Hegemon

Book excerpt: For centuries, China had not only the largest population, but also the most advanced economy and the strongest army on earth. It saw itself as the Hegemon, the ever-expanding central power around which the world revolved. Steven Mosher believes that China still sees itself in these terms. In Hegemon, Mosher shows how the quest for domination has been something like an art form in Chinese statecraft, an enduring feature on the country's mysterious face that is often hidden from the west. Hegemon is a masterly inquiry into the ideas at the heart of Chinese culture and history. It is also as timely as today's headlines about Chinese efforts to influence U.S. elections and steal U.S. nuclear secrets and to establish China as a global superpower. A major work of scholarship and analysis, Hegemon reinforces Steven Mosher's reputation as one of our most thoughtful and provocative China Watchers. Maps, index, biography.