Text copyrighted in 1983. reprinted almost annually since. Provides a Chronological Table on pages 8-9 which capsulizes 4000 years of culture, culminating with "the great leader, Chairman Mao". The two authors do claim to subordinate bias and write truth.

Alia libre divisa in tres partes: (I) Space -- description of the land and its peoples, with geographic maps indicating demographic settlement patterns, climate, and agriculture. (II) Time - limns the Archaic, Imperial, and Modern epochs. (III) Symbols and Society.

The Preface notes that even the Chinese do not know what China has been in the past. There are few stones, and virtually no original documents. "Compared with the Mediterranean world there are few Chinese ancient monuments or building still above ground." Archivists would destroy old copies, excerpting or abstracting them. Paper was the writing material, no clay or parchment or stone. Thus, the enduring history has been subjected to loss, or worse, reinterpretation and misunderstanding.