The 15th Year of the Wanli Reign: Revised and Expanded Edition

Author: (American) Ray Huang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-19
Features: ★ A Classic That Changed the Way Chinese People Read [Editor's Comment] This is a classic of great significance to contemporary Chinese people. Its importance lies in the fact that it offers a revolutionary new way of narrating history for people in China at that time. Before this, historical writing by Chinese people was part of ideology and political propaganda. Almost all history books followed the same pattern, tone, and perspective, presenting only one kind of image. Ray Huang's book essentially opened up a whole new world for us. Every mainland Chinese reader who read this book would be shocked to discover that history could be written this way, that history could be so interesting, complex, and rich, and that historical figures were not as monotonous and standardized as those taught in textbooks. In a sense, this book is like a dagger that tears open the iron curtain of ideological control over historical writing. After the publication of 1587, A Year of No Significance, "the intellectual landscape of Chinese historical academia was completely transformed," and the way Chinese people read history turned a new page. It is not an exaggeration to say that after 1587, A Year of No Significance, mainland China entered the era of Ray Huang in historical writing and reading. [About This Book] 1587, A Year of No Significance is a classic that changed the way Chinese people read history. It is the debut work and one of the representative works of the American-Chinese historian Ray Huang. It combines decades of Ray Huang's life experience and academic insights, employing the "big history" perspective for the first time to analyze the problems of Ming Dynasty society and observe the path of modern China, provoking deep reflection. The English version of this book has been adopted as a textbook by several universities in the United States and has been nominated twice for the American National Book Award for history. The Chinese version has received widespread acclaim, becoming a must-read for many writers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and university teachers. It was also selected as one of the "20 Most Influential Books in China Since the Reform and Opening Up" by Newweek and Book City. Other versions in Japanese, French, German, and Korean are also available. [Content Introduction] The year 1587, also known as 1587 AD, was the year before the Spanish fleet fully set sail to attack England in European history; in China, however, this unremarkable year witnessed several events that historians might easily overlook. On the surface, these events may seem like minor details, but in reality, they are the knots of previous major events and the opportunities that will stir the future. From the perspective of the historian Ray Huang, the relationships and causes between these events are the key to history, and our journey into big history begins here. [About This Edition] This special revised edition by Zhonghua Book Company includes a thorough review and revision of all text. To make this book more accessible to readers, a version priced at 18 yuan has been released to benefit all book lovers. This book is the debut work and one of the representative works of the American-Chinese historian Ray Huang, combining decades of his life experience and academic insights. It employs the "big history" perspective for the first time to analyze the problems of Ming Dynasty society and observe the path of modern China, provoking deep reflection. The English version of this book has been adopted as a textbook by several universities in the United States and has been nominated twice for the American National Book Award for history. The Chinese version has received widespread acclaim, becoming a must-read for many writers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and university teachers. It was also selected as one of the "20 Most Influential Books in China Since the Reform and Opening Up" by Newweek and Book City. Other versions in Japanese, French, German, and Korean are also available.