吕思勉先生是举世公认一生读书多的史学家，尤其以通读“二十四史”数遍而传为美谈，其国学功底之深厚可见一斑。
本书初完成于1939年，分为上、下两册，上册分别介绍了我国古代社会的经济、政治和文化发展脉络，内容包括婚姻、族制、政体、阶级、财产、官制、选举、赋税、兵制、刑法、实业、货币、衣食、住行、教育、语文、学术和宗教，共计十八类；下册按照历史朝代的发展顺序，逐一叙述了我国社会的沿承变革。此次本书重新编排为上下编，本书在尽量删繁就简的同时，也在尽量保持原著内容，并且力求在此基础上凸显原著风格，以便为广大读者朋友奉上一道原汁原味的史学大餐。

推荐一：华人世界公认的国史巨著，顾颉刚、余英时、钱穆、柏杨、易中天、于丹推崇备至的史学大师。
推荐二：中国历史上部白话中国通史，民国时期发行量的一部中国通史，见解独到，考证翔实，语言通俗易于阅读。
推荐三：我国历史上有许多的史学读本，但这些读本多是文言写就，不适合普通读者阅读，而吕思勉先生这本书简明扼要，行文浅显，易于阅读，是全面了解中国历史的入门读物。
推荐四：吕思勉先生国学基础深厚，治史的意趣却不保守。本书渗透着吕思勉用新方法、新思想来整理旧国故的精神，被公认为民国以来影响颇深的中国通史。

吕思勉（1884—1957）字诚之，江苏常州人。中国近代历史学家、国学大师。先后曾在常州府中学堂、苏州东吴大学、江苏省立师范专修科等校任教，学生中包括后来成为文史大家的钱穆、赵元任、黄永年等人。吕思勉是史学界公认的史籍读得多的一位学者，“二十四史”曾通读数遍。他也是我国现代史学界一位在通史、断代史和专题史等诸多领域都做出了重大贡献的历史学家。

上编·中国文化史
章婚姻························································································ 002
第二章族制························································································ 020
第三章政体························································································ 032
第四章阶级························································································ 045
第五章财产························································································ 059
第六章官制························································································ 076
第七章选举························································································ 088
第八章赋税························································································ 102
第九章兵制························································································ 116
第十章刑法························································································ 133
第十一章实业····················································································· 148
第十二章货币····················································································· 164
第十三章衣食····················································································· 176
第十四章住行····················································································· 191
第十五章教育····················································································· 205
第十六章语文····················································································· 216
第十七章学术····················································································· 228
第十八章宗教····················································································· 254
上编·中国政治史
史前文明总论····················································································· 266
章中国民族的由来····································································· 269
第二章中国史的年代········································································ 274
第三章古代的开化··········································································· 276
第四章夏殷西周的事迹····································································· 283
第五章春秋战国的竞争和秦国的统一················································· 288
第六章古代对于异族的同化······························································ 293
第七章古代社会的综述····································································· 296
第八章秦朝治天下的政策································································· 300
第九章秦汉间封建政体的反动··························································· 303
第十章汉武帝的内政外交·································································· 308
第十一章前汉的衰亡········································································ 312
第十二章新室的兴亡········································································ 315
第十三章后汉的盛衰········································································ 319
第十四章后汉的分裂和三国······························································ 324
第十五章晋初的形势········································································ 327
第十六章五胡之乱（上）································································· 331
第十七章五胡之乱（下）································································· 334
第十八章南北朝的始末···································································· 338
第十九章南北朝隋唐间塞外的形势···················································· 344
第二十章隋朝和唐朝的盛世····························································· 347
第二十一章唐朝的中衰···································································· 350
第二十二章唐朝的衰亡和沙陀的侵入················································ 354
第二十三章五代十国的兴亡和契丹的侵入·········································· 359
第二十四章唐宋时代中国文化的转变················································· 364
第二十五章北宋的积弱···································································· 368
第二十六章南宋恢复的无成······························································ 373
第二十七章蒙古大帝国的盛衰··························································· 379
第二十八章 汉族的光复事业······························································ 384
第二十九章明朝的盛衰····································································· 388
第三十章明清的兴亡········································································ 392
第三十一章 清代的盛衰···································································· 397
第三十二章中西初期的交涉······························································ 401
第三十三章汉族的光复运动······························································ 406
第三十四章清朝的衰乱····································································· 410
第三十五章清朝的覆亡····································································· 414
第三十六章革命途中的中国······························································ 419