Li Shi Min, Founding the Tang Dynasty

The greatest and best emperor in Chinese history, Emperor Li Shi Min of the Tang Dynasty made great political and military achievements during his reign. This book tells how he helped his father Li Yuan to establish the Tang Dynasty and the contributions he made to unify China.  Hung Hing Ming draws on Chinas historical records and chronicles  to recount the battles to conquer the warlords and local powerful men in different parts of China, how Li Shi Min became the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the ways he governed the empire, what policies he adopted, the means by which he inspired officials to put forward good suggestions and how he accepted criticism from the officials.

Li Shi Min conquered the powerful Eastern Turkic Khanate and other khanates in the north and northwest, making China the greatest empire in Asia. He set a good example for the emperors of subsequent dynasties. His deeds, his polices and his constructive way of interacting with his ministers and generals were compiled into guides and teaching materials for successors of the Chinese throne.

Much of this advice is still useful today. Officials in government and business management can draw on the experience of Emperor Li Shi Min in governing the Tang Dynasty. This book will be an asset to US libraries as there are few works in English that cover these intriguing stories about a nation so important to ours.

In preparing to write these histories, Mr. Hung studied the great Chinese classics including Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian (145 BC-87 BC), Book of Han, a history of the Former Han Dynasty by Ban Gu (AD 32-92), and the "Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government" by Sima Guang (1019-1086), and by way of general background familiarized himself as well with Shakespeare's historical plays and books on the history and wars of Medieval England, Scotland and Ireland.