8 Best Chinese History Books
We analyzed 6+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 8 best chinese history books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Chinese History books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best chinese history books" and study the top 6+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
8 Best Chinese History Books
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
Wild Swans
Three Daughters of China
Also recommended by
3 people
Hillary Clinton recommended this bookHillary Clinton
"An inspiring tale of women who survived every kind of hardship, deprivation and political upheaval with their humanity intact." - Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton's recommendation of this book 
Andrew Chen recommended this bookAndrew Chen
"It was incredibly important and formative. Must read." - Andrew Chen
Andrew Chen's recommendation of this book 
Richard Branson recommended this bookRichard Branson
Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.
Richard Branson's recommendation of this book
China in Ten Words
The Art Of War
Also recommended by
12 people
Jocko Willink recommended this bookJocko Willink
Jocko Willink covered this book in "Jocko Podcast" Ep. 23
Jocko Willink's recommendation of this book 
Neil deGrasse Tyson recommended this bookNeil deGrasse Tyson
"To learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art." - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson's recommendation of this book 
Marc Benioff recommended this bookMarc Benioff
"Served me well. [...] Advocates keeping one’s cool at all times." - Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff's recommendation of this book 
Evan Spiegel recommended this bookEvan Spiegel
"After meeting Mark Zuckerberg, [Evan Spiegel] immediately bought every [Snapchat] employee a copy of 'The Art Of War'." - Business Insider
Evan Spiegel's recommendation of this book 
Dave Camarillo recommended this bookDave Camarillo
"Another [book] I have to mention." - Dave Camarillo
Dave Camarillo's recommendation of this book 
Ryan Petersen recommended this bookRyan Petersen
Ryan Petersen mentioned this book on Twitter.
Ryan Petersen's recommendation of this book +6
More recommendations
- Travis Kalanick
"It became [Travis Kalanick's bible]." - Mike Isaac
- Vlad Tenev
"I like the classics such as The Republic by Plato and The Art of War by Sun Tzu." - Vlad Tenev
- Fred Wilson
"Has to get onto my list." - Fred Wilson
- Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman mentioned this book on Instagram.
- Elon Musk
"I've read [this book] many times." - Elon Musk
- Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David recommended this book on his website.
- Travis Kalanick
Red Star over China
The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism
Also recommended by
1 person
Nelson Mandela recommended this bookNelson Mandela
"In [this book] I saw that it was Mao’s determination and nontraditional thinking that led him to victory." - Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela's recommendation of this book
Every Step a Lotus
Shoes for Bound Feet
Factory Girls
From Village to City in a Changing China
Life and Death in Shanghai
Shanghai
The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City
Sources
- 1
9 books to help you understand the culture and history of China
trafalgar.com
- 2
9 Great Books to Help You Learn About China's... | Culture Trip
theculturetrip.com
- 3
21 Chinese History Books by #OwnVoices Authors | Book Riot
bookriot.com
- 4
Explore China's Rich History with These Books
explorethearchive.com
- 5
The 11 best Chinese history books - The Helpful Panda
thehelpfulpanda.com
- 6
The Best Books on Modern China - Five Books Expert Recommendations
fivebooks.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
Comments
Did we miss something? Have feedback?
Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts