A portrait of daily life in tenth-century China during the turbulent period of transition following the disintegration of the Tang dynasty, using the anecdotal memoirs of the scholar Wang Renyu and providing extensive translations of these hitherto unreconstructed texts.

A portrait of daily life in 10th-century China during the turbulent period of transition following the disintegration of the Tang dynasty, using the anecdotal memoirs of the scholar Wang Renyu and providing extensive translations of these hitherto unreconstructed texts.

Drawn from Chinese classics of history, Hung Hing Ming's biographies introduce China's most emblematic historical figures and the cultural attributes fostered by China's ancient chronicles. This book is about one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history, Zhao Kuang Yin, founder of the Song Dynasty (960–1279). He is honored for having unified China in the extremely chaotic period of 'Five Dynasties and Ten States'. This enjoyable book introduces more of China's heroes and villains, highlighting a modest man yet a great emperor who brought peace and stability to the realm and saved the people from great suffering. Interwoven into the narrative of battles fought and alliances forged or flouted, we find examples of good leadership and bad, hot-headed fighters and disciplined warriors, and lessons on how to assess — and win — people's loyalty.

"A great way to learn about China's vast history "--Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club Excels at clarifying the often-confusing transitional periods between dynasties... An excellent introduction to the large trends of early Chinese history."--School Library Journal "The lucid, economical text makes one eager for the successive volumes."--Booklist "The combination of silhouettes--often threatening, martial ones--with open-faced, expressively individualized figures of many social classes adds dramatic tension while neatly balancing the big-picture narrative. There's a lot to absorbeven in this abbreviatedform, but the visual approach lightens the load considerably."--Kirkus Reviews "Simple and effective...This direct, appealing introduction to the foundations of one of the world's oldest civilizations is recommended for teens and adults."--Library Journal "An excellent history that clearly explains the great (and ordinary) people who have made China what it is and the conflicts and debates that have shaped Chinese history. There is nothing else like it in English or Chinese."--Alan Baumler, Professor of History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania "No more burying yourself in text-heavy history books to learn about China, this comic-style book manages to be rich in information and bring Chinese history to readers in a more clear, fun, and accessible way than it's ever been done before. Easily integrated into a social studies or Chinese culture curriculum, I can't wait to get a copy for my class."--Grace Zeng, Chinese Teacher and Middle School Chinese Curriculum Area Leader at International School of Beijing "It is certainly a fascinating look at Chinese history, and doing it in comics has certainly made it more accessible to people, especially for the Western world."--Radio Australia "Jing Liu has brought to life the long and complex early period of Chinese history in this wonderful graphic novel. Foundations of Chinese Civilization is a delight to read; humorous, informative, and truly captivating."--Alexandra Pearson, Founder of The Bookworm Literary Festival "This book is "The Magic School Bus" for those starting to explore Chinese culture."--Dan Cao, Instructor at Confucius Institute at UC Davis "Since the 1990s, Jing Liu has been entertaining and informing foreigners about China with his cartoons. His new series of comic books is a fun, easy, accessible way to gain a basic understanding of Chinese history and culture."--Jeremy Goldkorn, Founder of Danwei 4.5/5 Stars "A very nice way to establish a foundation to understanding China's history and a possible gateway to more intense study and comprehension of a very complex subject."--Portland Book Review 4.5/5 Stars "Entertaining, engaging, and informative, this is a perfect doorway for the student new to ancient China."--Seattle Book Review "Informed and informative, Division to Unification in Imperial China is especially recommended for young readers ages 11 to 17 and should be a part of every school and community library's History of China collection."--The Midwest Book Review "The book does what it says it does: a child will come away with a basic understanding of early Chinese history, what makes the Chinese tick as a people and culture."--Asian Review of Books "With Donald Trump's focus on China, with no signs of letting up, it is a perfect time to gain a better understanding of a very misunderstood country. This is a highly accessible work tailored to fast learning while also very entertaining."--The Comics Grinder

Written by a team of eminent international scholars, this book is the first to recount the history of Chinese painting over a span of some 3000 years.

"Does what it sets out to do and serves as a Chinese history text teenagers might actually read." —Asian Review of Books on Division to Unification in Imperial China The fourth volume in the Understanding China Through Comics series covers the stunningly productive Ming dynasty and its fall to the Manchus under the Qing, the last Chinese dynasty. The book also addresses Wang Yangming's School of Mind and the painful process of modernization and conflict with the West and Japan, including the Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion. Includes timeline. Jing Liu is a Beijing- and Davis, CA–based designer and entrepreneur who uses his artistry to tell the story of China.