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The Complete History of the Han Empire (5 Volumes) 大汉帝国全史（全5册）
Another major work of popular history after "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty"! An entertaining, informative, and rigorous introduction to the history of the Han dynasty. The mighty Han dynasty lasted 400 years and shaped the next 2,000! Why did it define the boundaries of Chinese politics and culture for the following 2,000 years? Promoting unity! Boosting the economy! Opening up! Improving people’s livelihoods! Advancing science and technology! The reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, the Silk Roa
6.7kReads9.6Score1.5kShelves
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Wu Zetian's Four Great Mystery Cases 武则天四大奇案
[Historical Mystery + Four Great Cases + Ancient-Era Deduction] From strange cases in the countryside to courtly intrigue, Di Renjie carefully unravels the truth at every turn. Newly appointed magistrate of Changping County, Di Renjie is immediately faced with a bizarre murder: a merchant from Huzhou is found mysteriously dead at an inn in Liulidun. The local headman, Hu De, abuses his power, but the identity of the real culprit raises even more questions. Disguised as an ordinary traveler, Di R
629Reads9.5Score—Shelves
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The Scandalous Tales of the Four Great Beauties 四大美人艳史演义
Uncovering the untold stories of the Four Beauties [History + biographies + the Four Beauties + unofficial anecdotes] Xi Shi, whose beauty could topple a kingdom as she washed silk, was caught in the turmoil of a chaotic age. Yang Yuhuan’s glance could captivate an entire city, but her passionate love became a shackle of fate. Wang Zhaojun left the frontier with a mournful song, bringing a brief peace between the Han and the Xiongnu. Diao Chan ingeniously set a chain of schemes in motion, turnin
106Reads8.7Score—Shelves
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One Book Is All You Need to Read Chinese History 中国历史读这本就够了
Discover the truth of history through clear, accessible writing. A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese History is the magnum opus of the renowned historian Lü Simian. Organized chronologically, it covers politics, economics, culture, society, and much more. In this sweeping historical work, Lü Simian brings a series of vivid scenes to life with engaging prose and a rigorous historical perspective: from ancient legends of the world's creation to the gradual formation of ritual and musical civilization
104Reads8.4Score—Shelves
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A Century of Rise and Fall: The History of the Late Qing Dynasty 百年兴亡清末史
The Rise and Fall of Society in the Late Qing A Century of Rise and Fall: The Late Qing Dynasty is a profound historical account of how the Qing dynasty went from prosperity to decline. From the glory of the Kangxi and Qianlong era to the humiliation of the Opium Wars, then the upheaval of the Taiping Rebellion and the disastrous defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, this book offers a panoramic view of the Qing dynasty's journey from its peak to its demise. With meticulous attention to detail,
20Reads9.2Score—Shelves
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Ma Boyong’s Hilarious Brief History of China 马伯庸笑翻中国简史
This is the most concise and vivid history of China. The “literary genius” Ma Boyong covers the centuries from the Warring States and the Qin and Han dynasties through to the late Qing and the Republic of China, sketching the threads of Chinese history in just a few strokes. He breaks away from the traditional approach of writing history through political events and the succession of emperors, instead weaving the past together around the novel theme of “the virtues of dynasties.” His sharp comme
4.7kReads9.2Score969Shelves
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Five Thousand Years of Chinese History (Complete in Four Volumes, Illustrated Edition) 中华上下五千年(全四册)(彩色插图版)
This book selects one brilliant jewel after another from the five-thousand-year history of the Chinese nation. In clear, lively language, it invites young readers to explore unforgettable moments from the past: the beautiful and mysterious legends of ancient times, the rivalries among states during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the dazzling glories of the Tang and Song dynasties, and the stirring tales of heroes, great leaders, and people of noble spirit. As readers listen to
9.7kReads9.6Score1.3kShelves
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A History of Chinese Warfare: Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods 中国战争史之春秋战国
