Christopher’s Reviews > Imperial China, 900–1800 > Status Update

One of the great frustrations with this book is his tendency to be inconsistent in Romanization. Sometimes he writes of Jiangsi and Sinkiang, but most other names are given in Pinyin. 11 uses of Jiangsi and 30ish of Jiangxi. 3 of Sinkiang, dozens of Xinjiang. I understand names can become standardized in transliteration even when systems change, but this is just lazy.

I do wish more was said about the dissolution of the Yuan and the Mongol retreat northwards. The founding of the Ming is almost entirely told as a story of rebel armies, especially the Red Turbans, competing amongst themselves for a power that the reader is left to mostly guess simply evaporated. Sure, we heard lots about Yuan weakness, but I feel like the actual fall was glossed over too quickly.