All Under Heaven: A Complete History of China

A one-volume narrative history of China, from the earliest inhabitants to the twentieth century, for a popular readership. China is a country with an ancient and highly sophisticated civilization of which the Chinese have been justly proud. When the countries of Europe were struggling to move beyond mud huts and stone tools, the Chinese already had a highly complex society and were creating works of great beauty. Although it has long been a source of fascination for the West, the history of China remains a mystery to many. This accessible narrative, written for the general reader, by Rayne Kruger, provides a synthesis of Chinese history for the non-specialist reader. Rayne Kruger was born in South Africa, worked in Johannesburg, became a lawyer, broadcaster, and actor, then emigrated to England in 1947, joining the BBC. He wrote several successful novels and a history of South Africa, Goodbye Dolly Gray, and later founded a property group. He later partnered with his wife, Prue Leith. He died in 2002.