[History + Military + Warfare + Strategy] On the battlefield, split-second decisions to kill or spare can determine a nation's fate. From Duke Huan of Qi's hegemony under the banner of “revering the king and repelling the barbarians,” to the rise of Qin's fierce army after Shang Yang's reforms; from the gleam of blades in the Wu-Yue conflict to the strategists' cunning schemes and verbal battles with scholars, every detail is steeped in the turmoil and bloodshed unique to the Spring and Autumn a
166Reads9.2Score—Shelves
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The Saga of Wagang Stronghold 瓦岗寨演义
The Tale of Wagang Stronghold is set amid the chaos of the late Sui dynasty and vividly recounts how the heroes of Wagang rise up to resist tyranny. The story follows bold outlaws such as Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, Shan Xiongxin, and Xu Maogong, chronicling their legendary exploits: gathering at Wagang, seizing the imperial tribute, rebelling in Shandong, and joining forces with eighteen rebel kings to fight the Sui court. The book features both bloody battles amid flashing blades and clashes of w
983Reads9.5Score107Shelves
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Notes from the Western Expedition 西征随笔
Notes from the Western Expedition is a collection of essays written by the Qing dynasty literatus Wang Jingqi during his journey west in 1724, the second year of the Yongzheng reign. The book comprises around 35,000 characters. Following the author's route from Hebei to Xi'an in Shaanxi, it weaves together his observations along the way, encounters with people, depictions of society, and accounts of historical events. Its scope is broad and its style meticulous, combining documentary value with
5Reads7.9Score—Shelves
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Three Hundred Years of the Tang Dynasty’s Rise and Fall: A Thousand Years in One Glance 大唐兴衰三百年：一眼千年读唐史
[Read in One Sitting + Three Hundred Years of the Tang Dynasty + Historical Context + History Made Accessible + Major Historical Figures] The three-hundred-year Tang dynasty was about far more than the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras or the poet Li Bai. This book lets you take in a thousand years of history at a glance. From Li Yuan’s desperate uprising in Taiyuan to Li Shimin’s unrivaled glory as the “Heavenly Khan”; from Wu Zetian’s unprecedented era as an empress to the height of prosperity under L
17Reads8.1Score—Shelves
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Two Thousand Years of Chinese History 中华二千年史
A History of China Through Two Thousand Years was first published in 1934 as one of the University Series, then republished by Zhonghua Book Company in 1956. Written by Deng Zhicheng, it primarily recounts Chinese history from the Qin and Han periods through the Ming and Qing dynasties, while also presenting the author’s historical thought and commentary.
127Reads8.8Score—Shelves
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The Complete Collection of Courtly Tales Through the Ages 历代宫廷演义全集
Xu Xiaotian brings the secret histories of the Ming, Qing, and Tang courts to life in the style of a novel: the bloodshed of the Nine Princes’ struggle for the throne, Wu Zetian’s political schemes, and the tragic final days of the Chongzhen Emperor... The book has the solid historical foundations of a meticulously researched account, enlivened with the colorful flesh and blood of historical fiction. More vivid than official histories, yet more rigorous than tales of the past, it is an ancient v
120Reads9.5Score—Shelves
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The Tale of Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后演义
This book offers a detailed account of Cixi’s life, from her birth and entry into the imperial palace to her rule from behind the curtain, her decades wielding power over the Qing dynasty, and her death. It is not only literary and highly readable, but also of some value as a reference for historical research.
18Reads9.4Score—Shelves
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Tales of the Sixteen Reigns of the Ming Court 明宫十六朝演义
The Romance of the Sixteen Reigns of the Ming Court delves into the imperial palace, recounting the love and enmity between emperors and their consorts, while ranging widely across history to survey the twists and turns of feudal dynasties. Understand this series, and you will understand the court; understand the court, and you will understand history; understand history, and the realities of the world will become clear to you.
