Biographies of Assassins
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in ancient Chinese history and the culture of chivalry
- Readers who enjoy in-depth biographies that explore the complex motives behind human actions
- Readers seeking life lessons and a clash of values within historical narrative
- Enthusiasts who want broader access to assassin history beyond the classic chapters of the Shiji
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting the original Shiji text with traditional classical annotations in translation
- Readers seeking light, entertaining history stories and put off by any analytical content
Reading tips
- Read the chapters on assassins that interest you most first, then return to the background analysis and commentary for a fuller understanding.
- Use a map of the Warring States period and a chart of relations between the states to understand the strategic background and geography of the assassins' actions.
- Compare the fates of different assassins in the book, and reflect on the subtle relationship between historical change and personal choice.
About the publisher
Yunnan Education Publishing House focuses on educational services, publishing textbooks and supplementary teaching materials, educational theory, and books on ethnic cultures. Judging from the nine titles in the database, its range also extends into popular reading in military affairs, history, and biography. In the military category there are Ace Weapons, Peak Campaigns, Famous WWII Generals, and Iron-Blooded Warriors; in history and biography, Biographies of Assassins and What Is Love in This World: An Interpretation of the Emotions of Famous Chinese Figures Through the Ages; and in exam preparation, A Quick Breakthrough in Argumentative Essay Points, Evidence, and Reasoning for Middle School Students and A Complete Guide to Composition for Primary School Students. Relevant authors include Sasha, Yang Shaodan, Shen Shichang, Jiang Jing, Li Zichi, Qiao Yameng, Tong Chao, and Lü Ning. Overall, beyond educational publishing, the house also offers accessible books on military affairs, history, and culture, giving its list a character that balances educational value with readability. Because public information is limited, the specific titles in its textbook, supplementary material, and ethnic culture categories cannot be detailed here.
Contents
- 前言
- 上卷 第一章 千秋侠客首称曹--曹沫劫齐桓公
- 第二章 触槐忠义世无双--鉏魔摩刺赵盾
- 第三章 鱼腹内的剑芒--专诸刺王僚
- 第四章 英雄惜英雄--要离刺庆忌
- 第五章 毁身释忠义--豫让刺赵襄子
- 第六章 士为知己者死--聂政手刃侠累
- 第七章 挽狂澜的小人物--朱亥椎晋鄙
- 第八章 易水悲歌千古颂--荆轲刺秦王
- 第九章 惊魂博浪沙--张良刺秦王
- 第十章 鸿门宴上的杀机--项庄的诡谲之舞
- 第十一章 军营里的悲歌--公孙述的无名刺客
- 第十二章 众叛“亲”也离--曹操刺董卓
- 第十三章 小霸王之死--许贡门客刺孙策
- 第十四章 恨比毒深--吉平刺曹操
- 第十五章 君主的替死鬼--郭循刺费讳
- 第十六章 急兄仇，梦断魂--范疆、张达刺张飞
- 第十七章 傀儡皇帝的反抗--元子攸刺尔朱荣
- 第十八章 祸从“福”出--武元衡被刺案
- 第十九章 壮志未酬身先死--施全刺杀秦桧
- 第二十章 恶贯满盈终有报--郑虎臣刺杀贾似道
- 下卷 第一章 最具声势的刺杀--王著计除阿合马
- 第二章 最蹩脚的刺客--张差梃击朱常洛
- 第三章 清末奇案--张文祥刺杀马新贻
- 第四章 斩首剜心千古独--徐锡麟巡抚恩铭遇刺案
- 第五章 喋血京城留英名--吴樾血溅五大臣
- 第六章 引刀成一快莫负少年头--汪精卫刺摄政王
- 第七章 铁血刺客彭家珍--清末良弼遇刺案
- 第八章 革命党内第一桩血案--蒋介石谋刺陶成章
- 第九章 民国第一血案--宋教仁喋血火车站
- 第十章 革命未成憾九泉--陈其美中计殉国
- 第十一章 邓铿饮恨广州站--陈达生暗杀邓铿案
- 第十二章 烟枪里的杀机--吴佩孚暗杀萧耀南
- 第十三章 天津血案--徐树铮诱杀上将陆建章
- 第十四章 逃亡路上的枪声--中共叛徒白鑫被除
- 第十五章 “狗肉将军”之死--韩复榘计除张宗昌
- 第十六章 弱女复仇记--施剑翘手刃孙传芳
- 第十七章 英雄魂断广西--暗杀大王王亚樵之死
- 第十八章 河内枪声--军统赴越追杀汪精卫
- 第十九章 傅筱庵血染菜刀--朱升源受雇除奸
- 第二十章 锄奸记--林怀部刺杀张啸林
- 第二十一章 美女刺客郑苹如--美女计杀丁默
FAQ
Is this a vernacular translation of the "Biographies of Assassins" chapter in the Records of the Grand Historian?
Who is Tong Chao, and what characterizes his approach?
Does the book cover figures beyond the four famous assassins of the Warring States period?
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About the author
Tong Chao was born in 1938 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, with ancestral roots in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He graduated from the Department of History at Peking University and later pursued graduate studies in history at Sichuan University. He long devoted himself to the study of ancient Chinese history, serving as a researcher and deputy director of the Institute of History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as president and editor-in-chief of the journal Chinese Historical Studies, and as vice president of the Chinese Society for the History of Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties. His scholarly work focuses on the history of the feudal land system and the military system in China, and in 1992 he received a special government allowance from the State Council. For general readers, he edited the Visible Chinese History series, which presents China's long history from its earliest beginnings to the Qing dynasty in an illustrated, accessible format. Separate volumes cover the Shang, Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Qin, Han, Three Kingdoms and Southern and Northern Dynasties, and other eras, combining solid historical sources with visual materials in plain language and a clear structure that helps ordinary readers grasp the overall course of ancient Chinese history.
