A Detailed History of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

From Yang Jian overthrowing the Northern Zhou and founding the Sui dynasty, bringing an end to the chaos of the Southern and Northern Dynasties and ushering in a unified empire, to the rights and wrongs of Yang Guang’s canal construction and campaigns against Goguryeo; from Li Yuan’s uprising in Taiyuan and his seizure of Guanzhong, to the flourishing reign of Zhenguan under Li Shimin after the Xuanwu Gate Incident; from the timeless legend of Wu Zetian renaming the Tang dynasty as Zhou, to the peak prosperity of the Kaiyuan era, and then the dynasty’s decline after the An Lushan Rebellion...

This book rejects sensationalized retellings. Drawing on historical sources, it carefully unpacks the history of the Sui and Tang dynasties across more than three centuries in clear, accessible language. It explores everything from power struggles at court, the evolution of the imperial examination system, and changes in people’s daily lives, to the deeper forces behind territorial expansion, ethnic integration, and cultural prosperity.

The full story behind every major historical event and the true character of every key figure will no longer be vague or abstract. Follow the chapters into the Sui and Tang dynasties, discover the institutional foundations behind their golden age, and understand the choices people made amid chaos. This is history made clear and easy to understand.