China

I've revised and updated the first edition to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square, the bleeding heart of the nation. I concentrate on the period from the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 to the massacre in 1989. Instead of a dull, factual historical account, I try to present the atmosphere and colour of Chinese daily life, from early morning tai chi and dim sum to Cantonese opera, snake dinners and ox penis soup. However, I don't gloss over the seamy side: forbidden love, false arrests, forced abortions and public executions. China is presented in all its bewildering complexity -- not only the "Chinese Dream" but also the "Chinese Nightmare". Just what is myth and what is reality?