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Books like Beijing

Loved Beijing by Robert Storey? Here are 8 books with the same pull, and why each one fits.

About Beijing →

8 books

  1. 1River Town

    River Town

    Peter Hessler

    A close, first-hand account of life in a small Chinese city in the 1990s, written by a foreign resident.

  2. 2Oracle Bones

    Oracle Bones

    Peter Hessler

    A nonfiction account of travel through China that connects everyday scenes with the country's history.

  3. 3Wild Grass

    Wild Grass

    Ian Johnson

    Reported portraits of ordinary people in China, showing how daily life in the cities has changed.

  4. 4The Search for Modern China

    The Search for Modern China

    Jonathan D. Spence

    A broad history of China from the late Ming period onward, useful background for anyone visiting its capital.

  5. 5Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

    Jan Morris

    A city portrait that mixes history, place and personal observation, an approach that goes beyond practical guidance.

  6. 6Venice.

    Venice.

    Jan Morris

    A city book that interprets a place through its history and atmosphere, rather than listing sights alone.

  7. 7The Man Who Loved China

    The Man Who Loved China

    Simon Winchester

    A narrative about China's history and culture that draws readers into its past through one remarkable life.

  8. 8Iron & Silk

    Iron & Silk

    Mark Salzman

    A memoir of an American living and teaching in China in the 1980s, with a close view of daily life there.

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