Hackett Publishing

In this lively and accessible account, with illustrations on nearly every page, Michael Loewe gives us a vivid picture of the lives of peasants working the land, the lives of town inhabitants, and the elaborate hierarchy of institutions and civil servants that sustained the vast imperial government. In a new Preface and an updated Bibliography, Loewe calls our attention to the significance of scholarly research and discoveries since the original publication of his classic work.

Michael Loewe was University Lecturer in Chinese Studies, University of Cambridge, from 1963 to 1990. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Clare Hall.