Linda Jaivin at Griffith University talks about her new book The Shortest History of China with Kai He and Sue Trevaskes.

Certainly, Chinese history is sprawling and gloriously messy. The story of women in China, from the earliest warriors to twentieth-century suffragettes. Historical spectres of corruption and disunity continue to haunt the People’s Republic today.

Moreover, the world sees modern China as an economic powerhouse. As an icon of urbanisation, a propaganda state or an aggressive superpower seeking world domination. Linda Jaivin distils a vast history into a short, readable account that tells you what you need to know.