China

Über die Entdeckung der SeidenstraßeDer deutsche Geograph Ferdinand von Richthofen schrieb den 'ersten wissenschaftlich fundierten Originalbericht' über das Reich der Mitte und ebnete der Seidenstraße den Weg, deren Namen er geprägt hat. Zwischen 1868 und 1872 wagte er sich immer tiefer in das damals im Westen noch weitgehend unbekannte Innere Chinas vor, bereiste 13 Provinzen und gab ihnen ein Abbild in Form von Karten. Er entdeckte ihre Reichtümer, die Europa und China mächtig machen sollten. Es ist der Beginn der Globalisierung.Marcus Hernig erzählt vom Leben dieses Mannes in der Tradition eines Alexander von Humboldt: als großer Reisender und Abenteurer zwischen Forscherleidenschaft und Welteroberungsdrang.

Four Legendary Women from Ancient China brings together the compelling lives of four extraordinary women whose intelligence, creativity, and resilience allowed them to shine in a world dominated by men.Ancient China was largely a man's world. For a woman to rise above expectation required exceptional strength of character. Through vivid storytelling and careful historical research, Feng Ping brings these women to life - revealing their brilliance, their capacity to love, and their determination to endure turbulent times.To modern Western readers, the customs and realities of ancient China may seem harsh and unfamiliar, yet they are as fascinating as the women themselves. This is history that reads with the emotional power of fiction.The four women featured in this volume are:Cai Wenji, a musical genius whose life was shaped by exile and lossShangguan Wan'er, the first female prime minister of the Tang dynastyZhuo Wenjun, a woman who made bold and risky choices in love and lifeLi Qingzhao, regarded as the first great female poet in a thousand yearsHistorically accurate and well referencedProfessionally researched and beautifully writtenEngaging, colourful storytelling that is easy to readIncluded are exquisite poems composed by these remarkable women - works that are still admired and cherished in China today. Their stories continue to inspire as powerful examples of female strength, talent, and resilience.

Genghis Khan is one of history's immortals: a leader of genius, driven by an inspiring vision for peaceful world rule. Believing he was divinely protected, Genghis united warring clans to create a nation and then an empire that ran across much of Asia.<BR><BR>Under his grandson, Kublai Khan, the vision evolved into a more complex religious ideology, justifying further expansion. Kublai doubled the empire's size until, in the late 13th century, he and the rest of Genghis's 'Golden Family' controlled one fifth of the inhabited world. Along the way, he conquered all China, gave the nation the borders it has today, and then, finally, discovered the limits to growth.<BR><BR>Genghis's dream of world rule turned out to be a fantasy. And yet, in terms of the sheer scale of the conquests, never has a vision and the character of one man had such an effect on the world.<BR><BR>Charting the evolution of this vision, John Man provides a unique account of the Mongol Empire, from young Genghis to old Kublai, from a rejected teenager to the world's most powerful emperor.