 An abridged English translation by Richard L. Davis was published in 2004.One of the official Twenty-Four Histories of China, the book is frequently referred to as the New History of the Five Dynasties (Xin Wudai Shi) in order to distinguish it from the "Old History of the Five Dynasties" which was published in 974.Though both books follow a similar format, Ouyang's book is more concise and markedly more analytical.