Emperor of China: Self-portrait of K'ang-Hsi : Self-Portrait of K'ang-Hsi

This book focuses on the life of the Qing (Manchu) emperor Kang-hsi (now spelled Kangxi) who ruled for 61 years, from 1661 to 1722. China at that time was powerful and mostly peaceful, though avicious civil war marked eight years in the 1670s. Though you may learn much Chinese history here, that is not the main aim of the book. Spencewent through reams of Qing Dynasty documents and even got hold of some of Kang-hsi’s personal letters. From these he created a text in which the Emperor seems to speak for himself, a kind of faux-autobiography. It’s an interesting idea, a historical montage if you will, with all the dots connected by an author who lived more than 250 years later. A remarkable re-creation of the life of K'ang-hsi, emperor of the Manchu dynasty from 1661-1772, assembled from documents that survived his reign. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.