A HERITAGE OF KINGS: One Man's Monarchy in the Confucian World.

First edition, first printing. Original red cloth with blue lettering to the spine, in dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm. There is a previous owner's name written neatly in ink to the upper left corner of the front free endpaper, and the same owners initials to the centre of the rear pastedown. The contents are otherwise clean throughout. There is a horizontal scratch spanning around two thirds of the width of the fore-edge of the page block. In the unclipped dustwrapper showing some minor wear to the upper edge of the spine.

"This is a thoroughly researched historical biography of one of the Yi dynasty's greatest rulers. Its distinctive excellence is the sensitive understanding with which Haboush is able not only to portray external events but also to reconstruct mental processes. [...] This book deserves careful reading not only by Korea specialists but also by anyone interested in the workings of Confucian minds, past or present." (Michael C. Kalton, in 'The Journal of Asian Studies', Nov. 1989)