The Hongwu Emperor of Ming Dynasty
- Description:
- Impressions:
The founder of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, is vividly portrayed in Hongwu's biography. Zhu ascended from poverty to found a strong dynasty, but his reign was also marked by complete control, harsh laws, and terror. Zhang presents Zhu as a multifaceted individual who strikes a balance between his destructive authoritarianism and his remarkable accomplishments in state-building. The book emphasizes how political decisions and individual traits combined to determine the course of the Ming dynasty. It is a compelling meditation on the drawbacks of centralized rule as well as a dramatic life story and analysis of the paradoxes of power.
