The Former Han

Name: The Former Han
ISBN: 9787550233591

Cai DongfanBeijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaJun 2022

4.0

Word count: 422K words
Chapters: 103
ISBN: 9787550233591

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Summary

The "Cai Dongfan's History of China" series is a modern vernacular edition of Cai Dongfan's historical romances. Composed of more than a thousand chapters, it recounts the rise and fall of the ages from the First Emperor of Qin to 1920, covering 2,166 years in 11 volumes, 1,040 chapters, and roughly 6.08 million characters. For its vast span of time, multitude of figures, and immense scale, it has been called the greatest of all historical romances, and Cai praised as "a historian of an age, a divine brush for all time." In selecting materials, Cai took official histories as the main source while also drawing on anecdotes, insisting on "verified history as the warp and hearsay as the weft," with anecdotal sources used only after repeated verification. Structurally, the works emphasize conveying moral purpose through narrative, with Cai writing the text, annotations, and commentary himself. Though the series values history over literary polish, it provides a vast and accessible general history of China, making an indelible contribution to popularizing Chinese historical knowledge.

Editor's review

Cai Dongfan's The Former Han is the Western Han portion of his monumental series, Popular Historical Romances of Chinese Dynasties, systematically tracing in romance form the sweeping history from Liu Bang's founding of the Han to Wang Mang's usurpation. This is not a simple work of fiction but a popular historical narrative written by Cai in the early Republican era on the basis of extensive research into the Records of the Grand Historian, the Book of Han, and other official histories, with the aim of "saving the nation through romance." The language is half classical and half vernacular; the narrative is vivid and combines narration with commentary. While recounting the legends of figures such as Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Han Xin, Emperor Wu of Han, and Huo Guang, the author frequently inserts "Cai Dongfan says" historical commentary, reflecting his profound historical insight and his practical, statecraft-oriented thought. For modern readers, reading this book is not only a window into the political rise and fall and social change of the Western Han but also an encounter with a sincere effort to popularize historical knowledge. Compared with purely academic historical works, it is more readable; compared with some fictionalized historical novels, it is more rigorous. It is a valuable path for beginners entering the vast hall of Han history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of the two Han dynasties who wish to understand systematically the rise and fall of the Western Han.
Popular history enthusiasts who enjoy reading historical romances but want content solidly grounded in historical sources.
Readers looking for a history book that is easier than academic works but more rigorous than online fiction.
Readers interested in evaluations of historical figures and reflections on historical patterns, and in the perspective of Republican-era historians.

Not a good fit for

Fast-food readers of online literature seeking fully vernacular, light entertainment.
Professional historical researchers or students who need to cite the latest archaeological discoveries and academic viewpoints.

Reading tips

Reading this book alongside the relevant sections of the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han is recommended: you can enjoy the fluent story while appreciating Cai's craft in selecting sources and commenting.
While reading, pay attention to the author's commentary at the end of each chapter ("Cai Dongfan says"); this is key to understanding his view of history and his authorial intent.
As this is part of a series, readers interested in the overall thread may go on to read Cai Dongfan's The Later Han to see the full picture of the two Han dynasties.

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

版权信息
序
巨商吕不韦
千秋万代始皇帝
巡游求仙逸事
张良拜师
阿房宫
焚书坑儒
秦始皇去世
兄弟相残
大泽乡起义
陈胜称王
真命天子降世
刘邦发迹
李良入宫弑主
众叛亲离的陈胜
李斯与赵高
项羽怒斩宋义
破釜沉舟
指鹿为马
秦朝灭亡
鸿门宴
胯下之辱
明修栈道，暗度陈仓
陈平投奔汉王
逃亡
背水一战
随何传命招英布
范增毙命
小儿大义救百姓
郦生贪功遇难
刘、项修和
十面埋伏
汉王称帝
韩信被擒
封侯定制
白登山之围
假公主和亲
周昌力保储君
吕后毒计害功臣
汉高祖荣归故里
天子驾崩
“人彘”
单于戏太后
惠帝成婚
阴盛阳衰
吕、刘之争
诛灭吕氏
文帝怀柔平蛮夷
贤臣张释之
淮南王刘长
缇萦救父
朝堂掀起迷信之风
大将周亚夫
吴王刘濞叛乱
袁盎出谋斩御史
七国战乱平息
金屋藏娇
梁王害朝臣
少年汉武帝
歌女卫子夫
因祸得福的卫氏一族
司马相如与卓文君
朱买臣求官
灌夫下狱
夜郎自大
老妻少夫
飞将军李广
平步青云的卫青
刘安造反
张骞出使西域
李广自刎
公报私仇
平定南越
封禅求仙
东征西讨
苏武牧羊
太子兵败被杀
汉武帝之死
六龄小皇后
内忧外患
短命皇帝
狱中长大的天子
显贵无比的霍氏一族
灭门
名臣贤吏
边地战事再起
匈奴内乱
旷古奇女冯夫人
宦官专权
冯婕妤以身挡猛兽
昭君出塞
外戚专权
一心为民的王尊
汉宫飞燕
成帝绝后之谜
赵合德之死
冯昭仪含冤自尽
争宠后宫的美男
是非颠倒
王莽只手遮天
前汉灭亡
注释

FAQ

Is this book official history or a novel?

It is a historical romance: the main framework and major events are based on official histories, but details and dialogue are literary embellishments, and it includes the author's personal historical commentary. It stands between official history and the novel.

Does reading this book require a good grounding in classical Chinese?

No. The book uses a style of simple classical Chinese mixed with vernacular, a common style for popular reading material in the Republican era. Readers with some experience of classical Chinese can read it smoothly, and ordinary readers need only a little adjustment.

What are the features of this edition?

This is a modern collated edition from Beijing United Publishing Company, which typically proofreads the original, uses simplified characters in horizontal layout, and may add necessary annotations, making it better suited to contemporary reading habits.

Comments

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About the author

Cai Dongfan Author · China · 1877–1945

Cai Dongfan (1877–1945) was a native of Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, and a modern Chinese writer of historical romances. Beginning in 1916, he spent ten years completing the 11-volume, 1,040-chapter Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, which recounts the rise and fall of dynasties in an accessible style; he also wrote Romances of Empress Dowager Cixi. Drawing on historical sources and adapting them into simple classical Chinese and the chapter-based vernacular form, his works balance historical fact with narrative interest, allowing ordinary readers to follow the broad course of a dynasty through its chapter headings. The collection holds 381 of his works, including dynastic romances on the Jin, Ming, Tang, Later Han and Republican periods, as well as series such as the Six Histories and the Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, commonly classified as history reading and classical literature. Regarded as a representative figure in Chinese historical romance writing, Cai Dongfan's series have had a lasting influence in popularizing historical knowledge and continuing the romance tradition, and remain accessible introductions to Chinese history for readers today.