30 Years of Knowledge: The Compact Introduction. Ancient China is the key to understanding the dynamics of today's China. Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer narrates the history of the country from its earliest cultures through the emergence of a unified empire and the great dynasties and kingdoms to the political and economic subjugation of China in the 19th century. A particular focus is on how the country has maintained its unity for over two millennia despite regional diversity, divisions, and foreign rule.