The Three Kingdoms, Volume 1: The Sacred Oath: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (with Footnotes)

I’ve just finished book one. I cannot wait to read books 2 and 3. This is a must read book and one of the great novels of humanity.

This new translation of the Chinese classic Three Kingdoms was awesome to read. It explained how a dedicated group of people could coalesce around an idea with the hopes of having it come true. Liu Bei was definitely an inspired leader. The people who formed his core leadership group each had outstanding traits. I understand better now how an inspired idea can collect followers to try to achieve worthy goals. I also understand better now the importance of wise advice by seeing the impact Zhuge Liang has on events. He thoughtfully considered the details of a situation and then explained to Liu Bei, his leader, how to wisely respond to it in order to achieve worthy results. But without the skillful help of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun achieving these goals would be impossible. So. It takes three components to achieve success: the worthy idea, good strategy and skillful implementation. Liu Bei has many challenges to overcome, but this combination of a goal directed idea and good strategy for implementation are the critical components for success. It is rewarding to read how people with helpful aspirations can achieve success through loyalty and dedicated efforts. Though I have only read vol. 1, and part of vol.2, I am eager to finish reading volumes 2 and 3 to discover how all these events end. I found the Chinese names to be confusing to follow, but the glossary of main characters listed in the front of the book provided easily found information to help me through the reading of this exciting story. The innovative use of poetic little poems injected at critical points in the text were unusual but quite pleasing. The author of this book and its translators, Iverson and Yu Sumei, did a fine job producing an awesome book.

There are four widely-recognized classic Chinese novels. Seriously, do a web search for "classic Chinese novels" and you will find dozens of pages referring to "The Four Classic Novels of Chinese Literature". (Wikipedia lists six on its Classic Chinese Novels page" -- these include the usual four, plus two others.) The phrase "Four classic Chinese novels" also appears frequently in commentary on Chinese literature. The four areRomance of the Three KingdomsThe Water MarginJourney to the WestDream of the Red ChamberSome of these come in multiple versions, even in Chinese, and multiple English translations, often with different titles. (For instance, Dream of the Red Chamber is also known as The Story of the Stone.) So it can get a little confusing. In my (inexpert) opinion, Three Kingdoms is the best novel of the first three. (I don't include Dream of the Red Chamber in my judgment because its discussions of Chinese poetry, art, and calligraphy are too far over my head.)Don't be confused by the word "romance" -- it is used in its original sense -- essentially just "novel". Three Kingdoms is not a story of romantic love. It is a historical novel of the very early days of China, in the second and third centuries, before China existed as a single nation. It describes the political and military battles for the rule of what would eventually become China. It was written much later (mostly 15th century, although modern versions incoroporate later editing by other writers). Although Luo Guanzhong referred to historical records, the narrative of Three Kingdoms is probably not terribly accurate with regard to real events. (My own impression is that Three Kingdoms is roughly as accurate a guide to historical events as Shakespeare's plays, and less accurate than, say, Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series.) There is, however, one way in which Three Kingdoms feels quite real. Real history is big and messy. Three Kingdoms is also big and messy.The most famous incident in Three Kingdoms is called the Peach Orchard Oath. This is a version of the Oath (from Wikipedia)"When saying the names Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although the surnames are different, yet we have come together as brothers. From this day forward, we shall join forces for a common purpose: to save the troubled and to aid the endangered. We shall avenge the nation above, and pacify the citizenry below. We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. We merely hope to die on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. May the Gods of Heaven and Earth attest to what is in our hearts. If we should ever do anything to betray our friendship, may heaven and the people of the earth both strike us dead."It is not clear that this ever happened in reality -- historical sources don't mention it. It is likely that Luo adapted the story from folktales.It has, however become historical. The Peach Orchard Oath has resonated down Chinese culture and history. For instance, it is referenced in Water Margin. It has served as a model for Chinese secret societies and military organizations. And it is central to Three Kingdoms. Although, as I said above, Three Kingdoms is a story of extraordinary complexity, from a certain point of view it is simple. Liu, Guan, and Zhang can rely completely on each other -- this gives them an advantage over the hundreds of other generals and would-be emperors they face, for whom treachery is entirely routine and to be expected.If you read just one classic Chinese novel, it should be Three Kingdoms.

As a teacher for many years I was pleased to find so many literary treasures in Three Kingdoms. A basis of the story is the chance meeting together of the three heroes Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. This happening reminds me that we come onto many good things in life by chance rather than plan. They made a sacred oath of brotherhood. Their loyalty to one another was a joy to read. Their loyalty was tested many times but it endured even in times of great challenge. Their personalities were all quite different from one another however those differences became the strength of their joining together. We all enjoy being individuals and treated as individuals but we all end up belonging to a group whether it is a formal group of some kind or a social alliance.I enjoyed reading about Cao Cao, the nemesis of the three heroes. Cao Cao is a powerful and cunning military leader. We learn that he had his own weaknesses and doubts. The question came to mind many times; what does one do when one has doubts and is afraid of making the wrong choice? He does what we all usually do; we seek out a friend with whom to discuss the situation. We are looking for clarity and some good advice. This is exactly what Cao Cao did and it worked to his advantage.

