"Evocatively captures the contradictions and complexities of contemporary Beijing while rooting the city in its broader historical context. . . . Clements's writing is lyrical at times, but there are also moments of jocularity in unexpected places. . . . As a quick and breezy peek into Beijing life and culture, the book will provide tourists and armchair-bound travelers with enough tips and tales to satisfy their curiosity and sense of adventure."

Times Literary Supplement

"'This book is like having a friendly, knowledgeable companion taking your arm as you wander through the back alleys and boulevards of one of the world's great cities. Clements wears his learning lightly, and his informed but inclusive tone makes this the perfect book for the visitor to Beijing."

Rana Mitter, author of Modern China: A Very Short Introduction

"It's hard to imagine anyone better equipped than Jonathan Clements to compile a readable account of Beijing. Authoritative yet deliciously irreverent, his history of the city is an essential companion for the visitor and a treasure trove of vicarious delights for the chair-bound."

John Keay, author of China: A History

"'Beijingers, both Chinese and foreign, mourn the Chinese capital's rapidly-disappearing traditional alleys but few of us appreciate Beijing as a city that has lasted through 2,500 years of building and destruction. Jonathan Clements' tour of the city starts with Peking Man and a jovial candy seller, and moves on through the Chinese dynasties with a readable flair. He comes well-stocked with tales that will be new even to long-time residents. It's a book for a warm teahouse on a cold winter afternoon."

Lucy Hornby, China correspondent, Financial Times

"If New York and London dominated the global imagination in the twentieth century, Beijing is already in the process of usurping them in the twenty first. An extraordinarily exciting city, possessed of enormous optimism and expectation, it has a long, fascinating and complex history. Jonathan Clements unpeels the onion that is Beijing and in a highly readable and informative book gives us a wonderful glimpse of the history of a compelling city."

Martin Jacques, author of When China Rules the World