☆Nanjing – A Cultural and Historical Guide for Travelers ☆

By Roy Kesey

One of China's most fascinating cities, Nanjing has a vibrant past that has made it of unwavering importance in the affairs of emperors and revolutionaries throughout the centuries. Many times the capital of dynasties, many times overcome by foreign and domestic aggressors, Nanjing has survived as a curiosity of China's astonishing history.

Roy Kesey's new book Nanjing – A Cultural and Historical Guide for Travelers takes away the veil for contemporary visitors. Not merely a travel guide with listings and reviews, Nanjing examines the city as a cultural artefact, digging out the past from every corner. A meticulously detailed volume, Nanjing brings this extraordinary city to the forefront and for the first time presents a thorough examination of the city for a Western audience.

Reviews

"For any traveler, student, teacher, or resident in Nanjing, Roy Kesey's book is an invaluable guide to what could otherwise be an overwhelming amount of sites to see. He gives unbiased information, logically presented in a compact and readable format, allowing readers to gain a firm grasp on the history and culture of one of the world's great historic capitals without being bombarded by the facts. Recommended as required reading for before, during, and after a visit to any of Nanjing's sites."

Julie Sisk, editor, MAP magazine.

"In this well-informed and beautifully observed book, Nanjing at last has a guide worthy of its rich history and contemporary vibrancy. An elegant, engaging writer, Roy Kesey is the ideal guide to the mighty city on the Yangtze. His book avoids potted recitation of facts in favor of compelling historical anecdotes, scholarly quotes, and profiles of historical figures that breathe life into Nanjing's many tourist sites and inform its unique modern character. Leavened with humor and telling details, this book should inspire many visits to Nanjing."
Adam Pilsbury, Editor of the Insider's Guide to Beijing & Beijing Excursion Guide.

"I can't imagine anyone better suited than Roy Kesey to present Nanjing to the world. Focusing on the city's long history and vibrant cultural scene, and possessed of the 'magic talent of releasing flowers from his pen,' Kesey portrays the city vividly. As he notes, the mythological animal known as the bixie, with its head rising proudly to heaven, is the key to understanding the past and present of Nanjing. Both visitors and armchair travelers will find this book a joy to read."
Zhang Lijia, Author of Frog in a Well and co-author of China Remembers.

"Nanjing was the first city in China that I ever visited and it left a deep impression on me. This book captures many of the first and subsequent impressions that I gained of this great city of Nanjing, the southern capital of China on the mighty Yangtze River. It is great to see the City of Universal Love or Bo Ai from a Westerner's viewpoint. The author has done a fabulous job of researching the city's history, culture and attractions. It's a feast of information on one of China's greatest tourist cities."
Professor Alastair Morrison, Distinguished Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA and author of Hospitality and Travel Marketing, The Tourism System, and Tourism: Bridges across Continents.

In recent years, Nanjing's tourism industry has maintained a steady and impressive rate of growth, and the city has become one of the main tourist destinations in eastern China for travelers visiting from abroad. In order to introduce Nanjing to the world, the Nanjing Tourism Bureau has blazed a new trail by inviting the American author Roy Kesey to write this book, China Through the Looking Glass: Nanjing. In it, he interprets the ancient culture and radiant scenery of Nanjing through a foreigner's eyes.
Gu Zhaoxi
Vice President, China National Tourism Association

To order a copy of this book:
Nanjing – A Cultural and Historical Guide for Travelers on Amazon
Ordering within China