Great Tang Empire: Three Hundred Years of Sui Chaos and Tang Prosperity

Author: Chen Shun-chin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: History always lingers in our memories, even behind the splendid and magnificent Tang Dynasty, where the glint of swords and the rain of blood never ceased to appear. Power, money, honor, and beauty have always been the root of all evil and the spoils of war. The Tang Empire—Three Hundred Years of Sui Chaos and Tang Prosperity is born from the historical masterpiece Eighteen Histories in Brief by the Song Dynasty scholar Zeng Xianzhi, a work that has yet to be fully appreciated by the Chinese. Renowned Chinese-American popular historian Chen Shun-chin has spent decades of effort to complete this book. Drawing on (local historical records) scattered outside official histories, the book reconstructs historical details with the cultivation of a scholar and employs a popular writing style to reinterpret the figures of the well-known Tang Dynasty. For instance, it delves into the complex behind the forced uprising of Li Yuan in Jin'an by means of beauty, the intricate details of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the consequences of Li Shimin (Emperor Taizong) taking the daughter of the Sui Emperor as a concubine, the issue of the crown prince's homosexuality, the historical logic of Wu Zetian's autocratic rule, and the love story between Li Longji (Emperor Xuanzong) and Yang Guifei. These seemingly ordinary historical events, being pivotal moments in history, profoundly influenced the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty. The author's remarkable insights and analyses truly grasp the pulse of history.
The book's features include:
1. Delving deep into the core of history, penetrating the depths of human nature, and revealing the power dynamics of emperors—arguably a "white paper of China's power game."
2. Analyzing the unchanging essence of history—human desires in constant interplay—through sharp and insightful historical reading, guiding readers to interpret Chinese history from the perspective of interpersonal dynamics. This allows for a deeper understanding of the human aspects behind historical events and directly addresses the core of China's power game for millennia.
3. Focusing on historical details and bringing them close to daily life, the book offers both the stratagems of power struggles at the pinnacle and the wisdom for survival for readers at all levels.
In short, Chen Shun-chin's portrayal of history is captivating.