Chronicles of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period lasted fifty-three years. Five dynasties saw eight surnames and fourteen emperors come and go. The history was so chaotic that even the emperors themselves could hardly keep track of who was who. Yet it followed the prosperous Tang and paved the way for the Song dynasties, making it an indispensable period for understanding medieval China. Drawing primarily on the Old History of the Five Dynasties, the New History of the Five Dynasties, the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, the Old Book of Tang, and the New Book of Tang, and consulting Tang and Song miscellanies and unofficial histories such as Idle Talks from the Northern Dream, Supplement to the History of the Five Dynasties, The History of Wuyue, and History of the Ten Kingdoms, this book reorganizes and connects the people, events, institutions, and geography scattered across these works, retelling the period year by year in an accessible style.