1587 A Year of No Significance the Ming Dynasty in Decline, is an interesting micro view of Emperor Wan Li and 6 high officers of the Ming dynasty in 1587, the year of the Pig.
It narrates a detailed decline of a dynasty 57 years before its fall. Ray Huang has relied on many Chinese sources to give us a detailed history of a year in the lives of the powerful Wan Li emperor and his bureaucrats.
By concentrating on a single year, we are given a remarkable glimpse into the workings of the Ming dynasty, in decline.
Published in 1982 this book is a Winner of the American Book Award for History.