
Recommended read
China: A History
John Keay
Keay's sweeping narrative from the Shang dynasty to the People's Republic in one readable volume.
The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

John, King of England
England
1199–1216

Alfonso VIII of Castile
Spain
1158–1214

Minamoto no Sanetomo
Japan (Shogunate)
1203–1219

Peter II of Aragon
Spain
1196–1213

Erik Knutsson
Sweden
1208–1216

Philip II of France
France
1180–1223

Emperor Ningzong of Song
China
1194–1224

Afonso II of Portugal
Portugal
1211–1223

Theodore I Laskaris
Rome
1205–1222

Sancho I of Portugal
Portugal
1185–1211

Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1209–1218

William the Lion
Scotland
1165–1214

Pope Innocent III
Papacy
1198–1216

James I of Aragon
Spain
1213–1276

Emperor Juntoku
Japan
1210–1221

Emperor Tsuchimikado
Japan
1198–1210
Nicholas Laskaris
Rome
1208–1210
One “meanwhile in history” story each week: who ruled where, and what was happening on thrones across the world.
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From the library
Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Recommended read
John Keay
Keay's sweeping narrative from the Shang dynasty to the People's Republic in one readable volume.
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