The Unusual Obsessions of Famous Men in Ancient Times

Set aside the solemn faces in your textbooks. The ancients had far more colorful lives than you might think! Did you know that Liu Bei, the “Imperial Uncle,” was not only a skilled general but also an expert weaver? Lu You wrote thousands of poems, yet in private he was a devoted cat person. Su Shi was not only a literary giant but also a serious foodie. Meet Wang Can, who loved listening to donkeys bray, Wang Anshi, who refused to bathe, and even Liu Yong, whose taste for scabs was decidedly extreme! From Empress Dowager Cixi’s passion for “selfies” to the Qianlong Emperor’s obsession with stamping his seal, from Ji Kang’s blacksmithing to Li Cunxu’s opera singing, this book digs into the lesser-known lives of fifty famous historical figures. Laugh at their astonishingly unusual quirks and meet the vivid, wonderfully entertaining souls behind the names.