Li Dongfang

Li Dongfang (1907–1998) was a Chinese historian. His ancestral home was in Zhengyang, Henan, and he was born in Dongtai, Jiangsu. He earned a doctorate in literature from the University of Paris. In 1944 he began giving public lectures on history in Chongqing, which caused a sensation at the time and earned him the title of "the first master of modern popular history telling." He created the "detailed narration" style of popular history writing, presenting dynastic history with clear structure and vivid detail in an engaging narrative that brought professional history to general readers. His works cover such periods as Qin and Han, the Three Kingdoms, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and the founding of the Republic of China. This library holds seven titles, including the nine-volume complete set of Li Dongfang's Lectures on History and related individual volumes, mostly classified as history reading. He lived in the United States in his later years and died in 1998. Public information on his early life and academic activities is limited.