China is poised to take a key role on the world stage, but in the early twentieth century the situation could not have been more different. This book goes back to this pivotal moment in Chinese history to uncover the origins of the painful transition from a premodern past into a modern world.

A Bitter RevolutionChina's Struggle with the Modern World Exciting account of how the politics and culture of China changed forever during the twentieth century Brings previously unheard voices from modern China to light, using a range of new and fascinating sources Shines a light on China's 'hidden history', e.g. China and Japan were not always enemies, and Communism was not inevitably destined to succeed in China Shows how the 1910s and 20s, traditionally regarded as progressive and liberal, hid the seeds of China's future political crises