When China Ruled the Seas by Louis Levathes is a short history of China centered around the beginning of the 15th century. This history includes the beginning of the Ming Dynasty but focuses on the travels of a Muslim eunuch named Zheng He and his vast fleet of ships.
Levathes offers a broad understanding of the political situation before and somewhat after the life of Zheng He and the fabled Treasure Fleet. There is special insight as to how the emperor's lived and the various ideologies they (and others) held. This book is filled with charts, diagrams, and artwork depicting the culture and technology during this time.
While the book appears to be well-researched, it acts more as a primer rather than a comprehensive tomb on any of the events during this time period. That would be my major issue with the book: I wanted to know more about Zheng He and I felt like there was more information out there. Although the flow of the book was a bit choppy at times, it was quite compelling and leaves me eager to learn more about Chinese history.
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