The Way of the Barbarians

"The book would be worth reading just for its thoughtful accounts of how various writers (Han Yu, Sun Fu, Liu Chang, Cheng Yi, etc.) addressed the distinction in their studies of the Annals, but it has a much larger argument to make."—Journal of Chinese History

"[A]n important contribution to the study of ethnicity and changing rhetorical strategies involving the ever-evolving construction of Chinese identity in premodern China."—H-Net

"Yang has expertly painted a picture of Confucian ideological and intellectual orthodoxy, the rise of Neo-Confucianism, and the subsequent intellectual discourse that took place during the Tang-Song transition period. Those with an interest in Chinese religion have much to gain from this."—Religious Studies Review

"As defining what it means to be 'Chinese' continues to be of concern in political, academic, and personal contexts, this study—deeply rooted in the historical and social context of the guwen and daoxue schools of thought of the late Tang and Song—will be of value and interest to a range of potential readers."—Laura Hostetler, author of The Art of Ethnography: A Chinese "Miao Album"

"Based on painstaking research and deeply informed, insightful analysis of both well-known and less familiar texts, The Way of the Barbarians significantly adds to the intellectual history of the late Tang and Northern Song."—Linda Walton, professor emerita of history, Portland State University