Peking (The Great Cities)

By David Bonavia, Time-Life Books, Peter John Griffiths, et al.

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0705404919
• ISBN13: 9780705404914
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Time Life Books
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Great Cities/Peking

The Great Cities/Peking is one of twenty-five volumes in the Time-Life book series The Great Cities. This volume presents the history and society of China's capital which is now known as Beijing. Beijing has its origins in the 8th century B.C. when the Chou dynasty city of Chi served as a garrison for soldiers defending the northern frontier from marauding nomadic tribes. Other topics covered in this book include the construction of the Great Wall, the Mongol conquest of China, the Opium War, the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, Mao's Communist take-over in 1949, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution. I especially enjoyed Chapter 4 entitled The Serious Business of Pleasure which describes Chinese recreation and cuisine. The many picture essays allow the reader to travel to Beijing without the cold, heat, and sandstorms that plague the city depending on the season. An ideal book for those looking for a basic introduction to this fascinating city.