Great and Small in History: Reader Reviews & Ratings

Quentin2026-10-11 07:40

Ma Boyong makes history feel alive by focusing on ordinary people whose choices shaped the world, proving that small voices can make a big impact.

Fox2026-10-09 12:52

Ma Boyong makes history feel real by showing how ordinary people like merchants and officials made huge impacts through small choices.

Vera72026-10-07 17:03

Ma Boyong makes history feel real by showing how ordinary choices, like Xu Yihou warning China, change everything.

Arlene2026-10-05 10:31

Ma Boyong makes ancient history feel real by focusing on ordinary people like merchants and officials, showing how their small choices shaped big events.

Vanessa2026-10-01 23:51

This book made me realize how ordinary people shape history through small, brave choices.

Ari992026-09-28 17:26

Ma Boyong makes history feel real by showing how ordinary choices, like Pu Songling's passion for ghost stories, shaped our world instead of just listing famous names.

Jasmine2026-09-26 17:25

I found the story of Pu Songling really moving. He chose ghost stories over official success. It shows how passion matters more than titles. The book makes history feel personal.

Tamara2026-09-26 01:24

Ma Boyong makes history feel personal by focusing on ordinary people like merchants and officials instead of just emperors and generals.

Curt182026-09-22 17:04

Ma Boyong makes history feel personal by showing how ordinary choices, like a merchant's warning or a scholar's passion, truly shape our world.

Cesar2026-09-20 01:13

I loved how Ma turned Zhuge Liang's nagging into a dad worrying about his son.

Crystal232026-09-15 01:05

Ma Boyong makes history feel alive by focusing on ordinary people instead of just emperors, which changes how I see the past forever.

Quincy2026-09-10 17:36

Ma Boyong makes ancient history feel personal by showing how ordinary choices shape the world.

Ana2026-09-04 04:11

The stories of Xu Yihou and Zhang Jixin show how ordinary people made huge sacrifices for integrity, but sometimes the system was too corrupt for honesty to win, leaving a heavy feeling that courage alone cannot always fix broken institutions.

Yuki22026-09-03 07:32

Great way to make history feel personal and real again.

Uriah2026-09-03 04:17

I found the story of Xu Yihou incredibly moving, as his choice to risk everything to warn his homeland from Japan really shows how ordinary people can change history.

Caden2026-08-23 14:45

I felt really connected to Pu Songling's story about choosing passion over success, which resonated deeply with my own life choices.

Gregg232026-08-19 10:00

Ma Boyong brilliantly reframes history through ordinary lives, showing how small choices like Pu Songling's passion for ghost stories or Xu Yihou's risky warning saved nations, proving that history belongs to everyone, not just emperors, making distant figures feel like neighbors we understand today.

Isaiah2026-08-17 19:52

Ma Boyong makes ancient history feel personal by showing how ordinary choices shape our world today.

Gerry2026-08-13 20:43

This book makes history feel real by focusing on ordinary people instead of just famous leaders.

Curt2026-08-13 00:05

Ma Boyong makes history feel personal by showing how ordinary people like merchants and officials shaped events through their quiet choices.