The CCP presents its victory in 1949 as historical inevitability, hard-won after years of struggle. A new book suggests it had more to do with the Soviets, luck and brutal tactics — but overlooks some other key context.

The Chinese typewriter was thought to be an impossible invention. Then they made one. In the computer age, creating a digital input system for Chinese characters proved even more challenging — and changed the way we use language.

In China, the 19th century is presented as an era of national humiliation. Two new books and an exhibition attempt to humanize it. But who gets to tell this story?