Selected Works of Lü Simian (Seven Volumes)

Lü Simian is widely recognized in the historical community as the scholar who read more historical records than anyone else! He read the Twenty-Four Histories several times. He was also the only historian in the history of modern Chinese historiography to make major contributions across such diverse fields as general history, dynastic history, and specialized historical studies. Lü Simian taught generations of students and left behind a vast body of work.

Lü Simian devoted his life to historical research and education. He read widely, emphasized comprehensive research, and strove to bring different perspectives together. His lifetime output included two general histories of China, four dynastic histories, five specialized histories, and a wealth of highly regarded historical notes, totaling more than ten million characters.

General History of China is a master historian's introduction to Chinese history for the general reader, and is recognized throughout the Chinese-speaking world as an authoritative classic. Three Kingdoms: A Historical Overview was the only popular history work Lü Simian wrote during his lifetime. This volume includes all sixteen chapters of Three Kingdoms: A Historical Overview, four chapters of Addenda to Three Kingdoms: A Historical Overview, and eighteen appendices of textual research notes on the Three Kingdoms. It was one of the sources Yi Zhongtian drew on for his lectures on the Three Kingdoms, revealing little-known secrets of that era. Lü Simian called its research into ancient historical sources and dates, the origins and westward migration of Chinese clans, ancient borders, and the system of official scholars “excellent,” and it has become a classic in the history of scholarship.

History of the Qin and Han Dynasties is the second volume in Lü Simian's series of dynastic histories of China and one of the most fundamental reference works on the Qin and Han periods. History of the Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties is the third volume in the series. A representative and influential study of the Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, it explores the secrets of an age of division and unification through the lens of grand history.

History of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties is the fourth volume in Lü Simian's series. Experience the grandeur of the Sui and Tang empires and delve into the turbulent world of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. It presents the many facets of this complex historical era from multiple perspectives. A Grand History of the Tang Dynasty is an essential classic in dynastic history for anyone seeking to understand ancient China, and the most closely followed introductory study of the Tang dynasty in historical circles!