The Systems of Ancient Military Affairs

Name: The Systems of Ancient Military Affairs
ISBN: 9787801633682

Feng Ping / 王国富 / Wu ZhiqiaoChina Environmental Science Press · ChinaJul 2020

2.4

Word count: 109K words
Chapters: 31
ISBN: 9787801633682

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Summary

Drawing on the latest Chinese and international research in military history and the state of military technology, this book is part of the "World Military Encyclopedia" series. The series comprises 25 volumes in four parts. Part One, "Weapons and Equipment," covers land, air, and naval combat weapons, conventional weapons, modern weapons, and ancient military affairs; Part Two, "Wars and Campaigns," covers ancient warfare, modern warfare, modern land, naval, and air warfare, and modern battles; Part Three, "Military Figures," covers military leaders, marshals, generals, heroes, arch-criminals of war, and warlords; Part Four, "History of War and Military History," covers the military history of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, military history, and operational strategy. Comprehensive in scope and detailed in its historical accounts, the series is a valuable resource for readers seeking to understand military affairs and a fine addition to any library collection.

Editor's review

Ancient Military Institutions focuses on a support system that is crucial yet often overlooked in grand narratives: institutions. Military history is not merely a collection of legendary generals and classic battles; it is also the long-term evolution of systems for conscription, organization, training, logistics, honors and rewards, and command authority. The value of this book lies in its attempt to systematically sort out the organizational logic and operating rules of ancient China's military system. From the unity of soldiers and farmers in the pre-Qin period, to the evolution of conscription and recruitment systems in the Qin and Han dynasties, and to the military reforms from the Tang and Song onward, institutional change is often the key to understanding dynastic rise and fall, social structure, and even technological development. For readers, reading this book is like deciphering a complex code of social operation. It may involve multiple dimensions such as land systems, household registration, and the bureaucratic system, revealing how deeply the military was embedded in the body of the ancient state. The book's narrative may lean toward the macro and structural rather than the story-driven, requiring readers to have some framework of historical knowledge and patience for logical thinking. Its core reading value lies not in providing thrilling battlefield details, but in cultivating an "institutional thinking"—understanding how seemingly invisible rules shaped tangible historical forces and boundaries.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Deep readers with a strong interest in ancient Chinese history and political institutions
Thinkers who like to look beyond figures and events to explore structural causes in history
Military history enthusiasts who want to understand the "software" of army organization and management
Social science students or teachers seeking a reference on the history of military institutions

Not a good fit for

General history readers expecting abundant war stories and generals' biographies
Beginner history enthusiasts seeking a light, fast reading experience

Reading tips

It is advisable to read comparatively alongside specific historical periods (such as Qin-Han or Tang-Song), linking institutional provisions with major historical events of the time.
Try drawing simple diagrams of institutional structures or lines of change while reading, to help clarify complex relationships among offices, branches, and organizations.
When encountering specialized terms or concepts, feel free to step outside the book briefly and check a reference work or authoritative historical source to deepen understanding.

About the publisher

China Environmental Science Press China · Founded in 1980

China Environmental Science Press is a professional publishing institution in China's environmental field, developing titles around environmental science as well as related humanities and social science topics. Judging from the 170 books in the collection, its publishing covers categories such as general biography, military affairs and inspirational growth. Representative books include Military Marshals, History of American Wars, History of Asian Wars, Military Generals, Life Aphorisms, Challenging Setbacks and Philosophical Maxims, balancing factual historical narrative with life inspiration. Representative authors include Feng Ping, Wang Guofu, Wu Zhiqiao, Li Ming, Xing Chunru and Wang Xiaoyin, forming a relatively stable author team. Beyond environmental specialties, the press also attends to general reading, bringing history, military and growth themes into its publishing scope and reflecting an orientation that values both professionalism and readability. Public information is limited, and the above focuses on the publishing profile reflected in the books in the collection.

