Empress Dowager Cixi

The Concubine Who Launched Modern China

Ranked #17 in Chinese History, Ranked #34 in China

A New York Times Notable Book

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) is the most important woman in Chinese history. She ruled China for decades and brought a medieval empire into the modern age.
At the age of sixteen, in a nationwide selection for royal consorts, Cixi was chosen as one of the emperor’s numerous concubines. When he died in 1861, their five-year-old son succeeded to the throne. Cixi at once launched a palace coup against the regents appointed by her husband and made herself the real ruler of China—behind the throne, literally, with a silk screen...
more

Similar Books

If you like Empress Dowager Cixi, check out these similar top-rated books:


Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?