王尔敏

Wang Erming is a Chinese author about whom limited public information is available; only two works can currently be confirmed. In Historical Methods, he focuses on the basic approaches and scholarly training involved in historical research, discussing such issues as the analysis of sources and forms of argument, for readers who wish to understand how historians are trained. Jingju Letters: Seventeen Letters to Liu Zengfu is written in epistolary form and deals with Peking opera and related observations in a relaxed tone, suggesting an exchange of views and a seeking of advice. The two books span quite different subjects—academic method and operatic culture—and together show the author's reading interests and writing orientation in the humanities. On the available evidence, his writing tends to be practical and concrete, valuing the connection between experience and scholarly principle, and is suitable for readers interested in an introduction to historiography or in Peking opera culture.