliques? What did the Japanese intervention and World War II cost the Chinese people? And how, despite all the trials, was China able to embark on the path to greatness? This book by prominent contemporary historian Alex Kaplan will answer these and many other questions. Before you is the complete history of China in the 20th century – from rice fields to the atomic bomb.