Written with an elegant and flowing narrative, the essential virtue of Jacques Gernet's classic book is to see the history of Chinese civilization as a whole. Yet within the synthesis of the trends - social, political, religious, scientific, artistic that make up China's past and present, the author never loses sight of the telling detail which brings history to life. A History of Chinese Civilization is illustrated with a wide range of photographs, many maps, line drawings and tables. A detailed chronological table and full bibliography complement the text.