Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE–220 CE)

Gr 5 Up—This new, revised edition will help bring this award-winning series, which was originally independently published, to a much wider audience. After an introduction, which covers the major dynasties, how they rose and fell, and geography, the author provides a brief overview of the Yellow Emperor and Xia Dynasty before launching into an exploration of the Shang Dynasty (1600–1050 BCE). Liu then examines the Zhou (1046–256 BCE), Qin (221–206 BCE), and Han (202 BCE–220 CE) dynasties. The uncluttered black-and-white cartoon drawings, coupled with clear and concise explanations, are an excellent primer to early Chinese history. Focusing on broad trends, political philosophy, and the causes of each dynasty's rise and fall, this broad work is easy to understand but never oversimplified. Interested readers have a great jumping-off point for exploring more in-depth materials. Liu especially excels at clarifying the often-confusing transitional periods between dynasties.