A great story

One reviewer complained that this book is basically not an academic history book even though the title is “The Story of” and published by a non-academic publisher. The nonsense critics can pull from those dark smelly places.
Another reviewer complained about length as if they didn’t know how long it was before they bought it. As if there aren’t shorter alternatives.
If you don’t want history told in a narrative fashion that takes on a variety of viewpoints instead of the fictional “objective historian” and told with enough depth to take some time to go through then this ain’t for you.
Everyone else, have fun.

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Brilliant

Brilliantly researched , looked at the big picture of China , very easy to listen too gave me a much better understanding of China thought it was quite marvellous

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brilliant

the best history book that I have read. takes you away from the list of dates and kings and gives you an understanding of what it was like to live at that time.

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1 person found this helpful

Classic Michael Wood!

I've been a fan of Michael Wood (and his compassionate gentle tones) since In Search of the Trojan War, so I was really looking forward to this, and as much as Chinese history is a mystery to me - this delivered. Lots of information, well presented! I'm not sure if the modern audience will take to his tone of voice, but this was very enjoyable.

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Chapters much too long,I couldn't go the distane

I have enjoyed very much other audio books from Michael Wood, in particular the Story of India. As such I had high hopes for the Story of China but as much as I wanted to enjoy it, it is just overwhelming in the share volume of information the author attempts to provide. It is like battling a raging tsunami.

I gave up about three chapters in. Such a shame.

I wish it had been delivered in much smaller chunks.

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Pretentious Drivel

I was just unhappy with how poorly researched this was.
I did not enjoy it, as I felt that a lot of words were expended on making China sound exotic and other, without actually delving into the actual history. I think I listened to about half an hour of purple prose about scenery before we even got to the emperor's role in a ceremony.
As a Chinese person myself, I would have preferred a drier, more factual book.

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2 people found this helpful

A great story hurt by a bewildering postscript end

I have watched Michael Wood in his documentary on China. I found him to be very knowledgeable about the history on the whole, but mostly in particular the point at which the opium wars commenced and the right nation alliance chose to invade a sovereign nation because they felt it was their duty.
When I saw the book version I knew this had to have more in it and it did not leave me disappointed. Well, that is to say that the information was much more detailed and if you are a person who is genuinely open to history, then M Wood delivers it in abundance in the Chinese sector of the world throughout the ages. you could feel yourself looking over these time-honoured people and the hardships and glories they faced. There was much that was not said also, but then...how long do you want to read, or listen to the reading of a book is also a consideration. History is like that, a facts timeline or factual story of events. I feel this is the latter.
Well, it was until we reach the last piece, the closing comment about Covid-19. Michael has obviously completed this book in 2020 and in doing so made the worst possible mistake! That of passing judgement on the origin and data timeline for passage of information about the virus. He has instead, chosen to follow the sheep and please the one country who has now been identified as the worst in the world to deal with the virus. He has chosen to malign the current leader of the CPC as being the same as Mao during the cultural revolution, yet this same man has brought back over 6000 officials who fled with government money to other countries, regained ¥440,000,000,000,000.00 in monies they have taken to other countries and tried to live like king's and Lords. He focuses on the needs of the people, which can be seen in the massive infrastructure that occurs in cities and between them. He did not quote how high speed rail has been laid since Xi took power or the Subways that connect the airports to the cities now., just a ref to being like Mao...why?
I believe China political system is going through changes, as does Mr Wood, to a single part democratic style of system. The truth is that the West has proven beyond a doubt that the multiple party system does not work, it only promotes self-effacing people to a position of power where they become greedy and the people suffer on two fronts. 1) Decide who you want 50% can't of winning, and 2) and, Then you are stuck with whoever wins for the next four years, until you vote again.
My honest opinion of this book, is without the ill-informed end piece, it was a great piece of history, but then all the excellent work was wasted with those frivolous and poorly written and researched statements.
Sorry Mr Wood, I'm a fan of your work but you messed up.

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