Acknowledgements
This book is based on my four years of doctoral research at the University of Oxford. I owe thanks to my supervisor, Professor Barend ter Haar, who carefully read my writings and gave me constant guidance on this research and my doctoral studies at Oxford. Without him, this research could not have been completed. I am also obliged to give my appreciation to my friends and colleagues Dr William Edward Matthews and Prof Amy Xiaofan Lii, who proofread my manuscript with patience and care. My special thanks to Prof Joachim Gentz at the University of Edinburgh and Prof Elisabeth Hsu at the University of Oxford. Both patiently read my work and offered me invaluable advice on my text, especially on how to revise it for publication. My editor Jesse Winter has carefully read my manuscript and edited it twice. Without his great skills this work could not be completed. I am very grateful to Harvard Yenching Library, who generously gave permission to the publication of most of the manuals I used in this book, including the cover picture. My friends and family Dr Jennifer Wood-Moody and Steven Moody shared with me the joys of studying at Oxford, and I owe them both my deepest gratitude. My most important life companion, Willow Pang, has kindly gone through my manuscript and offered her support and insights. Without her help, I would not have completed my studies. Last but not least, I am most grateful to my parents, Qingjie Wang and Jie Gao, who gave me the initial inspiration for this book and have supported me throughout my academic career.
Xing Wang
Shanghai 2019