Biographical Studies and Critiques on the Works of Sima Qian

Author: Yuan Chuanzhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: This book is a summary of the author's three decades of research on Sima Qian and Records of the Grand Historian. Employing the concept of transformation and guided by macro thinking, it is grounded in micro-examination. Drawing on the pragmatic methodology of Anhui scholarship, it emphasizes the integration of internal evidence, external evidence, and archaeological findings. In major issues of "Shiji Studies," such as Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian and Chinese civilization, mysteries surrounding the life of Grand Historian Sima, the origin of the current edition of Records of the Grand Historian, the review of various theories on the limits of Records of the Grand Historian, the three revisions of the narrative scope and the evolution of the book's central theme, and the authentication of the authenticity of Shiji Zhengyi Yicun, the author has achieved significant breakthroughs. The book is distinguished by its detailed arguments, meticulous research, insightful perspectives, and originality. The biographies of Tao Yuanming and Li Qingzhao included in the fifth volume are practice works written by the author while studying the historical narrative style of Grand Historian Sima for the Biographies of Outstanding Figures of the Chinese Nation series published by the China Youth Press. They are also quite vivid. This book is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students of literature and history, scholars, and a broad readership.