50Reads9.4Score—Shelves
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Ascend to the Ninth Heaven 欲上云霄九重天
A coral pendant engraved with a fire phoenix emblem draws Qi Ming, a destitute youth who lives on credit at a teahouse in Tianque City, into a shocking secret plot sweeping across four kingdoms. The moment the iron hooves of the Longxiang Army smash through the door, he still has no idea that the token his parents left him is the “key” that can overturn the world. The grand machinations governing the realm have barged into his life without warning. From a tide of Gu poison in a dungeon to a pack
373Reads—Score—Shelves
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The Romance of the Western Han 西汉演义
Zhen Wei’s version of The Romance of the Western Han is a sweeping epic of the Chu-Han conflict, taking you back to the war-torn chaos at the end of the Qin dynasty. From the power struggles in Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s later years and Zhao Gao’s corruption of the court, to the rise of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang as rival heroes battling for supremacy, and onward to the fateful Feast at Hongmen and the tragic songs of Gaixia, this book vividly paints a grand tableau woven with political intrigue, ambiti
12Reads8.6Score—Shelves
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On the Verge of Being Exposed! A Fake Scholar Becomes the Ming Emperor’s Tutor 掉马边缘！冒牌举人在明朝当帝师
[Ming Dynasty + transmigration + political intrigue + secret identity exposed] Modern historian Lu Wang accidentally transmigrates to the late Ming Dynasty and impersonates Lu Xiangzhen, a successful candidate in the provincial examinations from Songjiang. He is drawn into a living hell of factional strife, the imperial guard, natural disasters, and warfare. Using ancient astronomical knowledge to predict a solar eclipse, he wins the trust of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Then, by improving
11Reads—Score—Shelves
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My Soul Reborn in the Tang Dynasty: I Fight My Way Back to Chang'an with Tang Poetry 魂穿大唐：我靠唐诗杀回长安
[Transmigration + Tang Dynasty + History] I woke up to find that I had become Li Chengze, a down-and-out young nobleman in the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty! Both my parents are dead, my family fortune has been seized, and my vicious clan uncle wants me dead. In an age when human lives are worth less than grass, how can someone with no strength to defend himself survive? Thankfully, I come from the modern world, with the entire treasury of Tang poetry in my head! My first poem, "Wild View," r
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The Complete Biography of Zhuge Liang’s Wisdom and Stratagems 诸葛亮智谋全传
[Zhuge Liang + Biography] Before the Sleeping Dragon awoke, the realm was already in chaos. He could recognize a thousand characters at three and was orphaned at eight. He could have spent the rest of his life farming in Longzhong, but after one man's three visits to his door, he embarked on a journey from which there was no turning back. At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, warlords carved up the realm. Young Zhuge Liang possessed astonishing talent, yet willingly lived in seclusion in the mo
2Reads—Score—Shelves
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Reborn as a Disciple of Sun Wu, I Soar with The Art of War 穿成孙武门徒，我靠孙子兵法狂飙
[Sun Wu + character biography + The Art of War] When his fingertips touched the bronze fragment, Lin Yue, a university history student, was swallowed by a blinding light. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the chaotic Spring and Autumn period. He became Sun Wu's disciple, bringing modern wisdom to bear on ancient military strategy. He proposed the strategy of wearing Chu down, witnessed the surprise attack at Boju and Wu Zixu's desecration of a corpse, and even saw Sun Wu execute
4Reads—Score—Shelves
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Romance of the Qing Dynasty 清史演义
Cai Dongfan's The Romance of the Qing Dynasty is an epic of sweeping grandeur. In a million words, it uncovers the century-spanning secrets of the Qing Empire, from its rise to its fall! From Nurhaci rallying his troops against the Ming with his “Seven Grievances,” to Kangxi outsmarting and capturing Oboi and putting down the Three Feudatories; from undercurrents stirring beneath the Qianlong Emperor's prosperous reign to the humiliating guns of the Opium War; then to Empress Dowager Cixi ruling
5Reads8.3Score—Shelves
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A History of Taiwan 台湾史
Was Taiwan’s path to the present shaped by fate, or planned by politicians? This book reveals Taiwan’s true history. It offers a complete, systematic account of the historical changes in Taiwan from the earliest written records onward. It details the early colonial rule of the Dutch and Spanish, and thoroughly examines plans by Britain, the United States, Japan, Russia, and Germany to invade Taiwan. It devotes extensive coverage to the economy of Taiwan at different stages of development, and sy
110Reads9.4Score—Shelves
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Unsolved Mysteries in Chinese History 中国历史未解迷案
Chinese history stretches back a long way and is full of fascinating things. Some aspects, however, remain baffling. Scholars have offered their own theories about a few of these mysteries, but most remain mere speculation. This book takes a look at history's great unsolved mysteries.
94Reads6.6Score—Shelves
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