1) These two single volume histories were good starts for me: a) John Keay's "China: A History" and b) Fairbank/Goldman's "China: A New History". 2) HUP's Hist

1) These two single volume histories were good starts for me: a) John Keay's "China: A History" and b) Fairbank/Goldman's "China: A New History". 2) HUP's History of Imperial China six volume series edited by UBC Sinologist Timothy Brook is a deeeep dive. 3) The People's Trilogy by Dikotter is heralded for its presentation of Mao's China. Julia Lovell also has a recent work on Maoism that's been lauded. 4) Finally, something more strategic/contemporaneous and forward looking is Martin Jacques' "When China Rules the World".