Christian de Pee has written an extraordinary book, yet one plagued by a deep, persistent flaw. The book does not concern so much middle-period weddings, although we learn a great deal about them, but texts and how we use and learn (or mislearn) from them. In De Pee's words, “This is a book about the practice of text … and in the process reassesses the relationship between the Middle-Period text and the practice of the historian” (p. xii).

The heart of the book is De Pee's masterful textual analyses. Over four chapters, he explores (1) ritual manuals; (2) wedding correspondence and nuptial songs; (3) calendars, almanacs, miracle tales, and medical texts; and (4) legal codes and contracts. In chapter 1, De Pee focuses on a debate between practical accommodation and classical imperatives. The mature Tang, he argues, saw “the ancients” as “forbiddingly remote” and so impractical; thus, they sought accommodation...

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