First published in 1950. This re-issues the fourth edition of 1977.

This is a social history of China, presenting the main lines of development of the Chinese social structure from the earliest times to the present day. The book discusses the origins of the present regime and developments in China in the last years, and political, social and cultural changes are all analyzed.

The text is based upon the study of original Chinese sources and also the work of Chinese, Japanese and Western scholars.