Crouching dragon : the journey of Zhuge Liang

As the 3rd Century begins, China is in a state of chaos: the Han Empire is in decline, and dozens of warlords are waging war against each other, intent on gaining greater influence, or even sovereignty. Many believe they have the answers: one such man is the young scholar-turned-farmer Zhuge Liang, styled "Kongming", and known for his hidden talent as "Crouching Dragon". Although initially apprehensive to involve himself in the unfolding chaos, his desire to reverse the fortunes of the Han emperor brings him to the attention of the wandering warlord Liu Bei, and - together with other great warriors and statesmen of the time - they challenge the might of the ambitious Han Prime Minister Cao Cao and usher in an era that is still known to this day as the "Three Kingdoms". An era of complex politics, compromises and alliances unfolds, and - with support from good friends, and his wife and soul-mate, Yueying - Zhuge Liang begins his journey as military strategist, negotiator, politician and inventor, elevating Liu Bei from landless rebel to the emperor of an independent state, and setting his own place in history. Complete and unabridged, Moss Roberts's translation provides an authoritative, annotated English-language version of one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. "The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been." With this characterization of the inevitable cycle of Chinese history, the monumental tale Three Kingdoms begins. As important for Chinese culture as the Homeric epics have been for the West, this Ming Dynasty masterpiece continues to be read and loved throughout China as well as in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The 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 that Chinese think about power, diplomacy, and war even to this day. Three Kingdoms portrays a fateful moment at the end of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) when the future of the Chinese empire lay in the balance. Writing more than a millennium later, Luo Guanzhong drew on often told tales of this turbulent period to fashion a sophisticated compelling narrative, whose characters display vivid individuality and epic grandeur. The story begins when the emperor, fearing uprisings by peasant rebels known as the Yellow Scarves, sends an urgent appeal to the provinces for popular support. In response, three young men - the aristocratic Liu Xuande, the fugitive Lord Guan, and the pig-butcher Zhang Fei - meet to pledge eternal brotherhood and fealty to their beleaguered government. From these events comes a chain of cause and consequence that leads ultimately to the collapse of the Han. 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. This publication is the long-awaited complement to Michael Loewe's acclaimed Biographical Dictionary of the Qin, Former Han and Xin Periods (2000). With more than 8,000 entries, based upon historical records and surviving inscriptions, the comprehensive Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23-220 AD) now provides information on men and women of the Chinese world who lived at the time of Later (or Eastern) Han, from Liu Xiu, founding Emperor Guangwu (reg. 24-57), to the celebrated warlord Cao Cao (155-220) at the end of the dynasty. The entries, including surnames, personal names, styles and dates, are accompanied by maps, genealogical tables and indexes, with lists of books and special accounts of women. These features, together with the convenient surveys of the history and the administrative structure of the dynasty, will make Rafe de Crespigny's work an indispensable tool for any further serious study of a significant but comparatively neglected period of imperial China. Including more than 8,000 entries, based upon historical records and surviving inscriptions, this comprehensive work provides information on men and women of the Chinese world who lived at the time of Later (or Eastern) Han, from Liu Xiu, founding Emperor Guangwu (reg. 24-57), to the celebrated warlord Cao Cao (155-220) at the end of the dynasty. A Short History Of The Later Han Dynasty -- Chronology Of Later Han -- Biographies Of Men And Women Of Later Han -- Genealogical Tables -- Provinces And Commandery Units Of Later Han -- An Outline Of The Administrative Structure Of Later Han. By Rafe De Crespigny. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [1242]-1266) And Index. 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 title offers a view of how power is wielded, how diplomacy is conducted, and how wars are planned and fought. A great classic of Chinese literature, also known as Water Margin and All Men are Brothers, this is an exciting account of the adventures of a bold brigand army, like Robin Hood and his merry men, battling against tyrannical rulers Portrays a fateful moment at the end of the Han dynasty. Three young men pledge loyalty to each other and answer the emperor's appeal for help in suppressing a peasant rebellion