Please don't take this question the wrong way, I am just trying to learn and get the opinions of more people on this subject. I find it interesting.
Please don't take this question the wrong way, I am just trying to learn and get the opinions of more people on this subject. I find it interesting.
There is a book called An Outline History Of China which is available in english and might talk about this topic, I haven't read it myself but it seems to take a very Marxist approach to history. We also have a history of China page on prolewiki which is mostly based on a series of lectures Ken Hammond of PSL gave back in 2004. It's a very materialist reading of history but not super Marxist, but that's where I heard about the people that switched between settled and nomadic back and forth, though he only mentions it as an anecdote.
Thanks comrade! Will investigate that book if I can find it. I was thinking of checking out a book by a Chinese-Australian author, I remember Jeffrey Sachs interviewed her, called Chinese statecraft. I think there is some geographic/material analysis about ancient China but it's more geared towards modern times. Could be a bit socdem as well but I found Sachs interview with the author very good.