Historical Records of the Five Dynasties

Until now, no historical text from China's middle period has ever been translated into English, except in fragments. Here at last is the first major Chinese historical work from the Song dynasty. Written by an intellectual giant of the eleventh century, Ouyang Xiu, this is a history of the preceding century (907-979), a period known as the Five Dynasties. Richard Davis, a preeminent scholar of Chinese history, has provided a thorough introduction. Roughly two-thirds of the Chinese original has been rendered into English, and sections critical to understanding the politics and personality of the time appear in full. Biographical clusters based on moral categories also appear in full, helping readers to appreciate the Confucian agenda that informs the work.