Joseph W. Esherick is Professor of Modern Chinese History at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of The Origins of the Boxer Uprising (UC Press) and co-editor of The Chinese Cultural Revolution as History, among many books.

"This is an extraordinary book; for me it was something of a page-turner as I followed the story of the twists and turns." -- Keith Schoppa Twentieth Century China "Ancestral Leaves offers for ... the general reader a most unique survey of modern Chinese history." -- Ke Ren Frontiers Of History In China "Ancestral Leaves is a great read and it will appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike." -- Louise Edwards Journal Of Chinese Studies "Very well researched and documented... Something special and rare." -- Dominique Tyl Chinese Cross Currents "Meticulously researched and written in an absorbing style. [Esherick's] book enriches our understanding of Chinese social history." -- Emily Dunn The China Journal

• Preface Part I: The Imperial Era 1. Fleeing the Long Hairs 2. Family Roots 3. Father, Son, and Family 4. Rebellion 5. Official Life in the Late Qing 6. A Time of Transitions Part II: Republican China 7. Doing Business in Tianjin 8. Growing Up in Tianjin 9. Student Life in the 1930s 10.War Part III: The People's Republic 11. Family Life in New China 12. Hundred Flowers and Poisonous Weeds 13. The Cultural Revolution Epilogue: After the Deluge Notes Glossary of Chinese Terms Selected Ye Family Bibliography Index