For twenty centuries China -- known as the Middle Kingdom -- lay dormant under tha mantle of the Confucian system. It was a feudal society in which there was a place for everyone, supervised by mandarins and gentry who made sure that few strayed from their allotted niches. Those who were born poor remained poor, and there was no chance whatsoever for a better life. Then within only 38 years -- 1911-1949 -- everything radically changed. China was ripped apart by the explosive force of new ideas from the West. In practical terms, the upheaval took the form of an unrelenting duel between two titans: Chiang Kai-shek, champion of the old values, and Mao Tse-tung, representative of the Communist Party -- the prophet of the future. Duel for the Middle Kingdom is the extraordinary work that explains China today by clarifying its recent past. - Jacket flap.