The Man Who Loved China

Simon Winchester's 'The Man Who Loved China' tells the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, a brilliant and eccentric Cambridge scientist who became fascinated with China and its history of invention.

The book traces Needham's dangerous and thrilling journeys across war-torn China, his deep admiration for Chinese culture, and his monumental work 'Science and Civilisation in China', a multi-volume encyclopedia documenting China's technological achievements.

Winchester explores Needham's life, his socialist leanings, his relationships in China, and the challenges he faced in bringing China's scientific heritage to the Western world.