When I picked up this slim volume, I had expected a traveler's history, something insubstantial. Instead, I found W. Scott Morton's writing to be graceful. His understanding of China refined. I gleaned more about the deeper nature and philosphy of China from this than from academic tomes. He is especially clear on the tough era following the Three Kingdoms. Belle Yang, author of "Baba: A Return to China Upon My Father's Shoulders" ( )

Chinese History