Mei Yi on the Song Dynasty: Three Hundred Years of the Empire’s Rise and Fall (Complete Four-Volume Set)

Mei Yi on the Song: Three Hundred Years of the Great Song’s Rise and Fall (four volumes) explores Song history through four representative themes. Taking Kaifeng as Its Seat focuses on the founding of the Great Song and its system of shared rule, tracing the transition from a chaotic age of decline to an ideal dynasty. Fleeing to Lin’an centers on the Jingkang Incident and the court’s flight south, recounting the Great Song’s dramatic transformation from prosperity to retreat. Fighting at Yashan tells the story of the Song dynasty’s fall, capturing its final spirit in the courage of those who plunged into the sea. Border Perils examines the Great Song’s three-century relationship with the Liao, Xia, and Jin, recounting the wars and peace between nomadic and settled peoples.

Across the complete series, events provide the framework and the joys and sorrows of its people give it life. History is told through its characters, with a clear narrative and accessible language. Literary in style, it offers a distinctive account of the Great Song’s three hundred years of rise and fall.