David Robinson

In 1405, a family left their home in the Mongolian steppe and moved to China. This daring decision, taken at a time of dramatic change in eastern Eurasia, paved the way for 250 years of unlikely success at the Ming court. Winning recognition for military skill and loyalty, the family later known as the Wu gained a coveted title of nobility and became members of the capital elite until the dynasty's collapse in 1644. By tracing the individual fortunes of a single family, David Robinson offers a fresh and accessible perspective on the inner workings of Ming bureaucracy. He explores how the early-modern world's most developed state sought to balance the often contradictory demands of securing ability and addressing difference, a challenge common to nearly all polities.

Terminátoři nepotřebují spát. Nepotřebují ani jídlo nebo vodu. Nepotřebují světlo, nevadí jim tma a žár pouště nezbrzdí jejich nelítostný pochod. Kulky je nezraní, meč neprobodne. Nemůžete je prosit o milost a apelovat na jejich lidskost - žádnou nemají. Jsou to jen stroje, vyslané z budoucnosti, aby zlikvidovali všechny, kteří by jim mohli zabránit v ovládnutí světa. Ale to, co člověk stvořil, dokáže i zničit. A válka o budoucnost začíná už dnes.