Introduction
The history of the Song Dynasty is difficult to treat because it is the most contradictory chapter in Chinese history. Only half of the country was left, but the economy surpassed that of the Tang Dynasty; party fighting continued, but China's Renaissance was formed; externally, it was weak and incompetent, but it didn't matter that the emperor of the Song Dynasty was the most culturally accomplished emperor in the past dynasties. You can't sum it up in one sentence, and because of that, when it's turned into a historical story, it's surprisingly beautiful, because the people here are real, flesh and blood, emotional and righteous, wise and confused, just like ourselves. The author of this book did not focus on the well-known external causes of disease. He chose to go deep into the hearts of the Song people to unearth the internal causes of the decline of the Song Dynasty. He showed the world the helplessness, incompetence, boredom and even idleness of the Song people's mentality, forming a psychological history of the decline of the Song Dynasty.
Reader comments
This book is very interesting! It is not as boring as ordinary history books. The author tells the historical stories very vividly, making it feel like watching a TV series. I especially like the description of the party struggle in the Song Dynasty in the book. It is very real and gives me a deeper understanding of that era. This reminds me of "Lychee in Chang'an", which shows the changes in big history through the stories of small people. Moreover, I think the character Fan Zhongyan is very charming, and I admire his reforming spirit. All in all, this book is well worth reading!
I am an introductory reader, and I can see some major events, key characters, and timelines very clearly. Thank you to the author.
This book is very interesting! It is not as boring as ordinary history books. The author tells the historical stories very vividly, making it feel like watching a TV series. I especially like the description of the party struggle in the Song Dynasty in the book. It is very real and gives me a deeper understanding of that era. This reminds me of "Lychee in Chang'an", which shows the changes in big history through the stories of small people. Moreover, I think the character Fan Zhongyan is very charming, and I admire his reforming spirit. All in all, this book is well worth reading!
I am an introductory reader, and I can see some major events, key characters, and timelines very clearly. Thank you to the author.