Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World

Journalist Schuman surveys more than 3,000 years of Chinese civilization in his incisive and approachable debut. Documenting the rise of the Shang dynasty around 1600 CE, the building of the original Great Wall under the Qin dynasty (221–206 CE), the “golden era” of the Tang dynasty (618 BCE–907 BCE), and the launching of 400-foot-long “treasure ships” bearing porcelain and silk to Africa, India, and the Middle East in the 15th century, Schuman highlights “the Chinese self-belief in their own exceptionalism” and the autocratic impulse running throughout Chinese political history. From the Chinese perspective, Schuman writes, losing “superpower status” during the mid-19th century was a “mere blip” in the historical record. He sees the resurrection of Chinese cultural traditions under President Xi Jinping as a replacement for the “communist utopia” that was promised but never delivered, and argues that until the country can reclaim its technological superiority over the West, it will fall short of its goal to return to the top of the global order. Schuman cuts through the cavalcade of names, places, and events with an amiable sense of humor (“After all, barbarians will be barbarians”), though he doesn’t break much new ground in analyzing Chinese geopolitical ambitions. Still, this brisk chronicle delivers meaningful context for readers looking to go beyond the daily headlines about China. (June)