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The Definitive Visual History
Cina imperiale
«Utilizzando la Storia come uno specchio è possibile comprendere la nascita e il declino di una nazione.» Imperatore Taizong, dinastia Tang. In queste pagine è presentata la lunga e feconda storia della Cina degli imperatori, vista dalla prospettiva del suo stesso popolo. Nato da una sorprendente collaborazione fra case editrici cinesi e occidentali, "Cina imperiale" propone al lettore gli eventi fondamentali, i personaggi significativi, i tesori più preziosi che hanno costellato 5.000 anni di regni e dinastie. Grazie anche alle illustrazioni, molte delle quali mai viste prima in Occidente, questo libro rappresenta un luminoso e autorevole omaggio a una delle culture più importanti del mondo.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2020
29 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,120 books2,079 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 27, 2025
Review to be adjusted once series is complete
For such a culturally rich country, I find it incredibly difficult to find good on the topic of China. While you could probably fill volumes of each single dynasty, DK - as expected - delivers a wonderful overview in this book. It takes us from its earliest days down to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty. While we follow a chronological order, various topics such as art, new inventions and other cultural developments get their sections at good intervals which breaks up the pace a bit.
A book of the same length without pictures might have provided more in depth information, but this visual guide is a lot more accessible - it's beautiful to look at and helps get a better or more visual understanding of what is being shared in the written part. It is both visually very pleasing as well as informative.
I understand that this is specifically about Imperial China but I confess I was a little surprised that there wasn't even a footnote on Mao Zedong. We do get a final page with some final post Qing Dynasty glimpses, most notable what became of the last emperor Puyi.
Fantastic book for anyone who is interesting in Chinese culture. I myself went into this with some foundation already but I am sure this is great for both those familiar and those wholly new to the topic.
For such a culturally rich country, I find it incredibly difficult to find good on the topic of China. While you could probably fill volumes of each single dynasty, DK - as expected - delivers a wonderful overview in this book. It takes us from its earliest days down to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty. While we follow a chronological order, various topics such as art, new inventions and other cultural developments get their sections at good intervals which breaks up the pace a bit.
A book of the same length without pictures might have provided more in depth information, but this visual guide is a lot more accessible - it's beautiful to look at and helps get a better or more visual understanding of what is being shared in the written part. It is both visually very pleasing as well as informative.
I understand that this is specifically about Imperial China but I confess I was a little surprised that there wasn't even a footnote on Mao Zedong. We do get a final page with some final post Qing Dynasty glimpses, most notable what became of the last emperor Puyi.
Fantastic book for anyone who is interesting in Chinese culture. I myself went into this with some foundation already but I am sure this is great for both those familiar and those wholly new to the topic.
November 15, 2021
This book was absolutely spectacular. It was very inconvenient as a 'current book' because it is very large, weighs a gazillion pounds and is very ostentatious. It's not the kind of book I was comfortable reading at the diner, or the doctor's waiting room because it's like 'look what I'm reading!' But it was beautiful and informative and fascinating. My only caveat is I wish it had had maps. Even one really clear map of the country would have helped, and I would have liked maps showing the geographic domains of all of these dynasties. I know I could look each one up individually. I didn't. And saying something like "near present day Saiwong" does not help me. Among the valuable things I learned is that they consider 200 years a short lived dynasty, so we are mere babes; and that the Asian people were just as intent on conquest and domination and enslaving/massacring whole populations to get their resources and land as the Europeans, so we all suck together as a species.
October 17, 2021
Absolutely gloriously illustrated reference book not only about the various dynasties that controlled China but the artifacts, architecture, art, culture, religion and far more.
Starting with when hominds first entered the area - approximately 200,000 BCE and the Neolithic societies that slowly appeared ~ 5000BCE. Then it goes from the legendary Five Emperors that ended their reigns pre-2200 BCE. From the Xia to the Shang dynasty which displaced the Xia around 1600 BCE.
