熊月之

Public information about Xiong Yuezhi is rather limited, and what is available mainly concerns the direction of his writings. Four of his works are included in this collection, covering biography, Shanghai history, and popular history reading. Among them, Biographies of Jiangsu Cultural Figures Through the Ages: Feng Guifen takes the modern thinker Feng Guifen as its subject and belongs to the general biography category; International Essays on Shanghai History (Vol. 4) reflects his editorial and research interest in the urban history of Shanghai; The Cradle of Light and 12 Open Lectures on the “Four Histories” are aimed at a broader readership and combine the features of history reading and political books. Judging from these works, he pays attention to local cultural figures and urban history and also takes part in spreading historical knowledge to the public, with writing that balances academic arrangement and popular expression. Because reliable biographical materials are lacking, his education, posts, and career are not described here; only a brief account of his works is given.