The Early Civilization of China

Book Club Associates, London, first edition, 1975. Cloth, 4to, 26 cm,. 256 pp, ills. This book seeks to introduce the reader to one of the most fascinating periods of world history - more than two millennia of outstanding human achievement. Tracing the origins and development of the early civilization of China up to the Mongol invasion which effectively ended it, the book ranges over all aspects of cultural development - archaeology, philosophy, religion, politics, administration, society, economy, the arts, science and technology. Since Marco Polo first related his experiences in the magnificent and sophisticated empire of the Great Khan, Chinese civilization, and in particular Chinese art, has held a mysterious attraction for the western imagination. In the light of the exciting new archaeological discoveries of the last decades, a reappraisal of the full spectrum of early Chinese society, such as this book offers, is a timely contribution to cultural studies. Lucid and informative, the book maintains a careful balance between general reassessment and detailed study and is magnificently illustrated with over a hundred photographs in black-and-white and colour." - from the blurb. Very Good in slightly torn dustwrapper.