Brian Johnston was 22 when he travelled to China. In 'Boxing with Shadows', he recreates the incredible two-and-a-half years he spent there. Johnston skilfully evokes contemporary China and the Chinese; his delightful account is peppered with his encounters with the unexpected, including a TV crew, a snake and China's top rock star. He also takes us on a personal journey, revealing the growing sense of loneliness and bewilderment he experienced, and relating how he came to fall in love with this mysterious country. 'Boxing with Shadows' is a rich, delightful and rewarding book. It is also unique in its treatment of ethnic minority groups in China, and in giving a perspective on Chinese politics and society after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.