History as a Mirror is a general chronicle of chinese history, recorfing the periods starting in the twenty-third year of King Weilie of Zhou (403 BC) and ending in the sixth year of the Xiande Era of later Zhou (959 AD). there are 290 chapters with a tatal of three million characters, covering 1,362 years of history. Sima Guang (1019-1086), is a politiction, historian and writer in the Northern Song Dynasty. The purpose of this compilation was to gain lessons from history and to teach rulers the strategies of managing a country, which is why this book focuses on political concerns, and seldom mentions economic or cultural issues. The English translation is based on the annotated selection by Wang Zhongluo published by Zhonghua Book Company, with the help of Dr. Sue Gronewold, an expert in Asian history, and Dr. Chris Donoghue, a sociologist, both from America.