Michael Dillon, "Shanghai: The Story of China's Most Dynamic City" (Yale UP, 2026)

About this episode

Professor Michael Dillon discusses the history and future of Shanghai, China's most dynamic city.

Home to 25 million people, Shanghai is the most populous and wealthiest city in China. A meeting point between China and the wider world, the city has become the beating heart of Chinese capitalism, a place of initiative, confidence, and forward thinking. It is a city of stark contradictions, suffused with both extreme wealth and poverty, luxury living, and a highly organised criminal underworld. I n Shanghai: The Story of China's Most Dynamic City (Yale University Press, 2026), Professor Michael Dillon explores the full history of Shanghai, from its origins as a small fishing village to the bustling financial hub of today. The city has been central to some of the most turbulent events in China’s modern history, from the British and French colonial concessions of the nineteenth century, to the birth of the Chinese Communist Party and its vital role in Chinese economics and politics today. Shanghai is a fascinating portrait of China’s most dynamic city—and explores its future role in the country’s development. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher

Guest: Michael Dillon

Topics covered

• Shanghai
• Chinese history
• urban studies
• capitalism
• colonialism
• politics
• economics

Keywords

• Shanghai
• China
• history
• capitalism
• urban studies
• Michael Dillon
• Yale University Press

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yale University Press

Places: China, Shanghai

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