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Discourse with friends and colleagues—Matthew Wells, Eric Cunningham, and He Jianjun—at Oregon have added much to this study. Others have commented on my work at various academic meetings, and I owe them my thanks—David Knechtges, Paul Kroll, Robert Joe Cutter, Marten Kern, Che Ruxun, and Ken Brashier, to name a few. Jonathan Brooks has offered very helpful comments on my manuscript. I also thank my friends and colleagues at The University of Alabama for their support and assistance, especially Seth Panitch. I am grateful, also, for the generous financial gifts I have received from the J. William Fulbright, NSEP David L. Boren, and Research Advisory grants. I am indebted to the Rare Books Archives and the Center for Chinese Studies at the National Central Library, in Taibei, Taiwan, for providing me with an office and opening their repositories to me. The Southeast Review of Asian Studies has kindly granted permission to include my translation of Ban Biao’s “General Remarks on Historiography.” I have had frequent recourse to the editorial advice of Leland and Carol Roth, the latter whose pen has left more red marks on this draft than I have left on any student paper I have ever graded. Also, I thank my parents, James and Shirley, and my beautiful, too quickly growing daughter, Cassandra, for being happy distractions during times of stress. My greatest debt goes to my wife, Amanda, who has patiently listened to countless readings of passages in this text and rendered needed corrections. In the process of transforming this work from draft to book, Amanda has given her tireless support.