Book of Han (Vol. 2)
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Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- History enthusiasts who wish to read the first four official histories systematically and already have some grounding in classical Chinese
- Students of Chinese classical literature and history using it as course companion reading
- In-depth readers interested in Western Han figures, institutions, and political operation
- Self-learners who want to improve their classical Chinese reading ability through the original texts of the official histories
Not a good fit for
- Complete beginners with no grounding in classical Chinese who need vernacular rewrites as an introduction
- Casual readers who only want a quick, relaxing overview of Han dynasty stories
- Professional researchers who need primary sources for textual criticism or edition collation
Reading tips
- First read the table of contents to clarify the pieces included in this volume, then proceed section by section in the order of imperial annals, biographies, and treatises.
- Before reading each piece, first skim the short preface at the beginning to grasp the main line of the figure's life, then read the main text closely.
- For chapters on institutions and regulations, you may skim first and return for close reading after finishing the whole book.
- Read in comparison with the relevant chapters of the Records of the Grand Historian, noting the similarities and differences in narrative and evaluation between the two books.
About the publisher
Yanbian People's Publishing House is a publisher known for traditional cultural classics. Its current library contains 55 titles, including the three-volume Records of the Three Kingdoms, the three-volume Book of Han, The Peony Pavilion, Romance of the Western Chamber and Peach Blossom Fan, Compendium of Materia Medica, and Guwen Guanzhi. Its representative authors include Chen Shou, Ban Gu, Li Shizhen, Tang Xianzu, Wu Chucai, Liu Xiang, and Zeng Guofan, whose works form an important part of its author resources. Its publishing focus leans toward historical classics, classical drama, medical materia medica, and classical prose anthologies, with common categories covering Eastern philosophy, folk literature, and inspirational growth. Its overall feature lies in the systematic organization and popular presentation of traditional classics, with attention to complete sets and reading suitability. Due to limited public information, other publishing fields and series details cannot yet be confirmed.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
FAQ
Can I read the middle volume directly without having read the first volume of the Book of Han?
What kind of classical Chinese foundation is needed to read the Book of Han?
This volume overlaps considerably with the Records of the Grand Historian; is it worth reading again?
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About the author
Ban Gu (32–92), courtesy name Mengjian, was a native of Anling in Fufeng (present-day Xianyang, Shaanxi) and a historian and man of letters of the Eastern Han dynasty. Continuing the unfinished work of his father Ban Biao, he spent more than twenty years completing the Hanshu (Book of Han), China's first dynastic history in the biographical (jizhuan) style. Covering the period from Emperor Gaozu of Han to Wang Mang, it is noted for its rigorous structure and rich historical material, and later ages ranked Ban Gu together with Sima Qian as "Ban and Ma." Beyond history, Ban Gu was an accomplished writer of fu; his "Liangdu Fu" (Rhapsody on the Two Capitals) describes the geography and ritual order of the capitals in a grand and expansive manner. The Baihu Tongyi, compiled under his name, gathers the results of the White Tiger Hall discussions on the classics and is an important source for the thought and institutions of the Han. His works combine the precision of historiography with the elegance of literature and have deeply influenced later historical compilation and fu writing.
