Recommend: "Moment in Peking" from Lin Yutang
This author was born in China, spent most of his life in China, and has an international reputation. He had deep understanding about Chinese's patriotism, religion, history, love, bitterness against Japan, etc.
This book, a materpiece of his, reveals "the turbulent events in China from 1900 to 1938, including the Boxer Rebellion, the Republican Revolution of 1911, the Warlord Era, the rise of nationalism and communism, and the origins of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945".It had been adapted into a popular TV show a couple of years ago.
I recommend this book. If you want to learn more, just wikipedia it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_in_Peking