Seeing as the only recommendation on the AH booklist that‘s focused on the period in question is devastatingly boring for normal human beings despite how interesting it is for nerds Loyal Servants of the Great Tang like me, I’ll go ahead and skip the usual “check the booklist” comment.

The generic recommendation here is Mark Edward Lewis’ China’s Cosmopolitan Empire. It’s the gold standard for readability and ease of understanding in the field.

Historically, this recommendation would be going to Twitchett’s Cambridge History of China Vol. 3: Sui and T’ang China, but frankly both the prose and research in that book are weakening with every passing year. It’s still of enough interest that I would read it too, though.

I’d also personally recommend Victor Cunrui Xiong’s Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. Not the most large scale history, but it’s better if you like more contained narratives compared to Lewis and Twitchett.

Edit: forgot to add, Charles Benn’s China’s Golden Age is a very approachable social history if you’re into that sort of thing. It paints a very vivid picture of everyday life during the Sui-Tang, which I find is usually of most interest towards people unless they’re milhist nerds.