Wang, D: United States and China A History from the Eighteenth Century to the Present

The relationship between the United States and China may be the single most important bilateral relationship in the modern world. Dong Wang's book is an extremely valuable guide to that relationship, combining history and international relations to give a powerful account of how the two countries first encountered each other, and why their interaction matters so much in the present day. -- Rana Mitter, University of Oxford Wang has written a remarkable survey of Sino-American relations from the first encounter in 1784 to the present day. There are several surveys of Sino-American relations that primarily focus on the US side of the relationship, and none of these accounts has the depth of this volume. The author constructs her chapters in a manner that gives readers a deep understanding of both sides of the equation as the relationship has developed over more than 200 years. In addition, each chapter guides readers to additional sources to go even deeper into the subject. This book will be the standard account for many years to come of how the relationship has developed and changed over time. The comprehensive bibliography by itself, including both Chinese-language and English-language sources, is worth the price of the book. Strongly recommended for anyone interested in the complex relationship that has developed between two countries that each have their own vision of national greatness; should be standard reading for policy makers on both sides of the Pacific. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. CHOICE