Although intended for the inspired tourist or casual reader who wants a quick introduction to Chinese history, this collection of biographies is in no way superficial. Each of the 20 chapters offers a figure typical of his/her times and an elaboration of the contexts and backgrounds that shaped these individuals to fill in chronological gaps. Wills (history, Univ. of Southern California) starts with Yu, the idealized founder of the Hsia dynasty, and Confucius; proceeds through the seventh-century Empress Wu, who smothered her own infant in order to blame the murder on a rival, and 11th-century poet Su Dongpo; and ends up with the Kuomintang Legacy (Zou Rong, Qiu Jin, and Sun Yat-Sen) and Mao Zedong. The "mountain" of the title seems to be an ancient metaphor for the imperial archives. The philosopher Mencius is lamentably not included among the biographies; nonetheless, this work is recommended for all general collections.
Jack Shreve, Allegany Community Coll., Cumberland, Md.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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