Description: To Rule All under Heaven offers an illuminating history of the Warring States period (481-221 BCE), a foundational era of Chinese civilization. It begins in the life of Confucius and extends to the reign of the First Emperor, who founded an empire that would become one of the longest-enduring political systems in human history. Andrew Seth Meyer recounts a detailed history that is replete with dramatic stories and characters and shows how a radically new social order was formed through war, diplomacy, commerce, philosophy, literature, science, and artistic expression.
Review Quotes: "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"Meyer has written a deft history of China's classical age, the Warring States period (481-221 BCE)... . To Rule All Under Heaven is a lush read that ends on a harrowing note: Qin Shi Huang's unification of China as its first emperor. The great river of Chinese history still flows in the channel he carved." -- China Books Review"Many books about ancient Chinese history are written for those already in the know; there is a dearth of accessible narratives for the general reader. Happily, Andrew Meyer's new book fills this gap... The Warring States was a colourful, bloody, confusing time, yet it is also China's own 'Classical' age, seen by Chinese audiences the way the Golden Age of Athens is by Greeks. Its famous names and stories have been cultural touchstones for millennia, and frequently crop up in speeches by today's leaders. It is certainly a period worth studying, and Meyer's book is a fine place to start." -- Asian Review of Books