China

John Keay’s books include ‘India Discovered’, ‘The Honourable Company’, ‘Last Post: The End of Empire in the Far East’, the two-volume ‘Explorers of the Western Himalayas’, ‘India: A History’, ‘The Great Arc’, ‘Sowing the Wind: The Seeds of Conflict in the Middle East’ and ‘Mad About the Mekong: Exploration and Empire in South East Asia’. He is married with four children, lives in Scotland, and is the co-author, with Julia Keay, of the ‘Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland’.

'There is no understanding China, present or future, without a sense of its past!Anybody fascinated by the puzzle of what comes next for our frail, perplexed planet will find unexpected answers in this crisp, often witty chronicle of amazements.' Peter Preston, Observer 'Dynasties lead to world domination: John Keay's forensic analysis of China's history makes the world of the ancient emperors strikingly modern and relevant.' Observer 'Negotiating a narrative path through this turbulent history is the unenviable task that John Keay set himself, and he has produced a valiant, fluently written attempt to condense a sprawling story into a few hundred pages.' Jonathan Wright, Independent on Sunday 'Absorbingly readable' Independent Praise for 'India: a history': 'A delight!one of the best general studies of the subcontinent.' Sunday Times 'Ambitious, colourful and fascinating.' The Times 'It is hard to imagine anyone succeeding more gracefully in producing a balanced overview than John Keay has done in "India: A History"!a book that is as fluent and readable as it is up-to-date and impartial. Hardly a page passes without some fascinating nugget or surprising fact!one can only hope that John Keay's 'India' will be widely read, and its lessons taken to heart.' Guardian 'Certainly the most balanced and lucid history!his passion for India shines through and illuminates every page!puts Keay in the front rank of Indian historiographers.' Spectator