It's like an encyclopedia through time. The land, the rivers, the mountains and the people, their clans and heritage. Close-ups of paintings on scrolls as well as the calligraphy. Elaborately embroidered clothing and jade used as sculptures and decorations. Development of tea and rice. Samples of jewelry from various dynasties as well as armor and weapons. Porcelain and the gorgeous blue cobalt ores that influenced the Dutch Delft china. The movement of the capital from city to city. The battles with various northern tribes and Japan, Korea, Manchuria and other neighbors. The government attempts at holding off the European trade delegates and Europe's eventual military victories that forced trade concessions and privileges. The Great Wall as well as the Great Canal and the Terracotta Army. Buddhism and Confusianism and Daoism. The Sui dynasty that took up the "Mandate of Heaven" to the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912 and his death in 1967 as a citizen of Communist China.
It's a beautiful book and one that would be an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in Chinese history.
2021-211
Starting with when hominds first entered the area - approximately 200,000 BCE and the Neolithic societies that slowly appeared ~ 5000BCE. Then it goes from the legendary Five Emperors that ended their reigns pre-2200 BCE. From the Xia to the Shang dynasty which displaced the Xia around 1600 BCE.
It's like an encyclopedia through time. The land, the rivers, the mountains and the people, their clans and heritage. Close-ups of paintings on scrolls as well as the calligraphy. Elaborately embroidered clothing and jade used as sculptures and decorations. Development of tea and rice. Samples of jewelry from various dynasties as well as armor and weapons. Porcelain and the gorgeous blue cobalt ores that influenced the Dutch Delft china. The movement of the capital from city to city. The battles with various northern tribes and Japan, Korea, Manchuria and other neighbors. The government attempts at holding off the European trade delegates and Europe's eventual military victories that forced trade concessions and privileges. The Great Wall as well as the Great Canal and the Terracotta Army. Buddhism and Confusianism and Daoism. The Sui dynasty that took up the "Mandate of Heaven" to the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor in 1912 and his death in 1967 as a citizen of Communist China.
It's a beautiful book and one that would be an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in Chinese history.
2021-211
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June 22, 2022Definitely one to read for the images rather than the text. While it's difficult to cover the whole of Chinese history in one book, the discussion of different periods and topics can be quite shallow at times. At the very least, they at least inflame the imagination and encourage one to seek out more about certain topics. What makes this book worthwhile is certainly the images, which are of a very high quality. If I were to make a complaint about the images, it would be that there's a severe lack of maps; so many places are mentioned in the text but very little context is given as to where they are.
This may come across as quite a critical review but I did enjoy this richly illustrated journey through Chinese history.
This may come across as quite a critical review but I did enjoy this richly illustrated journey through Chinese history.
May 26, 2022
The most beautiful and picture-filled book I’ve yet to find on the subject! This book is big and heavy (will hurt your forearms if you hold it up for too long) and filled with impressively curated chapters. As a student of art history as well as someone well connected to her culture, this is a gem!
October 6, 2022
Questo volume è un vero gioiello, le illustrazioni sono una più bella dell'altra e ho trovato di qualità anche il testo. È un'ottima chicca per chi è appassionato di Cina e vuole conoscere (a grandi linee) la sua storia imperiale.
May 7, 2024
Excellent coffee table book I picked up from the library. Not really meant to be read cover to cover, but does the job in providing the ignorant Westerner an evocative image of what Chinese history really entails.
March 10, 2025
I wanted to give this book more stars but was disappointed when they had got the order of Kublai and his father Tolui the wrong way round. Tolui was the fourth son of Genghis Khan and Kublai was the second son of Tolui. They corrected it later on but it shouldn't have happened in the first place.
January 29, 2022
Wonderful illustrations accompanied with great text!
February 14, 2022
The history of China by dynasty in a clear snd lavishly illustrated volume. There is so much it’s hard to take in but one gets a good feel for things
September 30, 2022
A visually stunning book, and an interesting view into how China sees it's own imperial history. The art is fabulous and the prose very readable.
March 10, 2025
such an amazing book. great for getting into chinese history
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews