China`s story is of warfare and violence, philosophical and political invention, shining artistic achievement and often complex and subtle relations with outsiders. Harry G. Gelber`s fascinating general history of this great nation makes sense of China`s changing relationship with the rest of the world as never before. From the invasions by steppe horsemen in 200 BC to Genghis Khan and the Mongol conquests, from the arrival of Marco Polo to the Opium Wars, from Communism to the Tiananmen Square protest, Gelber traces the path that led to China`s resurgence as a dynamic economy and a powerful international player today.