Liu Lu 
Close Reading of the Three Hundred Years of the Song Dynasties [EPUB ebook] 

When it comes to the Song Dynasty, many people’s first impression is "poverty and weakness." However, the Song Dynasty was an era of high prosperity in commodity economy, cultural education, and scientific innovation in ancient Chinese history. The prosperity of the civilian society and social economy in the Song Dynasty far exceeded that of the Tang Dynasty. Starting from Zhao Kuangyin’s establishment of the Song Dynasty to the capture of Lin’an by the Yuan Dynasty in 1276, and the end of the Southern Song Dynasty after the Yashan Sea Battle, this book reads through the political, military, cultural, and other aspects of the Song Dynasty in chronological order. By analyzing the domestic and foreign policies of the Song Dynasty, the psychological outlook of the people of the two Song Dynasties, several major reforms, the status of scholars and warriors in the Song Dynasty, and the decision-making in the face of internal rebellions and external forces, it presents readers with a microscopic view of the Song Dynasty.