Diana Lary is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. She completed both her degree and PhD at the University of London. She has spent several years in China, the first time teaching English (1964 5) and later working as the resident sinologist in the Canadian Embassy in Beijing (1985 7). As a Professor in Canada, Lary has focussed on modern China, in particular on the impact of warfare on Chinese society. She also works on Chinese migration, within China and outside the country. She has travelled extensively in Asia and spent long periods doing research in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.