To Rule All under Heaven
A History of Classical China, from Confucius to the First Emperor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Publishing:5th May '26
£26.99
This title is due to be published on 5th May, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

The first ever comprehensive history in English of China's Warring States period, an era that saw epic battles, the birth of profound philosophies, groundbreaking innovations, and shaped much of East Asian culture as we know it today In 481 BCE, ancient China was on the cusp of one of the most profound revolutions any society has ever undergone, one that would set the course of world history for the following two millennia and a half. The ruling order that had been set up by the Zhou kings almost six centuries before was disintegrating. While the Zhou realm was populous, wealthy, and blessed with a sophisticated and already ancient culture, the basic institutions that structured social and spiritual life were in radical decay. The world was literally falling apart. The following two-hundred and sixty years saw the largest civilization on earth reinvent and recreate itself. Through war, diplomacy, debate, commerce, philosophy, literature, science, and artistic expression, the people of the Warring States gave birth to a radically new social order. The era saw the emergence of Confucianism and Daoism, the composition of seminal texts such as The Art of War by Master Sun and the Book of Changes, and the codification of Chinese script into its current form. It also saw the initial building of the Great Wall and the canal system that would become the Grand Canal, as well as the invention of the crossbow--which would not be invented in Europe for another 1,500 years--and the origin of acupuncture and feng shui. This dynamic period coincided with the lives of global figures such as the Buddha, Socrates, and the prophet Ezra, beginning during Confucius's lifetime and culminating with the reign of the First Emperor, whose tomb is famously guarded by the terra cotta soldiers. The Persian Wars and the conquests of Alexander the Great are well known to people in Europe and America; however, far fewer English-language books have attempted to cover this same and equally important period in East Asia. To Rule All under Heaven corrects this imbalance by recounting a detailed history that is replete with dramatic stories and characters. The result is a thorough and entertaining account of one of the most fertile and significant periods in world history.
This is a masterful analysis of one of the most transformative periods of Chinese history. Not only is Andrew Meyer an excellent narrator, but very few can tell a story as he does with so much insight into the social and economic conditions and institutional changes of the time, often decoded through very sensitive reading of key historical events. This strength alone makes the book a suitable introduction to early Chinese civilization. In a very impressive way, Meyer offers the most detailed account of Warring States history ever in the English language, one that is rich in thoughtful interpretations of historic dynamics, helped also by analogies from Western culture. A very commendable contribution indeed! * Li Feng, author of Early China: A Social and Cultural History *
Andrew Seth Meyer has given us the long-needed one-volume introduction to the Warring States in a European language. He artfully elaborates the crucial social and political developments, incorporating recent archaeological finds, and intertwining this exposition with stories of the political actors and writers who shaped the new institutions. * Mark Edward Lewis, author of The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han *
Although the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing stand as towering dynasties of Chinese history, they rest upon the buried foundation of China's earliest dynasties and their struggles. Like an intellectual archaeologist with a lifetime of experience, Andrew Seth Meyer carefully guides us through the layers of this history to highlight the buried treasures and the hidden world that created them. He has produced a monumental work of Asian history with an appended Who's Who of the fascinating personalities who created ancient China on which the modern nation still rests today. This is a classic work of scholarship that is also a good read. * Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World *
This is a masterful analysis of one of the most transformative periods of Chinese history. Not only is Andrew Meyer an excellent narrator, but very few can tell a story as he does with so much insight into the social and economic conditions and institutional changes of the time, often decoded through very sensitive reading of key historical events. This strength alone makes the book a suitable introduction to early Chinese civilization. In a very impressive way, Meyer offers the most detailed account of Warring States history ever in the English language that is rich of thoughtful interpretations of historic dynamics, helped also by analogies from Western culture. A very commendable contribution indeed! * Li Feng, author of Early China: A Social and Cultural History *
Professor Meyer has given us the long-needed one-volume introduction to the Warring States in a European language. He artfully elaborates the crucial social and political developments, incorporating recent archaeological finds, and intertwining this exposition with stories of the political actors and writers who shaped the new institutions. * Mark Edward Lewis, author of The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han *
Although the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing stand as towering dynasties of Chinese history, they rest upon the buried foundation of China's earliest dynasties and their struggles. Like an intellectual archaeologist with a lifetime of experience, Andrew Seth Meyer carefully guides us through the layers of this history to highlight the buried treasures and the hidden world that created them. He has produced a monumental work of Asian history with an appended Who's Who of the fascinating personalities who created ancient China on which the modern nation still rests today. This is a classic work of scholarship that is also a good read. * Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World *
ISBN: 9780197667484
Dimensions: 237mm x 169mm x 41mm
Weight: 1002g
584 pages