A Thorough Exploration in Historiography / Shitong

The definitive translation of a masterpiece in ancient Chinese historiography

In the early eighth century, frustrated with the authorities but still hoping to gain immortality through his future oeuvre, the Tang court historian Liu Zhiji set out to write Shitong, in which he would rigorously explore the tradition of historical writing in China. Liu scrutinized hundreds of texts from antiquity to the early Tang dynasty (618–907) and evaluated their authors according to what he deemed the three essential qualities for historians: talent, knowledge, and insight. Shitong is now generally considered the greatest work of traditional Chinese historiography. It preserves precious information on a host of lost ancient and medieval titles while advancing a critical view on history writing. This first translation of the work into a Western language provides textual criticism and annotation for the historical figures, events, and allusions that are crucial to appreciating the work, making it a must-read for students of historiography East and West.

Liu Zhiji (661–721), born to an official family, served in the Tang court until shortly before his death. Victor Cunrui Xiong is professor of history at Western Michigan University. His many books include Historical Dictionary of Medieval China, From Peasant to Emperor: The Life of Liu Bang, and Capital Cities and Urban Form in Pre-modern China: Luoyang, 1038 BCE to 938 CE.