Hidden Power

A little-known yet significant role in Chinese history was played by the palace eunuchscastrated men who developed a concealed subcaste that manipulated monarchs and caused the downfall of immense dynasties. This book vividly chronicles the history of the imperial eunuchs: from the murky origins of the practice to the Ming dynasty when 100,000 eunuchs were employed as agents of the Dragon Throne, to the 1912 uprising that swept away the monarchy and the age-old eunuch system forever.

Mary M. Anderson lived in China for more than twenty years, and has written extensively on Asian history and culture.