Modern research has not only demonstrated that all these accounts are inventions of a much later period but has also shown why such narratives were composed. The older historical sources make no mention of any rulers before 2200 B.C. no mention even of their names.
A radical new look at the history of the nation that may well shape the course of the 21st century, this significant exploration of China's past breaks with scholarly traditions to approach its subject with a fresh eye, one that relies less on romanticized mythologies of godlike emperors and more on modern archaeological discoveries and new, fluid theories of ethnography and anthropology.
First published in 1950, A History of China is still one of the best sources for understanding the culture and peoples who today are increasingly influencing global society.