Three Kingdoms (4 Volumes)

"Theempire,longdivided,mustunite;longunited,mustdivide.Thusishaseverbeen."WiththischaracterizationoftheinevitablecycleofChinesehistory,themonumentaltaleThreeKingdomsbegins.AsimportantforChinesecultureastheHomericepicshavebeenfortheWest,thisMingdynastymasterpiececontinuestobereadandlovedthroughoutChinaaswellasinJapan,Korea,andVietnam.Thenoveloffersastartlingandunsparingviewofhowpoweriswielded,howdiplomacyisconducted,andhowwarsareplannedandfought;ithasinfluencedthewaysthatChinesethinkaboutpower,diplomacy,andwareventothisday.ThreeKingdomsportraysafatefulmomentattheendoftheHartdynasty(206B.C.-A.D.220)whenthefutureoftheChineseempirelayinthebalance.Writingmorethanamillenniumlater,LuoGuanzhongdrewonofen-toldtalesofthisturbulentperiodtofashionasophisticated,compellingnarrative,whosecharactersdisplayvividindividualityandepicgrandeur.Thestorybeginswhentheemperor,fearinguprisingsbypeasantrebelsknownastheYellowScarvessendsanurgentappealtotheprovincesforpopularsupport.inresponse,threeyoungmen-thearistocratic[.inXuande,thefugitiveLordGuan.andthepig-butcherZhangFei-meettopledgeeternalbrotherhoodandfealtotheirbeleagueredgovernment.FromtheseeventscomesachainofandconsequencethatleadsultimatelytothecollapseoftheHan.