Book Excerpt! Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers, By N. Harry Rothschild

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“With painstaking research, unerring insights, rich prose, and a sense of humor, Rothschild lavishly illustrates the political genius of Wu Zhao, China’s only female emperor. Indicating her keen political instincts and expansive knowledge of China’s cultural traditions, Rothschild adeptly delineates how, over the span of her fifty-year rule, Wu Zhao selectively made use of different goddesses and heroines to match the specific circumstances of her career’s twists and turns.”

~Keith N. Knapp, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina

Wu Zhao, China’s first and only female emperor, defied the cultural attitudes against women in power to rise to the dragon throne. To continue our celebration of Women’s History Month, we are sharing this excerpt from Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers, by N. Harry Rothschild. In this work, Rothschild tells the history of this extraordinary woman, and the women who helped bring her to power. Read more in this introduction and make sure to enter our drawing for a chance to win a free copy.

Read more from Rothschild in this list of 5 ways Emperor Wu Zhao reimagined traditional female roles to invent a unique vision of emperorship.