David Kenley’s Modern Chinese History is a great introductory text to understanding China’s history for the last several centuries. Kenley wove together economic, political, cultural, and religious history into a short, cohesive, and thoroughly approachable book. As an ELA/Social Studies educator, this was a nice introductory resource for me. I highly recommend this book for those interested in acquiring a basic understanding of contemporary China and recent history. With such a large swath of history covered in such a short book, many of the nuances and details are lost. Regardless, Modern Chinese History is a great starting point for investigating and understanding Chinese history.