This was the first Osprey book I've read and it was a nice, compact compendium for the layperson of a specialized area of interest. The chronology, illustrations, plates and diagrams were very useful. I was rather uncomfortable with the very general references--no footnotes--and the presentation of Chinese names only in transliteration; unless one is already familiar with the historical personae referred to, if the Chinese characters for their names are not offered, it's very hard to know what a name actually is. Without tonal markings, is the surname "Wei" 魏 or 韋? And for the given names, there are even more possibilities. The book is nonetheless a useful resource.
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