In the late 1980s while at college, this wonderful book was assigned as part of a history of dynastic China, which followed a reliable pattern for thousands of

In the late 1980s while at college, this wonderful book was assigned as part of a history of dynastic China, which followed a reliable pattern for thousands of years: strong founder (often a military leader), establishment of an imperial and military bureaucracy capable of managing crises and expansion, then ossification and failure owing to weak leadership and various internal and external threats. While the model of a weak/incompetent emperor late in the dynasty was well known, few studies attempted to answer the why as Huang did with his book. He told it as a very readable and interesting story and struggle of personality amidst a backdrop of intrigue and crises. It’s actually unfair to call the Wanli emperor incompetent; as Huang so beautifully illustrated in his book, he was a product and victim of the system. He protested in one of the few ways he could: doing nothing. By withdrawing from his responsibility, he created a vacuum which other forces were able to take advantage of, hastening the decline of the Ming dynasty. I still have my copy of 1587, and re-read it every 5 or 10 years. If you can’t find or don’t have time for the book, check out the excellent film Fall of Ming (大明劫) set later in the dynasty.