Jonathan D. Spence

Chinese Roundabout

Jonathan Spence has the art, as he amply demonstrates once again n Chinese Roundabout, the collection of essays that the Chicago Tribune praise as "surprising, entertaining, and inspired." From a "fascinating" exploration of opium in Chinese society and a "masterly" (Newsday) and "beautifully evocative description" or Tienanmen Square and its place in history, to a "most entertaining" (Boston Globe) piece on food and eating during the Qing dynasty, Spence's roundabout carries delighted readers on an adventurous tour of modern Chinese history and culture. For Spence's many avid readers, "there is a month of good reading in these 400 pages" (Detroit Free Press).