History of China
Audio only

History of China

A Captivating Account of HistoryBy History in an Hour
Michael Caine
Listen with Sir Michael Caine™ and 1,000+ voices
Length7h 47m

About this audiobook

Journey through five thousand years of one of the world’s greatest civilizations in this fast-paced and accessible introduction to Chinese history — designed to be read in about one hour. Perfect for busy readers, students, travelers, and lifelong learners, this concise history brings the story of China to life in a clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand style. From the prehistoric villages along the Yellow River to the rise and fall of mighty dynasties, from the wisdom of Confucius and Laozi to the power struggles of emperors and warlords, this book explores the key events, people, inventions, philosophies, and revolutions that shaped China and influenced the world. Discover the legendary rulers of ancient China, the brilliance of the Han and Tang dynasties, the construction of the Great Wall, the Mongol conquest, the splendor of the Ming Empire, the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and the dramatic rise of modern China as a global power. Along the way, readers will encounter stories of war, philosophy, innovation, trade, culture, and resilience spanning thousands of years. Written in a reader-friendly format, this book removes the intimidation often associated with Chinese history and transforms it into an enjoyable journey through time. Whether you are completely new to the subject or simply looking for a quick yet meaningful overview, this volume provides a rich introduction without requiring months of study or a massive textbook. Part of the History in an Hour series, this book proves that even the vast story of China can be explored in a single sitting. Short enough to finish in an evening yet filled with fascinating insight, it is the ideal starting point for anyone who wants to better understand China’s remarkable past and its lasting influence upon the modern world.

Audiobook details

GenreHistory
Length7 hrs 47 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 25, 2026
LanguageEnglish

Table of contents

1Dedication
2Preface
3Introduction
4Chapter 1 — The Origins of Chinese Civilization
5Chapter 2 — The Age of Zhou and the Birth of Chinese Thought
Show all chapters
6Chapter 3 — The Qin and Han Dynasties
7Chapter 4 — Division and Reunification
8Chapter 5 — The Great Dynasties of Medieval China
9Chapter 6 — The Ming and Qing Dynasties
10Chapter 7 — Modern China
11Conclusion
12Links
13​Error
14​​Leave a review!
15My Salvation Testimony
16How to be a Christian?
17About the Author

Series

More from History in an Hour

A Brief History of Intelligence
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
Ghosts of Hiroshima
Ghosts of HiroshimaCharles Pellegrino8h 59m4.5 (877)$23
Black AF History
Black AF HistoryMichael Harriot15h 43m4.7 (14.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m4.7 (8.9K)$46 · $0.00
The Happiest Man on Earth
The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku3h 48m4.6 (178K)$7 · $0.00
Motherland
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m4.7 (2.5K)$40 · $0.00
Where Cowards Go to Die
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m4.7 (351)$20 · $0.00
Revolutionaries
RevolutionariesSanjeev Sanyal11h 23m4.6 (2.6K)$29 · $0.00
We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled
We Crossed a Bridge and It TrembledWendy Pearlman6h4.6 (5.2K)$24 · $0.00
Unbroken Bonds of Battle
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m4.6 (2.6K)$8 · $0.00
The Daughter of Auschwitz
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m4.6 (16.7K)$26 · $0.00
Lily's Promise
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m4.6 (16.1K)$29 · $0.00
On Democracies and Death Cults
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Across the River
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m4.6 (927)$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and Beyond
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
Beyond
BeyondStephen Walker15h 39m4.6 (3.2K)$33 · $0.00
Kings and Pawns
Kings and PawnsHoward Bryant10h 9m4.6 (678)$29 · $0.00
No Escape
No EscapeNury Turkel9h 30m4.6 (809)$28 · $0.00
Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: Blood Trail To Hell: A Western Adventure Novel
Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: Blood Trail To Hell: A Western Adventure NovelCasey Nash3h 42m4.6 (3.2K)$18 · $0.00
Fall and Rise
Fall and RiseMitchell Zuckoff17h 23m4.6 (9.8K)$40 · $0.00

You may also like

The Golden Bough A Study in Magic and Religion
The Golden Bough A Study in Magic and ReligionJames George Frazer42h 20m4.1 (13.2K)$2.30
The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1&2)
The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1&2)James George Frazer24h 8m4.1 (14.9K)$1 · $0.00
A Classical Dictionary (Summarized Edition)
A Classical Dictionary (Summarized Edition)John Lemprière15h 34m4.1 (312)$2
Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt
Myths and Legends of Ancient EgyptLewis Spence10h 45m4.0 (1.8K)$2.30
The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people (Annotated)
The Legends and Myths of Hawaii: The fables and folk-lore of a strange people (Annotated)King of Hawaii David Kalakaua20h 45m4.1 (380)$2 · $0.00
Hawaiian Historical Legends
Hawaiian Historical LegendsW. D. Westervelt4h 54m3.4 (26)$1 · $0.00
Myths of Greece and Rome (Annotated)
Myths of Greece and Rome (Annotated)Jane Harrison2h 57m4.0 (46)$2 · $0.00
Celtic Mythology & The Religion of the Ancient Celts (Annotated)
Celtic Mythology & The Religion of the Ancient Celts (Annotated)John Arnott MacCulloch24h 33m3.7 (688)$2 · $0.00
Egyptian Religion
Egyptian ReligionLayla Al-amin/ Luiz Santos6h 46m$7 · $0.00
The Myths of Mexico & Peru (Annotated)
The Myths of Mexico & Peru (Annotated)Lewis Spence11h 47m3.3 (153)$2 · $0.00
Worth While Stories for Every Day
Worth While Stories for Every DayVarious9h 38m$1 · $0.00
The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia (Annotated)
The Religions of Ancient Egypt and Babylonia (Annotated)A. H. Sayce17h 20m3.6 (45)$2 · $0.00
The History of Ancient Egypt
The History of Ancient EgyptArthur Gilman, George Rawlinson10h 27m3.7 (373)$1 · $0.00
The Mythology of Celts (Illustrated)
The Mythology of Celts (Illustrated)J. A. MacCulloch, T. W. Rolleston, W. Y. Evans-Wentz60h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Virgin in Art
The Virgin in ArtKyra Belán4h 3m4.3 (24)$18 · $0.00
Story Hour Readers — Book Three
Story Hour Readers — Book ThreeIda Coe, Alice Christie Dillon2h 57m$2 · $0.00
Paganism Surviving in Christianity (Annotated)
Paganism Surviving in Christianity (Annotated)Abram Herbert Lewis9h 10m4.5 (120)$1.99 · $0.00
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields: Studies of Hand and Soul in the Far East
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields: Studies of Hand and Soul in the Far EastLafcadio Hearn5h 25m4.2 (136)$1 · $0.00
The Shinto Cult: A Christian Study of the Ancient Religion of Japan
The Shinto Cult: A Christian Study of the Ancient Religion of JapanMilton Spenser Terry2h 6m$1 · $0.00
African Art
African ArtMaurice Delafosse7h 36m3.6 (16)$15.50 · $0.00