Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies
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Summary
The Records of the Grand Historian is the first general history of China. Unlike the Zuo Tradition and other "annalistic histories" arranged by year, the Stratagems of the Warring States and other "regional histories" limited by territory, or the Book of Documents and other "political histories" preserved in the form of proclamations and archival documents, a general history spans thousands of years, covers every aspect of life, and weaves it all into a coherent, clearly organized narrative. The biographical general history is Sima Qian's invention, comprising the basic annals, tables, treatises, hereditary houses, and biographies. From the Book of Han to the History of Ming, later dynastic histories changed some names, but all retained basic annals and biographies and followed the structure of the Records of the Grand Historian.
Editor's review
The Biographies (Liezhuan) are the most literary section of the Records of the Grand Historian. Its seventy chapters portray figures from the pre-Qin period through the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, capturing their successes and failures. Sima Qian pioneered the biographical general history, transforming history from an annalistic record of events into a narrative centered on people—and the Biographies especially so: assassins, wandering knights, merchants, scholars, generals, and ministers all have their place. Reading the Biographies is not just reading stories; it is watching how Sima Qian selects material and uses his subjects' fates to express judgments about the world. The narrative is concise and full of tension, and many chapters remain models of classical Chinese prose. This edition is a standalone volume, making it convenient to read the Biographies on their own. It works well as an entry point to the Records of the Grand Historian, and also for readers who have read selections and want to read the Biographies systematically. Classical Chinese presents a certain barrier, so reading with annotations and proceeding step by step is recommended.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers of history and literature who want to read the Records of the Grand Historian's biographies systematically
- Middle school and university students who need classical Chinese reading practice
- General readers interested in stories of historical figures from the pre-Qin through early Han periods
- Writers looking for source material in biographical narrative
Not a good fit for
- Beginners with no classical Chinese background who need a full modern Chinese translation
- Readers who only want a quick overview of historical developments and prefer general histories
- Parents looking for children's versions of historical stories
Reading tips
- Start with chapters about figures you already know, such as "Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru," to build confidence before expanding.
- For each chapter, first read the annotations to clarify difficult words, then read the whole piece to grasp the narrative line, and finally review the key passages.
- Keep a simple chart of人物 relationships and update it as you read, which helps clarify the networks of figures from the Warring States through early Han.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 目录
- 公版书总序
- 告读者书
- 才识卓绝千古，经纬旷达百家——司马迁
- 史家之绝唱，无韵之离骚——《史记》
- 谥法解
- 三公九卿
- 古代常见官职
- 正文
- 卷六十一 伯夷列传第一
- 卷六十二 管晏列传第二
- 卷六十三 老子韩非列传第三
- 卷六十四 司马穰苴列传第四
- 卷六十五 孙子吴起列传第五
- 卷六十六 伍子胥列传第六
- 卷六十七 仲尼弟子列传第七
- 卷六十八 商君列传第八
- 卷六十九 苏秦列传第九
