Late Qing China Under the Microscope

Drawing on millions of words from Qing dynasty memorials, diaries, letters, foreign documents, and other sources, Under the Microscope: The Late Qing Dynasty carefully selects 74 historical episodes from the late Qing period, covering people, events, and objects. From multiple angles, it presents the turbulent story of an ancient empire struggling and declining amid the transition between old and new. Why couldn't the frugality-minded Daoguang Emperor stamp out corruption? How did Empress Dowager Cixi, who often wrote characters incorrectly, use her son's primer to bring down the regents and extend the Qing dynasty's life? What surprising sides did Weng Tonghe, tutor to the emperor, and Kang Youwei, leader of the reform movement, reveal? Did Zhang Zhidong's reforms and the Hubei New Army save the late Qing, or did they fuel the revolution? Did the revolutionary army really crush the corrupt Qing forces? ... By examining small details to understand the bigger picture, Under the Microscope: The Late Qing Dynasty presents a historical feast that will leave readers frustrated, sighing, and questioning what they thought they knew about the late Qing.