Savoring the Three Kingdoms

Name: Savoring the Three Kingdoms
ISBN: 9787532165339

Yi ZhongtianShanghai Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

4.2

Word count: 378K words
Chapters: 55
ISBN: 9787532165339

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Summary

In *Pin San Guo* (Appreciating the Three Kingdoms), Yi Zhongtian narrates and comments on the history of the Three Kingdoms period. It was an age of shifting winds and surging tides, an era that produced heroes in abundance and has captivated people ever since. Countless peerless figures demonstrated their talents and shaped events there—truly, "the rivers and mountains were like a painting, and in that one moment how many heroes there were." Adapted from the CCTV program *Lecture Room*, this book recounts and comments on the history of the Three Kingdoms and on a large cast of figures—Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, and many others—in accessible language. Its material is rich, its prose vivid, and its logic rigorous. To the greatest extent possible it "restores" history's original face, compares history with the cultural images that have come down to us, and analyzes the influence of this period and the related literary works on Chinese culture.

Editor's review

This book grew out of lecture scripts for CCTV's Lecture Room, and its most distinctive feature is turning academic textual research into a listenable narrative rhythm: first lay out the historical sources, then distinguish true from false, and finally arrive at cultural influence. Yi Zhongtian is not content to retell episodes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms; he repeatedly reminds readers to distinguish historical figures from literary images—for example, how Cao Cao's label of "treacherous hero" was layered on by fiction and opera. The book's analysis of key junctures such as Guandu and Red Cliffs focuses on geography, grain transport, and the direction of popular allegiance; its logical chain is clear, making it suitable as a "second book" after an introduction to the Three Kingdoms. The language is witty but not slick, the commentary has edge, and reading it feels like listening to a talkative professor unravel historical puzzles. If you have ever been confused by the gap between "romance" and "official history," this book offers an operable method of discrimination, and it is also suitable for reading in segments during commutes or before sleep.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Three Kingdoms history but unable to tell fact from fiction
Readers who have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms and want to learn more about the historical background
Those who enjoy popular history told in an accessible, fluent style
Middle school history teachers looking for classroom enrichment material

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers expecting strict academic conventions and detailed annotations
Readers seeking pure literary appreciation who do not care about distinguishing fact from fiction
Serious readers uncomfortable with a colloquial lecture style

Reading tips

Start with the chapters on core figures such as Cao Cao and Zhuge Liang, then go back and connect the timeline.
After each chapter, flip through a few pages of the relevant biography in Records of the Three Kingdoms.
Jot down the book's "Romance vs. official history" distinctions as a comparison chart.
Best read one or two chapters a day at a lecture-like pace; no need to finish in one sitting.

About the publisher

Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1952

Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House takes modern and contemporary Chinese literature and folk literature as important publishing directions, while also covering social novels, classic works, and prose and miscellaneous writings, and has long introduced foreign literature and philosophical works. Its books include masterpieces such as Lao She's Teahouse and Camel Xiangzi, Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Wandering and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, and Xiao Hong's Tales of Hulan River, as well as translations such as Gilles Deleuze's Nietzsche and Philosophy, Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Pillars of the Earth trilogy. Its authors include Lao She, Lu Xun, Xiao Hong, Zhou Ying, Liu Yuyu, and Jiang Yi, reflecting a publishing character that balances original literature, academic translation, and general reading.

版权信息
开场白大江东去
第一部魏武挥鞭
第一章真假曹操
第二章奸雄之谜
第三章能臣之路
第四章何去何从
第五章一错再错
第六章深谋远虑
第七章先入为主
第八章鬼使神差
第九章一决雌雄
第十章胜败有凭
第十一章海纳百川
第十二章天下归心
第二部孙刘联盟
第十三章青梅煮酒
第十四章天生奇才
第十五章慧眼所见
第十六章三顾茅庐
第十七章隆中对策
第十八章江东基业
第十九章必争之地
第二十章兵临城下
第二十一章临危受命
第二十二章力挽狂澜
第二十三章中流砥柱
第二十四章赤壁疑云
第三部三国鼎立
第二十五章半途而废
第二十六章得寸进尺
第二十七章进退失据
第二十八章借刀杀人
第二十九章命案真相
第三十章夺嫡之争
第三十一章乘虚而入
第三十二章蜜月阴谋
第三十三章白衣渡江
第三十四章败走麦城
第三十五章猇亭遗恨
第三十六章永安托孤
第四部重归一统
第三十七章非常君臣
第三十八章难容水火
第三十九章痛失臂膀
第四十章祸起萧墙
第四十一章以攻为守
第四十二章无力回天
第四十三章风云际会
第四十四章坐断东南
第四十五章情天恨海
第四十六章冷暖人生
第四十七章逆流而上
第四十八章殊途同归
结束语滚滚长江东逝水

FAQ

What is this book's relationship to Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

It is neither a sequel to nor an appreciation of the Romance; it takes the history of the Three Kingdoms period as its subject, recounts the historical facts, and compares historical figures with their literary portrayals. Reading it makes clear which Romance episodes are fictional embellishments and which have a basis in historical sources.

Can I understand it without any background in Three Kingdoms history?

Yes. The author adapted the book from lecture scripts, using plain language and clear threads while providing background. But if you are entirely unfamiliar with the relationships among Three Kingdoms figures, it is best to first look over a timeline or a synopsis of the Romance for smoother reading.

Are the book's views objective?

The author builds his commentary on historical sources with rigorous logic, but popular narration inevitably carries personal judgments and biases. Readers can treat it as an informed interpretation and, for key conclusions, check the original sources such as Records of the Three Kingdoms themselves.

Is it suitable for students' extracurricular reading?

It suits middle school students and above. It helps build awareness that historical fact differs from literary portrayal, and supports both history and Chinese language classes. Younger students should read it with guidance from a teacher or parent, taking care to distinguish the author's commentary from recorded historical fact.

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About the author

Yi Zhongtian Author · Chinese · 1947

Yi Zhongtian, born in 1947 in Changsha, Hunan, is a Chinese writer, scholar and educator. After receiving a master's degree in literature from Wuhan University in 1981, he stayed on to teach and later became a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Humanities, Xiamen University. From 2005 he became widely known through his lectures on CCTV's Lecture Room, including "Figures of the Han Dynasty" and "Yi Zhongtian on the Three Kingdoms." His writing spans history, Eastern philosophy, classical literature and cultural commentary, with representative works such as On the Three Kingdoms, Pre-Qin Thinkers, Art Anthropology and Yi Zhongtian's History of China, as well as a collection of traditional culture stories written for his grandson. His clear, accessible style turns academic topics into engaging narratives for general readers, giving him broad influence in popularizing history and traditional culture.