In the early 1850s, during the twilight of the Qing dynasty, word spread of a major revolution brewing in the provinces. The leader of this movement - who called themselves the Taiping - was Hong Xiuquan, a failed civil servant who claimed to be the son of God and the brother of Jesus Christ. As the revolt grew and battles raged across the empire, all signs pointed to a Taiping victory and to the inauguration of a modern, industrialized and pro-Western China.

Soon, however, Britain and the United States threw their support behind the Qing, rapidly quashing the Taiping and rendering futile years of bloodshed. In Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom, Stephen Platt recounts the events of the rebellion and its brutal suppression in spellbinding detail. It is an essential and enthralling history of the rise and fall of a movement that, a century and a half ago, might have launched China into the modern world.

Stephen R. Platt's Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom tells the dramatic and disastrous story of the Taiping Rebellion: the bloodiest civil war in history.

About the Author
Stephen R. Platt received his PhD in Chinese history at Yale and teaches Chinese history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His work has been supported by the Fulbright program, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.

Reviews
Engaging and exciting ... Finely written * Literary Review *
Lucid and gripping ... Highly recommended for anyone interested in China * TES *
An impressive, gracefully written account * Wall Street Journal *
A splendid example of finely calibrated historical narrative ... It is a tragic and powerful story -- Jonathan Spence, author of The Search for Modern China
A refreshing and gripping account ... Powerful, dramatic and unforgettable * San Francisco Chronicle *
A marvellous account of a largely forgotten but major event. Combines great scholarship with a driving narrative and sharp characterisation -- Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China
Stephen Platt brings to vivid life a pivotal chapter in China's history that has been all but forgotten ... A fascinating work by a first-class historian and superb writer -- Henry Kissinger



Book Information
ISBN 9780857897688
Author Stephen R. Platt
Format Paperback
Page Count 512
Imprint Atlantic Books
Publisher Atlantic Books
Weight(grams) 680g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 38mm