The Age of Confucian Rule constitutes a welcome and important addition to the field of Song history. Although the publication in early 2009 of the chronological Song volume of the Cambridge History of China (Volume 5, Part 1, The Sung Dynasty and Its Predecessors, 907–1279, ed. Denis Twitchett and Paul Jakob Smith [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008]) provided a much-needed narrative history of the dynasty, its great length (1,094 pages) may deter all but the most assiduous of readers from a beginning-to-end reading. Dieter Kuhn, by contrast, offers a four-chapter survey of Song history followed by eight chapters on a wide range of topics—not unlike the annals and treatises format of the dynastic histories—all in less than three hundred pages of text. The result is an excellent introduction to the Song period for specialists and nonspecialists alike.

The writing of history is all about choices, and Professor Kuhn in his historical chapters clearly foregrounds topics that he considers essential to an understanding of Song history. These include the crucial role played by the early emperors in shaping the unique political culture of the dynasty, the reform programs of Fan Zhongyan and Wang Anshi, and the nature and histories of the neighboring Liao, Xi Xia, and Jin dynasties. This last is especially welcome, as the “other dynasties” are all too often ignored by Song historians. Their inclusion is particularly evident in Kuhn's first (pre-Song) and fourth (Southern Song) chapters, but also in a number of the topical chapters. Not surprisingly, there are places where I would have liked a different narrative mix. For example, Huizong's considerable reform program is dealt with in less than a sentence (p. 65), in contrast to the detail subsequently lavished on the fall of the Song and the bulk of the court in captivity (pp. 67–70). That said, one of the strengths of these chapters is their readability, and in that regard, a focus on the high drama of the fall of the Northern Song makes good sense.

The topical chapters cover a gratifyingly broad array of subjects. “Three Doctrines” (chapter 5), which deals succinctly with Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist teachings, is followed by “Education and Examinations” (chapter 6), which, as the title suggests, surveys Song schools and examinations and their role in bureaucratic recruitment. “Life Cycle Rituals” (chapter 7) addresses issues of gender, marriage, death, and burial, and includes useful sections on Khitan and Jurchen practices. In “Exploring the World Within and Without” (chapter 8), Professor Kuhn turns to the intellectual worlds of poetry, painting, and scientific inquiry, which were without question among of the glories of Song culture. “Transforming the Capitals” (chapter 9) is a masterful account of the establishment and development of Kaifeng and Hangzhou as capitals.

“A Changing World of Production” (chapter 10) examines the remarkable economic growth of the Song with a particular focus on developments in agriculture (especially rice), textiles, and transportation, while “Money and Taxes” (chapter 11) tells the story of the development of the world's first paper currency and describes the tax and fiscal systems of Song and, briefly, the Liao and Jin. Finally, “Private Lives in the Public Sphere” (chapter 12) deals with the material culture of daily life, such as household furnishings, clothing, hygiene, foot-binding, the world of entertainment, and health care.

It is, of course, possible to quibble about topics not treated; for example, there is no systematic treatment of the Song bureaucracy (and sub-bureaucracy below the level of the county), Song law, or the Song military, although all of these are addressed briefly in various places. Such lacunae do not in any way diminish Professor Kuhn's very considerable accomplishment.

As for the transformation that, according to the book's subtitle, was effected by the Song, Professor Kuhn in his introduction writes that “[d]uring the three centuries of Song rule, Confucian ideology became a powerful force in both public and private life, and government policy was framed by the ethical and educational precepts of this ancient philosophy,” with the result being “one of the most humane, cultured, and intellectual societies in Chinese history, and perhaps in all of world history” (p. 9). These are exceptional claims, and while the author certainly provides examples when reality fell far short of these noble ideals, he nevertheless succeeds in supporting them successfully. The result is an outstanding introduction to Song life in its varied aspects.