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Step into the otherworldly splendour of the Forbidden City, its red walls and golden rooftops shimmering at the heart of Peking…

In the early 1920s, China’s boy ruler Puyi and his child bride Wanrong were sequestered within the ancient citadel: a city-within-a-city, a haven prohibited to all except the imperial family and its scheming courtiers, fawning servants and corrupt eunuchs. An emperor without an empire, Puyi did not know from one day to the next whether he would experience restoration or assassination. Two years later, the couple was expelled into eternal exile, bringing an end to the centuries-old Manchu dynasty.

This extraordinary scenario has captivated us for generations – but we have not known the full story. Now, bestselling historian Paul French draws upon previously unpublished sources, including memoirs, diaries and letters, to take us deep inside the hidden world of Puyi and Wanrong and the cast of colourful characters that surrounded them. In this crucial period decisions of great consequence were made that would determine the future of the royal couple – and of China.

What emerges is a sweeping tale of tradition and revolution, of duty and intrigue – and a young married couple facing a hostile world. It is a mesmerising portrait of a dying regime: the final days of Imperial China as they have never been seen before.

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“Paul French matches deep, original research with his unrivalled knowledge of the period to set a spark to the dust of history, conjuring into vivid life the formerly black-and-white figures of China’s last emperor and his consort. The Last Emperor of China is another tour de force of historical writing and a fresh, human take on a critical period of change in China.” Simon Elegant, China Bureau Chief, Washington Post

“Scouring freshly surfaced sources, Paul French brings the strange, fraught last years of dynastic China to new, startling life. Whether you know nothing about this time or already know quite a lot, never mind. Pick this up! You will be fascinated.” Gish Jen, author of Bad Bad Girl