Shanghai: The Story of China's Most Dynamic City

About this book

A comprehensive new history of Shanghai, revealing its vital place in Chinese history and politics across the centuries “A compelling book that will resonate for many readers.”—Stephen R. Platt, Wall Street Journal Home to 25 million people, Shanghai is the most populous and wealthiest city in China. A meeting point between China and the wider world, the city has become the beating heart of Chinese capitalism, a place of initiative, confidence, and forward thinking. It is a city of stark contradictions, suffused with both extreme wealth and poverty, luxury living, and a highly organised criminal underworld. Michael Dillon explores the full history of Shanghai, from its origins as a small fishing village to the bustling financial hub of today. The city has been central to some of the most turbulent events in China’s modern history, from the British and French colonial concessions of the nineteenth century, to the birth of the Chinese Communist Party and its vital role in Chinese economics and politics today. Shanghai is a fascinating portrait of China’s most dynamic city—and explores its future role in the country’s development.

Details

Format

Hardcover

ISBN-13

9780300270631

Publisher

Yale University Press

Published

June 30, 2026

Pages

352

Weight

21 oz

Subject

History