Essentials of the White-Handed Twenty-Four Histories

Author: Feng Guochao, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: History records the entire process of the birth and development of a country and nation, encompassing its spiritual wealth and wisdom, and revealing the objective laws of its rise and fall. As Mr. Lu Xun once said, "History writes the soul of China and points to the future of the nation." The study and research of history not only involve the evaluation of the merits and demerits of historical figures and political factions but also concern the rise and fall of a nation. Learning, researching, and compiling history hold great practical significance for the nation, the country, and individuals.
Among the spiritual treasures left to us by our ancestors, historical classics are vast as the sea, and the Twenty-Four Histories shine like pearls in the vast ocean. As the mainstay of Chinese historiography, the Twenty-Four Histories is the only complete official collection of historical works in China, compiled and approved by emperors after the Qianlong reign. Using a unified biographical and chronological style, it comprehensively and systematically records the historical process of China from ancient times to the Ming Chongzhen era, fully displaying the rise and fall of successive dynasties, covering various aspects of each historical period, including economy, politics, science and technology, military, art, and foreign relations. It is truly an encyclopedia of Chinese civilization.
To allow this monumental historical work to shine anew in the new century, the national-level publishing institution, Guangming Daily Press, organized experts and scholars to comprehensively (organize and revise) the Twenty-Four Histories according to a new scientific system, selecting its finest parts and accurately translating the classical texts into modern Chinese. This enables readers to cross the deep and lengthy literary gap and enjoy the joy of reading effortlessly. Moreover, we broke away from the rigid format-focused models of the past, accompanying the text with nearly four thousand exquisite illustrations. Using artifacts, paintings, ruins, and other visual elements from multiple perspectives, we immerse readers in the real historical scenes, allowing them to truly experience the holographic, three-dimensional, and concrete evolution of Chinese civilization. Through this, they can appreciate the profound and vast Chinese culture and the mysterious wisdom of life.
The Guangming Edition of the Essence of the Twenty-Four Histories in Plain Language strives to present readers with a classic version of the Twenty-Four Histories that integrates history, literature, and aesthetics. The Twenty-Four Histories primarily records the nearly five thousand years of development of ancient Chinese society since the Yellow Emperor and the rise and fall of dozens of dynasties, reflecting the orthodox concepts and spirit of each era. Therefore, it is the most authoritative treasure trove for studying Chinese history and ancient Chinese culture, truly an encyclopedia of Chinese civilization.
Mao Zedong was deeply passionate about reading history, particularly fond of the Twenty-Four Histories. Over twenty years, he thoroughly read about forty million words of the Twenty-Four Histories, some parts multiple times, even using different colored pens to highlight and annotate extensively. His meticulous study was not only to enrich his historical knowledge but also, more importantly, to use history as a mirror, seeking the laws, lessons, and experiences of social development and the rise and fall of nations. He summarized governance strategies and the art of ruling. It is evident that the Twenty-Four Histories played an irreplaceable role in accumulating Mao Zedong's profound historical erudition and in his great practice of leading the Chinese revolution.