The saga of the Three Kingdoms--which recounts the dramatic story
of the civil wars (ca. 180-220 CE) that divided the old Han Empire
into the Shu, Wei, and Wu states--remains as popular as ever in
China, having served as the basis of not only traditional operas
and ballads, but also, in more recent years, of movies, television
dramas, and video games. Translated into English for the first time
here, the Sanguozhi pinghua (thirteenth century CE) provides a
complete and fast-paced narrative account of the events of the
period, from the beginning of the civil wars to the demise of the
Three Kingdoms and the short-lived reunification of the realm by
the Jin dynasty. Shorter, clearer, and more accessible to Western
audiences than Luo Guanzhong's later, greatly expanded Romance
(Sanguo yanyi)--and beautifully rendered in this edition by two
modern-day masters of the art of Chinese literary translation--the
Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language provides an ideal
introduction to one of the foundational Chinese epic traditions.
Tables of major Chinese dynasties and reigns, a guide to
understanding formal Chinese naming conventions, a glossary of
Chinese names and terms, and reproductions of some woodcuts from
the original edition of the text are included.