Winchester decides to go _up_ the Yangtzee. Accounts of some of the disagreements between Winchester & his guide get a little tedious, but that's the only thing I remember not liking about this book. Interesting structure: they start at the mouth of the river, in totally modern setting. As they go upriver, the villages become more rural, and more and more primitive.
I'm glad I read this before a trip to China. The history (not heavy-handed) made the trip even more interesting. (Chairman Mao was a superb swimmer? Who knew.) This was published ~1996, so much of it may no longer be accurate. The Three Gorges Dam has changed the river considerably, we hear.
Consider following this book with _The Man Who Loved China_.
I'm glad I read this before a trip to China. The history (not heavy-handed) made the trip even more interesting. (Chairman Mao was a superb swimmer? Who knew.) This was published ~1996, so much of it may no longer be accurate. The Three Gorges Dam has changed the river considerably, we hear.
Consider following this book with _The Man Who Loved China_.
