Rhoads (history, U. of Texas, Austin) writes a detailed political history of China in the late 19th and early 20th century from the unusual premise that Manchu and Han ethnicity were a crucial factor. The Qing dynasty was a hereditary Manchu caste; the reformers who overthrew them were Han. Rhoads availed himself of a vast array of archival material for this study, which highlights the ethnic attitudes of the writers and players of the political events they chronicled. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)