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Three Kingdoms, A Historical Novel

Complete and Unabridged
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( 219 ratings, 23 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Three Kingdoms tells the story of the final years of the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), a time when China was split into three rival kingdoms. Luo Guanzhong’s Ming dynasty novel draws on centuries of historical and literary tradition to present a gripping narrative about the use of power, diplomacy, and warfare. This richly detailed epic has profoundly shaped Chinese cultural views and remains influential across East Asia, standing as a major work of world literature.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This classic suits readers interested in historical fiction, Chinese history, and epic narratives that explore power and warfare. It appeals especially to those seeking a deep cultural and literary experience related to East Asia’s historical heritage.

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"Three Kingdoms" tells the story of the fateful last reign of the Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) when the Chinese empire was divided into three warring kingdoms. This text provides Volume I of the complete and unabridged translation.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Three Kingdoms tells the story of the fateful last reign of the Han dynasty (206 b.c.–a.d. 220), when the Chinese empire was divided into three warring kingdoms. This decisive period in Chinese history became a subject of intense and continuing interest to historians, poets, and dramatists.

Writing some 1,200 years later, the Ming author Luo Guanzhong drew on this rich literary heritage to fashion a sophisticated, compelling narrative that has become the Chinese national epic. Luo's novel offers a startling and unsparing view of how power is wielded, how diplomacy is conducted, and how wars are planned and fought; it has influenced the ways the Chinese think about power, diplomacy, and war even to this day.

As important for Chinese culture as the Homeric epics have been for the West, this Ming dynasty masterpiece continues to be widely influential in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and remains a great work of world literature. The University of California Press is pleased to make the complete and unabridged translation available again.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise this unabridged translation by Moss Roberts for its lively prose and faithful rendition of history. The New York Times Book Review notes its astonishing fidelity to history and impact on Chinese imagination, including Mao Zedong's admiration. China Review International highlights Roberts’ balance of famous scenes and plot clarity, calling it "great fun to read." Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews celebrates the translation as both scholarly and entertaining.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780520224780

Publisher: University of California Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 June 2004

Country: United States

Imprint: University of California Press

Illustration: 11 maps

Contributors:

  • Translated by Moss Roberts
  • Foreword by John S. Service
  • Afterword by Moss Roberts

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 61.0mm

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 953g

Pages: 552

About the Author

Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330-c. 1400) was a novelist and dramatist who played an important role in the development of Chinese popular fiction. Moss Roberts is Professor of Chinese at New York University. He is the translator and editor of Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies (1979). John S. Service grew up in China and was a Foreign Service officer there from 1933 to 1945.

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