At the end of the Western Han, Wang Mang usurped the throne, plunging the realm into chaos. Liu Zheng, the Han dynasty’s martial emperor, charged the imperial capital seven times and crushed every faction of Wang Mang’s forces with unmatched might. Yet he was not the emperor fate had chosen. Disheartened, he left the restoration of the dynasty to Heaven. Lin Miao, a rakish young man of mysterious origins, grew up roaming the streets. Though he had a roguish air, he was learned, passionate, and as deep as the sea in his wisdom. He stumbled into the martial arts and, with an extraordinary natural gift and no teacher, became a peerless master. Relying on his exceptional intelligence and courage, he rose above the chaos of the age. After weathering countless trials, he found himself in the midst of the Red Eyebrows and Green Forest rebellions. Gathering soldiers from a small city, he rose to power at a miraculous pace. He skillfully built his reputation and enlisted the strength of rival warlords. With unmatched courage and military genius, he led a band of utterly loyal followers to wage war across the realm and bring the heroes of the age to heel. After a thousand battles, he stood alone as master of the Han empire, becoming an invincible emperor for the ages. He was Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han!
This is a really good book. I read it when I was a kid. It's still out of date now.