(NOTE: This is a review for all three volumes of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms)I had been aware of this epic of Chinese literature for many years, but first developed a serious interest in reading it after having watched the excellent Chinese drama adaptation made in 2010. That gave me the impetus to pick up the first volume and give it a go.Some words of caution first, from one who has now read all three volumes. This is a book that very much requires you to juggle hundreds of names in your head and keep track of who is who. Indeed, I would strongly recommend watching that aforementioned TV series prior to reading the books. This may sound the wrong way around, but having made my way through all 1,377 pages, it would have been considerably harder without some pre-knowledge of key characters to anchor my progress. Having some understanding, for example, that a Lu Su matters where a Lu Xun does not, certainly makes getting through the book a mite less daunting.Another warning for those considering embarking on the Three Kingdoms: if you are not interested in military strategy and take no pleasure in reading about the minutiae of war, you should probably turn away. A significant percentage of the book is spent on detailing battles: many, many battles, often in quick succession. While war itself is not the core of what the Three Kingdoms is about, it is nevertheless the medium through which many of the story's messages are related.This is a fictionalised account of a very real historic period in Chinese history. After the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 AD, the country fell into a state of civil war, as rival warlords fought one another for superiority - each claiming to be the rightful successor to Han. Gradually power consolidated around three separate kingdoms: Wei in the North, Wu in the South and Shu in the West. Each was led by its own charismatic leader - Cao Cao, Sun Quan and Liu Bei respectively. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms tells their story, how they rose to power, what they did with that power and how each, ultimately, fell. It is truly epic in its scale, and widely recognised in China as one of the greatest books ever written.For me, this book is about much more than just a historic narrative. Still less is it a book merely about military tactics - although they certainly feature prominently throughout. Rather, the Three Kingdoms represents an insightful, penetrating look at power - how it can be won, how it can be maintained and how it can be lost. Each of the three rulers demonstrates different virtues and flaws, and is aided by a wide variety of generals and advisers, each with their own agendas. The ruthlessness of Cao Cao is tempered by his intellectual brilliance and his ability to exercise power without ever openly admitting to it. The virtue of Liu Bei, meanwhile, is undone by his inability to win his own battles and by his undying loyalty to those who do not always serve him best. The astuteness of Sun Quan is highlighted by the way in which he employs people best suited to the role, implicitly acknowledging his own shortcomings. Each ruler has a coterie of advisers, and the relationship between power and those who would shape and direct that power is fascinating. Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi both stand out as impressive figures in their own right, often outshining the men they exist to serve. Their interplay, in particular, is a highlight of the book. And it would be remiss of me not to mention Liu Bei's two brothers-in-arms: Zhang Fei, the oft-drunk and irascible warrior and Guan Yu, the legendary fighter who keeps his honour to his very last breath.Another lesson the Three Kingdoms teaches is that for all the struggles and grand designs, winning or losing may very often lie in the lap of the gods. A rainstorm at the wrong moment or a change in the direction of the wind can make all the difference. Illnesses strike down otherwise undefeated veterans, just as ultimately the collapse of the three kingdoms ends up owing more to the dissipation and idleness of the rulers' successors than to any great military victory. Power is ephemeral, and it cannot ever be taken for granted.There are so many stories and sub-plots woven into the fabric of the Three Kingdoms that it would be both infeasible and futile to assess them all here. The best I can say of this book is that it is a joy to read and its many pages a wonderful place within which to lose yourself. It is long, and there will be times when you may wonder if the battles will ever end with one siding achieving anything close to a significant victory; but stick with it and you will be rewarded.

The story is great, and actually the book itself too. My complaining is that this is not a new translation of the novel, it's clearly a revision of the online version. You can notice it because the words are actually exactly the same most of the time, what considering the difference between the Chinese and English languages, is almost impossible.Is well done and with great care. Three Kingdoms novel is awesome as always. I just don't like that they are not telling this when you purchase the book.

After playing totalwar three kingdoms and starting to love the story of the game i thought about buying the books to learn more and i am so happy i did the first volume is amazing i cant wait to get the other volumes

I'm not really qualified to offer an in-depth review of this book or speak to the quality of the translation, other than to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it remarkably readable. There's a lot going on, and a massive cast of characters to keep track of, but for all that it's not as impenetrable as you might expect. Cracking good stuff.

Came in perfect condition, is a good read, nice translation with some notes but not too much to weigh you down in technicalities. It's nice to have the same names as in the Three Kindgoms games.The date of delivery had passed the expected time frame given by amazon. This was just UK - Czech Republic, so not far away at all.