Below is an easy-to-browse gallery
of books that cater to those who are interested in visiting China or learning
more about its ancient past. The majority of descriptions below are by independent
editors. Feel free to purchase these books directly from Amazon.com!
The
Great Wall of China 221 BC-1644 AD (Fortress):
"...Turnbull's work is surprisingly detailed and informative... This book
will prove an excellent resource for a prospective visitor or teacher in the classroom."
-Timothy Baghurst, The Traveler.
China's Great Wall: A Photographic History As Seen through the
Lens of Zhai Dongfeng :
China’s Great Wall takes an all-new approach to the story of China’s
crown jewel. The inspiring history of the wall’s more than 4,000 miles of
earth, stone, and brick is told through the photographs of Zhai Dongfeng, who
has spent the last 20 years traveling along the wall—a “labor of love.”
More than 175 spectacular photographs explore the Great Wall’s geography,
construction, history, architecture, archaeology, and the lives of the people
living near the wall. This book includes Spectacular panoramic foldouts, a unique
story—2,000 years of China’s history, representing the great themes
of its heritage, and much more...
It is arguably the greatest feat of civil engineering in history, and indisputably
earth’s largest single cultural relic: begun during the Qin Dynasty (around
208 BC) and completed nearly 1,800 years later during the Ming Dynasty, the Great
Wall of China spans more than 4,000 miles... Two men who navigated every inch
of the Wall have collaborated on a lavishly-illustrated tribute to this amazing
structure. Michael Yamashita, an award-winning National Geographic photographer,
spent a year shooting the Wall, its environs, and the people who live in its shadow,
for the magazine.
One hundred and sixty of his magnificent photos grace
this volume, which features text by William Lindesay, who not only conducts tours
of the Wall and spearheads the movement to preserve it, but has actually run its
entire length. Broken into three sections, The Great Wall provides an overview
that debunks myths and dishes up rare facts and figures, a comprehensive history
that proceeds dynasty by dynasty through its construction, and an account of Lindesay’s
personal experiences of the Wall.
The best-preserved mummies in the world are found not in Egypt or Peru but in
the museums of Xinjiang, the westernmost province of modern China. For thousands
of years the occupants of the barren wastes and oases that would later become
the Silk Road buried their dead in the desiccating sands of the Taklimakan, the
second greatest desert on earth.
This arid environment, preserving body
and clothing, allows an unparalleled glimpse into the lives and appearance of
a prehistoric people: these are the faces of ancient Indo-Europeans who settled
in the Tarim Basin on the western rim of China some four millennia ago, 2000 years
before West and East recognized each other's existence...
The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest
Peoples from the West :
This book is of outstanding significance . . . essential reading for archaeologists
and scholars of ancient history. -- Social and Behavioral Sciences, C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky,
January 2001.
This beautifully illustrated catalog accompanies a touring exhibition on the Terracotta
Army coming directly from China. Editor Portal has done an excellent job. Few
historical figures changed the course of history like the First Emperor (d. 210
BCE). Having conquered six rival powers, he created China's first empire and bequeathed
a political legacy that has persisted to this day.
Modern interest is kept
alive not only by Chairman Mao's unabashed endorsement, but by the recent discovery
of an army of life-size terracotta soldiers and officers near the emperor's tomb
in Xi'an, hailed all over the world as an archaeological wonder. A humongous museum
built on the site has become a major tourist attraction. --V. C. Xiong (Choice).
"...Turnbull's work is surprisingly detailed and informative... This book
will prove an excellent resource for a prospective visitor or teacher in the classroom."
-Timothy Baghurst, The Traveler.
China’s Great Wall takes an all-new approach to the story of China’s
crown jewel. The inspiring history of the wall’s more than 4,000 miles of
earth, stone, and brick is told through the photographs of Zhai Dongfeng, who
has spent the last 20 years traveling along the wall—a “labor of love.”
More than 175 spectacular photographs explore the Great Wall’s geography,
construction, history, architecture, archaeology, and the lives of the people
living near the wall. This book includes Spectacular panoramic foldouts, a unique
story—2,000 years of China’s history, representing the great themes
of its heritage, and much more...
It is arguably the greatest feat of civil engineering in history, and indisputably
earth’s largest single cultural relic: begun during the Qin Dynasty (around
208 BC) and completed nearly 1,800 years later during the Ming Dynasty, the Great
Wall of China spans more than 4,000 miles... Two men who navigated every inch
of the Wall have collaborated on a lavishly-illustrated tribute to this amazing
structure. Michael Yamashita, an award-winning National Geographic photographer,
spent a year shooting the Wall, its environs, and the people who live in its shadow,
for the magazine. 
The best-preserved mummies in the world are found not in Egypt or Peru but in
the museums of Xinjiang, the westernmost province of modern China. For thousands
of years the occupants of the barren wastes and oases that would later become
the Silk Road buried their dead in the desiccating sands of the Taklimakan, the
second greatest desert on earth. 
This book is of outstanding significance . . . essential reading for archaeologists
and scholars of ancient history. -- Social and Behavioral Sciences, C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky,
January 2001.
This beautifully illustrated catalog accompanies a touring exhibition on the Terracotta
Army coming directly from China. Editor Portal has done an excellent job. Few
historical figures changed the course of history like the First Emperor (d. 210
BCE). Having conquered six rival powers, he created China's first empire and bequeathed
a political legacy that has persisted to this day.
