Tangjian

An irresistible page-turner of Tang history: light and lively in tone, polished in language, and precise in its storytelling.

一看目录就停不下来的全唐史，读来轻松，遣词造句排比连类，而叙述确当。

This book begins with the misrule of Emperor Yang of Sui and Li Yuan's uprising in the late Sui dynasty, and concludes with Zhu Wen forcing the last Tang emperor to abdicate and establishing the Later Liang, comprehensively tracing the historical context and evolutionary logic of the nearly 300-year Tang dynasty - offering its rise and fall as a lesson for posterity.

What sets this book apart is its panoramic examination of the political landscape across different periods of the Tang dynasty. To untangle the intricate web of forces that shaped and drove the political situation, the author adopts a dual approach - focusing now on key figures, now on pivotal events - with each chapter carefully structured around a central theme. From emperors and empresses to court ministers, military commanders, and their aides, the book involves a remarkable range of historical figures, revealing painstaking research and deep inquiry throughout.

In addition, the book also explores the cultural and humanistic dimensions related to the political climate, featuring representative literary figures such as Gao Shi, Du Fu, Wang Wei, Bai Juyi, Liu Zongyuan, and Xue Tao - using their lives and works to shed light on the times and offering insightful observations on how individuals were shaped by, and in turn reflected, their era.

In sum, this work stands as a concise yet richly detailed social, political, and cultural history of the Tang dynasty.

本书从隋末杨广失道、李渊起兵写起，终于朱温逼唐哀帝禅位、建立后梁，全面梳理近300年唐朝历史脉络和演进逻辑，借为鉴戒。

本书明显特点，就是全景式解读唐朝不同时期朝廷局面，对构成和推动政局的错综复杂关系，或以人为中心，或以事为中心，分别立档，谋篇布局。上有皇帝皇后，旁及朝臣武将僚佐，涉及人物之多，探求研究之细，实是用心之作。另对与时局有关的人文掌故，以高适、杜甫、王维、白居易、柳宗元、薛涛等为代表，以事见人、论世知人，亦有不同程度的观察叙写。

本书俨然是一部简约而丰赡的唐朝社会政治人文史。