China is a nation of poetry. Since the Classic of Poetry (Shih Jing, also known as the Book of Songs) -- a collection of 305 works dating from the 11th to 7th centuries BC -- Chinese poets have been documenting the political, economic, social and cultural events across their homeland in lyrics. Many of these poetic writings contain direct or subtle criticism against tyrannic and/or corrupt governments and the harm these have caused to the lives of common folks. Throughout the country's history, numerous Chinese poets have been punished, exiled, imprisoned, tortured and even executed as a result of their open and fearless attack against the evil dictators of their times.

In China of the 20th Century in Classic Chinese Poetry, Jiang Hoo provides a passionate yet honest portrayal of the country he loves. It remains unknown whether readers will agree to his view of the Chinese Communist Party and the impact of its rule on all Chinese people since 1949. However, there is no doubt that this collection of classic Chinese poems presents a complete, chronological and continuous observation of a country that was and is still in turmoil as it aspires to become a superpower.

About Jiang Hoo:

Jiang Hoo's ancestral home was in China's Guangdong Province. Born in Cambodia in 1950, he visited China in 1962 and remained in Beijing to study Chinese language and literature. At the height of the Cultural Revolution, he was forced to abandon his studies in 1968 and worked as a factory apprentice instead. In 1970, after his parents fled the politically chaotic Cambodia, he was able to reunite with them in Hong Kong. In 1980, when it was decided that Hong Kong would return to Chinese rule, his family migrated to France and to manage a restaurant there.

Before his 60th birthday, Jiang had never worked on anything that was remotely relevant to poetry. Since his retirement three years ago, however, he started publishing his own classic Chinese poems online. He has vowed that as long as he is able to, he will continue to document the history of modern China through poetry.