Author:John Man
China's Great Wall north of Beijing is one of the world's most famous sights. Millions every year climb the line of stone snaking over mountains. We all feel we know the Wall. But we are wrong. It is too big, too varied, too complex to be captured by a few images or a day-trip.
Myths surround it. Many believe that the stone barrier marches across all China, that it has been in existence for over 2,000 years, and that it is the only man-made structure visible from the Moon. In fact, most of it is made of earth, and much of it is not there at all. It cannot even be seen from earth orbit, let alone the Moon. Estimates of its length vary from 1,500 to 5,000 miles. Even its name is deceptive - it is not an it, a single entity, but many walls (hence the uncertain length), built at different times.
Yet behind the confusion are great simplicities. The many walls are united by two ideas - self-protection and unity - which go back to the First Emperor, who founded the nation in 221 BC. For 2,000 years, the Wall marked the border between China and nomadic peoples to the north and west. Mutual hostility inspired centuries of attacks, counter-attacks and Wall-building, until the northward spread of China in the 20th century made the Wall redundant.
For this riveting account, John Man travelled the Wall from the far western deserts to the Pacific, exploring the grandest sections and many 'wild' ones. He is the first writer to describe two unknown walls in Mongolia. He covers two millennia of history, from the country's first unification to the present day, when the Great Wall, built and rebuilt over centuries of war, has become a symbol of tranquillity.
Beautifully written...by a writer who knows [Kashmir] better than any other
—— David Loyn, BBC Foreign CorrespondentFascinating and informative...one of the best ever books to profile the complex, violent Kashmir crisis.
—— Greg Mortensen, author of Three Cups of TeaDeserves the warmest recommendation...[Hardy] can really write...A fine introduction to what [the situation in Kashmir] is all about.
—— Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent , IndependentElegantly written and perceptive
—— Sunday GuardianThe strength of Hardy's writing is its honesty and keen observation. She tells it like it is. And sometimes it's heartbreakingly beautiful. At other times, the scene is bleak, but the writing is immediate...A book not just to read slowly, but to live slowly. Well done!
—— Outlookindia.comTindall... can create vivid portraits out of a few misty pixels
—— Graham Robb , Sunday TimesAn enterprise of formidable research and enviable lightness of touch
—— Anita Brookner , The SpectatorCharming disinterment of a lost 19th - and 20th -century Paris...An antidote to the history of great men and events
—— The Guardian Saturday Review, SUMMER READSThis book is a personal memoir, a history of the left bank of Paris and an endlessly compelling tale of a family who lived in and out of Paris through two centuries of war, conflict and great politics...Nostalgia is of course a key trope in Parisian history and this book, richly textured and beautifully written, is a wonderful addition to that canon
—— Andrew Hussey , History TodayAn entertaining, interesting and sometimes inspiring gallop through parts of the history of non-violent conflict
—— Buce Kent , History TodayHaslam is an intriguing man...[and] can write wonderfully well
—— The Spectator, Susan HillA baroque soufflé of names, faces, bitchy asides and put-downs, sprinkled with funny anecdotes.
—— Camilla Long , Sunday TimesThough full of as much gossip as you might expect from the inveterate socialite, this memoir is also interestingly clever
—— Daily TelegraphThe interior designer, journalist and socialite Nicky Haslam has met almost everyone who's anyone
—— Brandon Robshaw , Independent on SundayIt is...boisterously good company and proof that if Haslam knows one thing, it's that you can only get away with a life like his if you are never, ever boring.
—— Claire Allfree , Metroa terrifically entertaining read
—— Carla McKay , Daily Mailextremely diverting, essentially kind-hearted and well written
—— William Leith , Evening Standard
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