Since its first publication in 1912, this has become established as one of the most authoritative and exhaustive accounts of the Republican period of Chinese history. Bland was already a celebrated Sinologue and well known as the author (with J.E. Backhouse) of China under the Empress Dowager when he embarked upon this 'general survey' of contemporary events. The work is sweeping in scope and covers, among others, the causes and symptoms of unrest, the passing of the Manchus, constitutional government, the making of the republic, British and American policy, Russo-Japanese entente, and the opium question.