Affairs of Men

"e;This book compiles thirteen important essays on late Ming Dynasty history written by Professor Fan Shuzhi, a renowned historian, over the past decade. It not only elaborates on significant historical events and social phenomena of the late Ming Dynasty, such as the Korean War during the Wanli reign, the Six Gentlemen's Case, the cult of Wei Zhongxian, and the formation of literary societies, but also analyzes the careers and inner journeys of famous literati and officials of the late Ming Dynasty, including Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng, Wen Zhenmeng, Zheng Yang, Ni Yuanlu, Wu Yingji, Huang Daozhou, Liu Zongzhou, and Wu Weiye. These topics cover almost all important aspects of late Ming history. The book is accompanied by over sixty illustrations, including portraits, paintings and calligraphy, book images, archival materials, and other historical relics, aiming to vividly restore historical scenes. The combination of text and images makes it an excellent read for studying the late Ming Dynasty and even the entire Ming Dynasty history. 'Human affairs, so nearly perfect, yet so flawed,' taken from 'Song of the Bridegroom: Reflections in Illness' by Wu Meicun of the Qing Dynasty, best represents the emotional state of Professor Fan, an octogenarian scholar, after decades of studying late Ming history."e;