Conquering the North: China, Russia, Mongolia: 2,000 Years of Conflict

(Hardback)

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Description

The Great Wall of China stretching from the arid rises of Gansu province to the cold waters of the Bohai Sea remains an enduring symbol of Chinese might. And yet for all its grandeur, the Wall also marks a vulnerability: an ever-present reminder of old battlelines and never-ending tension with Chinas northern neighbours.


Travelling by sacred mountains and along forgotten trade routes, John Man journeys through China and Mongolia, tracing the contours of their uneasy shared histories. From the tumult of the Warring States Period to the present day, Man weaves a thrilling tale of battling warlords, imperial power plays, Soviet interference and contemporary political manoeuvring. Looking to the future of the region, Conquering the Northcanvasses the still fractious interplay of two rival cultures and the continuing struggle for Mongolian sovereignty as China continues to edge north.

Reviews

'The complex, epic story of China's relations with Russia and Mongolia over the last two millennia has shaped not justthe Asian region, but the rest of the world. John Man's highly readable account of how nomadic peoples pitted themselves against farm settlers, and the steppes fought against cities, achieves the miraculous feat of making sense of this multilayered story while also making it accessible. He is a guide par excellence of a history everyone should know. With his excellent book, we finally have a place to go to do this.' Kerry Brown, author ofCEO, China

Author Bio

John Man is a historian specialising in Mongolia and the relationship between Mongol and Chinese cultures. He studied Mongolian as a post-graduate, and after a brief career in journalism and publishing, he turned to writing. Johns books have been published in over twenty languages around the world and include bestselling biographies of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan and Attila the Hun, as well as histories of the Great Wall of China and the Mongolian Empire.