This entertaining book explores the extraordinary dynasties of Ancient China, and how China has defended itself over thousands of years against invaders such as the Mongols. It includes features on Qin Shi Huangdi and the massive Terracotta Army he prepared for the afterlife, the role of the great philosopher Confucius, inventions such as gunpowder and the wheelbarrow, and a day in the life of a guard on the Great Wall of China.