This superb collection of essays on late imperial and modern Chinese history spans the brilliant forty-year career of the late Frederic E. Wakeman, Jr. Appearing for the first time in one volume, the essays offer richly textured narratives of critical historical events as well as sweeping analyses of China's place in world history. They take us from the late Ming dynasty to the People's Republic--delving into complex issues of Confucianism and intellectual history, the nitty-gritty details of Jiangyin localism, wartime Shanghai, and more. Always there is engagement with the larger concerns of history and the social sciences: the public sphere, rebellion and revolution, the world crisis of the seventeenth century, and the influence of imperialism.