This is China

This is China is short book, 126 pages of content with medium sized font. It covers the history of China from the Xia dynasty¹ to the present day. Since it is so short, not many words can be devoted to each period of Chinese history. Despite the title, This is China does not provide a detailed description of 5000 years of Chinese history. Instead, the book tries to portray long term historical trends and cultural achievements. On its own, I did not find This is China a compelling read. This is China would make a satisfactory history textbook for a high school or introductory college class.