- 卷七十 张仪列传第十
- 卷七十一 樗里子甘茂列传第十一
- 卷七十二 穰侯列传第十二
- 卷七十三 白起王翦列传第十三
- 卷七十四 孟子荀卿列传第十四
- 卷七十五 孟尝君列传第十五
- 卷七十六 平原君虞卿列传第十六
- 卷七十七 魏公子列传第十七
- 卷七十八 春申君列传第十八
- 卷七十九 范雎蔡泽列传第十九
- 卷八十 乐毅列传第二十
- 卷八十一 廉颇蔺相如列传第二十一
- 卷八十二 田单列传第二十二
- 卷八十三 鲁仲连邹阳列传第二十三
- 卷八十四 屈原贾生列传第二十四
- 卷八十五 吕不韦列传第二十五
- 卷八十六 刺客列传第二十六
- 卷八十七 李斯列传第二十七
- 卷八十八 蒙恬列传第二十八
- 卷八十九 张耳陈余列传第二十九
- 卷九十 魏豹彭越列传第三十
- 卷九十一 黥布列传第三十一
- 卷九十二 淮阴侯列传第三十二
- 卷九十三 韩信卢绾列传第三十三
- 卷九十四 田儋列传第三十四
- 卷九十五 樊郦滕灌列传第三十五
- 卷九十六 张丞相列传第三十六
- 卷九十七 郦生陆贾列传第三十七
- 卷九十八 傅靳蒯成列传第三十八
- 卷九十九 刘敬叔孙通列传第三十九
- 卷一百 季布栾布列传第四十
- 卷一百一 袁盎晁错列传第四十一
- 卷一百二 张释之冯唐列传第四十二
- 卷一百三 万石张叔列传第四十三
- 卷一百四 田叔列传第四十四
- 卷一百五 扁鹊仓公列传第四十五
- 卷一百六 吴王濞列传第四十六
- 卷一百七 魏其武安侯列传第四十七
- 卷一百八 韩长孺列传第四十八
- 卷一百九 李将军列传第四十九
- 卷一百十 匈奴列传第五十
- 卷一百一十一 卫将军骠骑列传第五十一
- 卷一百一十二 平津侯主父列传第五十二
- 卷一百一十三 南越列传第五十三
- 卷一百一十四 东越列传第五十四
- 卷一百一十五 朝鲜列传第五十五
- 卷一百一十六 西南夷列传第五十六
- 卷一百一十七 司马相如列传第五十七
- 卷一百一十八 淮南衡山列传第五十八
- 卷一百一十九 循吏列传第五十九
- 卷一百二十 汲郑列传第六十
- 卷一百二十一 儒林列传第六十一
- 卷一百二十二 酷吏列传第六十二
- 卷一百二十三 大宛列传第六十三
- 卷一百二十四 游侠列传第六十四
- 卷一百二十五 佞幸列传第六十五
- 卷一百二十六 滑稽列传第六十六
- 卷一百二十七 日者列传第六十七
- 卷一百二十八 龟策列传第六十八
- 卷一百二十九 货殖列传第六十九
- 卷一百三十 太史公自序第七十
- 如是我闻
- 一、《史记》的历史评价
- 二、《报任安书》
- 三、商至西汉的部分文物
FAQ
Can I read this book without any classical Chinese background?
The original biographies are in classical Chinese, so some foundation is needed. If the annotations are detailed, you can read alongside them, though more slowly. Readers with no classical Chinese experience at all should start with a modern Chinese translation or a selected translation and read it alongside an annotated edition, then gradually move to the original.
If I only read the Biographies and not the Basic Annals or Hereditary Houses, will it feel disconnected?
The Biographies are centered on individuals, and most chapters can be read independently, but some figures' deeds echo the Basic Annals and Hereditary Houses. If you want a complete picture of a period, consult the relevant annals or houses as supplements when you encounter related chapters.
How do the Biographies differ from ordinary books of historical stories?
The Biographies are Sima Qian's original text, with concise narration and implicit praise and blame; characters are revealed through concrete words and actions rather than through later retellings. Reading the original lets you feel Sima Qian's historical judgment and style more directly, and see the choices behind his selection of material.
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About the author
Sima Qian
Author · Chinese (Western Han)
Sima Qian was a historian, man of letters, and thinker of the Western Han dynasty. His courtesy name was Zichang, and he was a native of Xiayang in Zuo Fengyi (present-day Hancheng, Shaanxi). Succeeding his father Sima Tan as Grand Astrologer, he traveled widely to collect historical materials. Later, having suffered punishment in connection with the Li Ling affair, he endured humiliation and devoted himself to his work, ultimately completing the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, originally titled Taishigong shu), China's first comprehensive history in the biographical (jizhuanti) style. The work covers events from the Yellow Emperor down to Emperor Wu of Han, organizing three thousand years of history through the five sections of annals, tables, treatises, hereditary houses, and biographies. Its narrative is concise and richly literary, its characters vividly drawn, and it has been praised as "the supreme swan song of historians." Later generations have often classified his writings under historical reading and Eastern philosophy, and his influence on Chinese historiography and literature has been profound.
