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Jeffrey Wasserstrom

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CHINA*

*BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.

What does Xi Jinping share with Mao Zedong? Why is Confucius still central to a communist state? What really happened in Tiananmen Square—and why is it still a taboo?

In this accessible and politically astute primer, acclaimed historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom tackles the questions many are afraid to ask about China. Drawing on decades of research and first-hand experience in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Wasserstrom offers clear, unflinching answers to topics often shrouded in cliché, censorship, or moral panic.

From personality cults and protest movements to censorship, soft power, and China’s future, Everything You Wanted to Know About China (But Were Afraid to Ask) demystifies the People’s Republic without exoticising it—offering a vital starting point for understanding one of the most powerful and misunderstood countries in the world.

Structured as a series of conversational questions and answers—edited from an extended dialogue and reframed around key themes in History, Politics, and Culture— this is a necessary book for anyone seeking to cut through the noise.

Publication date 24 March 2026
112 pages | 978-1-0685257-9-7 | Paperback

Early Praise

“By condensing complicated events and concepts into a bite-sized book, Jeffrey Wasserstrom has not only produced a valuable introduction for the time-poor to understand China, he has also distilled issues to their crux. In so doing, the book holds punchy insights on Chinese politics and history that even seasoned China-watchers should find rewarding.”
CINDY YU, The Times (London)

“Jeffrey Wasserstrom’s latest book is readable, enjoyable, and quotable. It has much to offer China savvy folk as well as casual readers.”
DAVID MOSER, Author of A Billion Voices: China’s Search for a Common Language

“Jeffrey Wasserstrom excels at turning his deep knowledge of China into accessible, entertaining reading for the uninitiated. Everything You Wanted to Know About China is a lively introduction to key aspects of the country today.”
TANIA BRANIGAN , The Guardian

“Among the thousands of books and articles about China available today, Wasserstrom’s concise primer is an invaluable resource. From Confucius through Mao to Xi Jinping, it tells you the essentials of what we know— and do not know—about the Middle Kingdom.”
VICTOR MALLET, Financial Times

The author

Jeffrey Wasserstrom is a Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, and a specialist on modern Chinese political culture. He is the author of Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink and China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, Guardian, TLS, and Atlantic, he is one of the most widely respected Anglophone commentators on China today.

Jeffrey Wasserstrom

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CHINA*

*BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.

What does Xi Jinping share with Mao Zedong? Why is Confucius still central to a communist state? What really happened in Tiananmen Square—and why is it still a taboo?

In this accessible and politically astute primer, acclaimed historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom tackles the questions many are afraid to ask about China. Drawing on decades of research and first-hand experience in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Wasserstrom offers clear, unflinching answers to topics often shrouded in cliché, censorship, or moral panic.

From personality cults and protest movements to censorship, soft power, and China’s future, Everything You Wanted to Know About China (But Were Afraid to Ask) demystifies the People’s Republic without exoticising it—offering a vital starting point for understanding one of the most powerful and misunderstood countries in the world.

Structured as a series of conversational questions and answers—edited from an extended dialogue and reframed around key themes in History, Politics, and Culture— this is a necessary book for anyone seeking to cut through the noise.

Publication date 24 March 2026
112 pages | 978-1-0685257-9-7 | Paperback

Early praise

“By condensing complicated events and concepts into a bite-sized book, Jeffrey Wasserstrom has not only produced a valuable introduction for the time-poor to understand China, he has also distilled issues to their crux. In so doing, the book holds punchy insights on Chinese politics and history that even seasoned China-watchers should find rewarding.”
CINDY YU, The Times (London)

“Jeffrey Wasserstrom’s latest book is readable, enjoyable, and quotable. It has much to offer China savvy folk as well as casual readers.”
DAVID MOSER, Author of A Billion Voices: China’s Search for a Common Language

“Jeffrey Wasserstrom excels at turning his deep knowledge of China into accessible, entertaining reading for the uninitiated. Everything You Wanted to Know About China is a lively introduction to key aspects of the country today.”
TANIA BRANIGAN , The Guardian

“Among the thousands of books and articles about China available today, Wasserstrom’s concise primer is an invaluable resource. From Confucius through Mao to Xi Jinping, it tells you the essentials of what we know— and do not know—about the Middle Kingdom.”
VICTOR MALLET, Financial Times

The author

Jeffrey Wasserstrom is a Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, and a specialist on modern Chinese political culture. He is the author of Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink and China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, Guardian, TLS, and Atlantic, he is one of the most widely respected Anglophone commentators on China today.

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