“中国戏曲海外传播工程丛书”以英文图书的形式向海外读者介绍中国戏曲文化，由多部代表剧目构成。

本书是“中国戏曲海外传播工程丛书”系列中的一本，该系列以英文图书的形式向海外读者介绍中国戏曲文化，由多部代表剧目构成。全剧以侯方域、李香君的悲欢离合为主线，展现了明末南京的社会现实，同时也揭露了弘光政权衰亡的原因，以男女爱情来写国家兴亡，是此剧的一大特色。本书第一部分介绍剧本的内容概要、来龙去脉以及主创人员，第二部分是脚本，第三部分是附录，主要是对昆剧剧种的简要介绍。

Chapter I
Historical Background:Eunuchs, Anti-eunuchism, and the Decline of the Ming Dynasty _ 1
1. The Ming Reconstruction of Ancient Chinese Administrative System _ 2
2. The Ascendancy of Ming Eunuchs _ 4
3. Anti-eunuchism, the Donglin Party, Wei Zhongxian,and the Revival Society _ 9
4. Peasant Rebellions, Li Zicheng and His Peasant Armies, and Manchus _ 16
5. The Establishment and Fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty _ 21

Chapter II
Kong Shangren and The Peach Blossom Fan _ 32
1. Kong Shangren and the Composition of The Peach Blossom Fan _ 32
2. The Historicity of The Peach Blossom Fan and Its Structural Features _ 38
3. The Spread of the Play _ 44

Chapter III
Aspects of the Play _ 63
1. Major Characters in the Play and Their Prototypes _ 63
2. A Detailed Synopsis of the Original Play _ 79

The Peach Blossom Fan _ 124
Appendix: Kunqu Opera ABC _ 183
Works Consulted and Cited _ 233
About the Author _ 237