The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western Minds (Allen Lane History S.) - Tapa dura

The vastness of China and the antiquity of its culture have both fascinated and troubled the West since their earliest contacts. Here Jonathan Spence sets out to explore the intricacies of western attitudes as they develop over centuries of trade, conflict and sometimes edgy co-existence. His account ranges from the travels of Marco Polo to China's modern place in the literature, diplomacy and daydreams of the West. It is a story of fantasy, wishful thinking and occasional insight that is as eloquent of our own preoccupations as it is of China itself.

Jonathan D. Spence, Sterling Professor of History at Yale University, is the award-winning author of a remarkable body of work on Chinese culture and history, including 'The Search for Modern China'.