版权信息
《世界军事百科》编委会
前言
著名战役
古代战术
军事趣话
古代武器概述
兵器
长兵器
短兵器
投掷器
火器
护身甲
攻城器
战船
麦斯米伦风全身盔甲
德国黑白相间半身盔甲
德国十字弓
德国双手刀
西班牙左手短剑
意大利长剑
欧洲长柄武器
欧洲转轮枪
德国火石枪
弹丸及模具钳
波斯头盔与盾
波斯护臂甲
印度锁子甲
印尼蛇形刀
菲律宾半身盔甲
土耳其匕首火石枪

FAQ

How difficult is this book to read?

It is expected to be moderately to considerably difficult. The content involves specialized knowledge such as ancient official and military systems, requiring some historical background and logical analysis skills; it is not suitable for absolute beginners.

Is this an academic work or a popular reader?

Judging from the title and the publisher's nature, it is likely a work between academic scholarship and general knowledge popularization. It leans toward systematic organization of knowledge rather than highly specialized frontier academic papers.

Which dynasties' military systems does the book cover?

Given the scope of "ancient" in the title, its main content is expected to cover traditional Chinese society from the pre-Qin period to the Ming and Qing (or before the Opium War), with emphasis likely on the military institutional frameworks and evolution of the major unified dynasties.

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About the author

Feng Ping Author · Chinese · 1956

Feng Ping, female, born in October 1956, is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Philosophy, Fudan University, and serves as vice president of the Chinese Society for Value Philosophy. She received her PhD in philosophy from Wuhan University in 1988 and has long been engaged in research on the philosophy of value. She is the author of On Evaluation and editor-in-chief of the series Classic Works of Modern Western Value Philosophy. Among the sixty works listed in the library, her five-volume Selected Works of Dewey and Criticism of Criticism: Dewey's Value Theory and Ethics reflect her translation and research in pragmatism and axiology. Her works also cover military affairs, world history, biography, and literary appreciation, including Military Marshals, Histories of Asian Wars, Histories of American Wars, Military Generals, and introductions to modern famous writers of Asia, Africa, and Western Europe. Overall, her writing combines scholarly rigor with broad subject matter, spanning philosophical translation and general cultural reading, though public information about her personal life remains limited.

王国富 Author

Wang Guofu is an author about whom little public information is available. The library holds 46 of his works, spanning military history, philosophy and popular science. Judging from the existing titles, his writing leans clearly toward military history and figures: there are biographies of commanders such as Military Marshals and Military Generals, as well as works on the history of warfare and strategy, including A History of Asian Warfare, A History of American Warfare and Modern Land Warfare, covering topics from ancient battles to contemporary forms of war. At the same time, he has written A Study of the Ontological Mode of Thinking in the History of Western Philosophy, showing an interest in philosophical questions, while Modern Famous Writers of Asia and Africa indicates a literary scope as well. Overall, his books are largely works of knowledge organization and accessible introduction, classified under general biography, Western philosophy, military affairs and popular science, and suited to general readers seeking a basic overview of these fields. Since his dates, nationality and educational background are not clearly recorded, this introduction describes only the subjects of his works in the library.

Wu Zhiqiao Author · Chinese

Wu Zhiqiao is a Chinese author with a bachelor's degree in management from Peking University. He has served as a professor at the Economic Management Cadre Institute and as director of its humanities teaching and research section, and has been a specially invited lecturer for the Tsinghua University executive program. His long-term research covers corporate philosophy, stress management, management communication, leadership development and team building. He has compiled and authored books including Humanities Tutorial, Thought and Culture, International Business Negotiation and Business Etiquette, and has published dozens of papers. His publicly published works number more than fifty, spanning education, management, military history and biography. They include practical guides for homeroom teachers, method summaries on detailed class management and class-leading techniques, and popular history readings such as A History of the Wars in the Americas and Military Marshals. His writing emphasizes distilled experience and case-based discussion in plain language, serving frontline teachers, managers and general readers.