Charles Benn

An Arab merchant in the late Tang did not think much of Chinese cleanliness, observing that they did not wash their hands after using the privy, but merely wiped themselves with paper. Clearly, the people that he encountered were not among the most sophisticated.

The choice of such a vulgar epigraph was deliberate. This book teems with such observations, most are culled from Chinese classics and bereft of any attribution. Benn utilizes such as if the excerpt was anthropological data. There is show more a distinct lack of rigor on display. Benn offers little of statistics or comparison. This is the Age of Anecdote.

I found the sections on Tang legal issues, including punishment and clemency, rather compelling as were their ideas on health and mortality. That said, I do want to read more about Empress Wu but feel left in the dark otherwise. show less

This is a really good idea for a book, but it doesn't make for a very good read. Benn has assembled much that is known about the cultural life in the Tang dynasty and then sorted it together by topics such as music, food and clothing. Then he summarizes the data, often quoting from original sources. So there is a tremendous amount of helpful information on any particular topic, but it just reads like lists and lists of things. This would be extremely useful for anyone wanting to set show more historical fiction in Tang China. show less

One of the text books used in my Mediaeval Chinese History course. I loved the way it described little things like the way the women wore their make up (and the canges in the styles) along with adding little anecdotes about the customs. I learned a lot and kept the book after the class was over.

Interesting look at the daily life of a fascinating period of Chinese history, this is the China I think of when watching the great Wuxia movies I love so much.