Northern Song Dynasty: A History of China

The Northern Song dynasty began in 960 after decades of upheaval during China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. At the center of its rise stood Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Taizu of Song—a successful general confronting the problem that had destroyed so many regimes before his own: how do you build a stable dynasty when powerful generals are accustomed to making and unmaking emperors?The Norther...