The first half of this book is a crisp and fast paced summary of China's history from prehistoric times to the Qing dynasty. It's a well written book, but I wish they spent more time on the Xia and Shang dynasties. Along with the usual politics and war, in each era it also covers cultural 'high points' like Shang dynasty bronze pottery, Song dynasty landscape paintings, and Tang poetry. The writing style is not dry like a lot of history books and easy to understand. 

The second half is when the pacing dramatically shifts. The book is written for westerners and the author assumes westerners are more interested in Chinese history or modern history. This change in pacing is hard to get used to, and I found myself scanning a few sections by the end. It's still an enjoyable read but I would have been more interested if greater space was given to earlier times. 

Two surprising highlights in terms of style was the author's description of Ming architecture (Forbidden City) and Song landscape paintings. The way the author conveyed the philosophical and cultural viewpoints underlying these arts was well written and extremely interesting!