What books should I read to study the history of China?

If you just want to get a general understanding, I think junior and senior high school history textbooks are enough. Or Five Thousand Years Up and Down-although it is a children's book, it is undeniable that it is indeed a good book.

If you want to go deeper, read the general history. You don't need a big book, like Fan Wenlan's or Bai Shouyi's A General History of China. Undoubtedly, the head is a little too big, and it may be difficult for ordinary people to make up their minds to read it. At this level, I recommend Zhang Yinlin's Outline of China History (unfortunately, it was written as a eunuch after the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty), Qian Mu's Outline of National History, Zhang Chuanxi's Concise Ancient History of China, or any undergraduate textbook of China's ancient history.

Of course, if you want to go deeper, you have to look at the dynastic history. For the dynasties you are interested in, you can find a book you are interested in to read. Simple popular books, such as The Great Events of the Ming Dynasty, The Age of Splendid Blood and Cai Dongfan's Popular Romance of Past Dynasties, are all interesting historical books, which are very helpful for understanding the history of a certain dynasty in detail.

If the subject is not satisfied with this and wants to know more about it, it is necessary to read the research monograph. For example, if you want to understand the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, you must read Yang Kuan's History of the Warring States Period and Shuye Tong's Spring and Autumn Period. Speaking of dynastic history, the series "The Chronological History of China" published by Shanghai People's Publishing House a few years ago is very good. They are all famous books, which are recommended for reading.

If the subject is interested, you can also look at ancient historical records. The twenty-four histories are too large for most people to finish reading (it is said that only Lv Simian has read them for seven and a half times), but the first four histories, Historical Records, History of Han, History of Later Han and History of the Three Kingdoms, especially Historical Records, should be read. You are interested in Purple Tongzhi Sword, or you should read the part that interests you. Reading through is a bit overwhelming.