{"product_id":"the-last-emperor-of-china-paul-french-9781250373465","title":"The Last Emperor of China: Twilight of the Forbidden City","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times bestselling author Paul French tells the extraordinary story of the last Emperor of China and the final two years during which he and his court occupied Peking's secretive Forbidden City.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eA monarch without a crown, a ruler without a people, an emperor without a realm.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the early 1920s, the former-Emperor of China, Puyi and his Empress, Wanrong, were sequestered inside Peking's ancient Forbidden City. Surrounded by scheming courtiers, fawning servants, and corrupt eunuchs, Puyi did not know from one day to the next whether he would experience restoration, expulsion, or assassination. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Last Emperor of China\u003c\/i\u003e delves into the final years of the Manchu Dynasty, beginning with China's last royal wedding. Contrary to established belief, this was not a loveless marriage between an impotent Emperor and a neglected Empress. Paul French calls upon previously unpublished letters from the Emperor's tutor and the diary of Wanrong's English teacher, her closest companion. These sources shed an entirely new light on the final days of China's last dynasty before the imperial court's brutal expulsion, revealing a loving relationship and an Emperor attempting to assert control of the Forbidden City. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e More than just the tale of the royal couple, \u003ci\u003eThe Last Emperor of China\u003c\/i\u003e is also the story of the ancient citadel itself--the Forbidden City. It was a haven prohibited to all except the imperial family and their court. It survived looting, conflagration, and bombardment. A redoubt of the old dynasty, the Forbidden City was perhaps the greatest symbol of constancy and power in China--as it remains today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Paul French\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1250373468\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781250373465\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e St. Martin's Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/17\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.25h x 6.12w x 1.00d","brand":"Paul French","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48460295045375,"sku":"9781250373465","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_58b904bd-bb32-4800-9bfe-e72bf2ce91a8.jpg?v=1777413807","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-last-emperor-of-china-paul-french-9781250373465","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}