Zheng He cover

Zheng He

by Edward L. Dreyer

"This new biography of the Chinese explorer Zheng He sheds new light on one of the most important "what if" questions of early modern history: why a technically advanced China did not follow the same path of development as the major European powers." "Written by China scholar Edward L. Dreyer, Zheng He outlines what is known of the eunuch Zheng He's life and describes and analyzes his early fifteenth-century voyages on the basis of Chinese evidence. Locating the voyages firmly within the context of early Ming history, it addresses the political motives of Zheng He's voyages and how they affected China's attitude toward the outside world in subsequent centuries."--BOOK JACKET

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?