I’m developing a budding interest on the history of Imperial China, and one thing in particular that caught my attention has been the Qing overthrow of the Ming. I want to learn about the factors that lead to Ming’s decline, but I don’t really know what books and authors are good and reliable. I’ve been trying to use google to find a good book, but haven’t really been able to tell which book I should get. What’s a good, comprehensive book that really covers all the factors that lead to Ming’s fall?
Coincidentally I dug up and answered an old thread asking this very question yesterday, and you can see my recommendations (as an admitted non-specialist) here. However, my recommendation of Swope might be a little inappropriate for your purposes as you're looking for something more holistic while Swope opts for a military approach. In that case I'd add the last few chapters of the Cambridge History of China Volume 7 on Ming political history.