Xiang Yu and Liu Bang - (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Sima Qianlang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: One is the invincible Xiang Yu, the of Chu; the other is Liu Bang, the who fights and flees. In Chinese history, there may be no duel as dramatic and legendary as the "Struggle between Chu and Han"! This is the story of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang's struggle for supremacy, as well as a thrilling spectacle of power and wisdom among the legendary figures like Xiang Liang, Xiao He, Han Xin, Zhang Liang, and Chen Ping. Xiang Yu, a lifelong hero, why did he ultimately lose at Gaixia? Liu Bang, rising from a humble commoner with a sword, how did he become the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty? Why did the poor scholar Han Xin switch sides from Xiang Yu to Liu Bang? How did Zhang Liang become China's unparalleled strategist? Chen Ping's successive schemes, Zhao Gao's twisted desires, Zhang Han's reluctant betrayal, Xiang Liang's tragic fate, Peng Yue's indifference, the sorcery-like strategies of Hou Sheng, Cai Tong, and Lu Jia—good and evil, righteousness and desire, the cruelty and fragility of the human heart, the fierce and the subtle—through the vivid characters who enter and exit in Sima Qianlang's narrative, readers are taken on a series of emotional rollercoasters. The story reaches its climax at the end, ending abruptly like a snapped string. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang was first published in 1977 in the prestigious Japanese literary magazine Shōsetsu Shinchō, originally titled "Han Wind, Chu Rain." After its serialization, it immediately caused a sensation, attracting countless readers. Two years and four months later, when it was released as a standalone book, it was met with rave reviews and quickly became a household name in Japan, becoming the best-selling novel in Japanese history. It held this record until 1987, when it was surpassed by Norwegian Wood. Over more than three decades, this most influential historical novel in Japanese publishing history has only grown sharper, now hailed as the definitive classic of the "Struggle between Chu and Han."
One is the invincible Xiang Yu, the of Chu; the other is Liu Bang, the who fights and flees. In Chinese history, there may be no duel as dramatic or legendary as the "Struggle between Chu and Han"! This is the story of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang's struggle for supremacy, as well as a thrilling spectacle of power and wisdom among the legendary figures like Xiang Liang, Xiao He, Han Xin, Zhang Liang, and Chen Ping. Xiang Yu, a lifelong hero, why did he ultimately lose at Gaixia? Liu Bang, rising from a humble commoner with a sword, how did he become the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty? Why did the poor scholar Han Xin switch sides from Xiang Yu to Liu Bang? How did Zhang Liang become China's unparalleled strategist? Chen Ping's successive schemes, Zhao Gao's twisted desires, Zhang Han's reluctant betrayal, Xiang Liang's tragic fate, Peng Yue's indifference, the sorcery-like strategies of Hou Sheng, Cai Tong, and Lu Jia—good and evil, righteousness and desire, the cruelty and fragility of the human heart, the fierce and the subtle—through the vivid characters who enter and exit in Sima Qianlang's narrative, readers are taken on a series of emotional rollercoasters. The story reaches its climax at the end, ending abruptly like a snapped string. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang was first published in 1977 in the prestigious Japanese literary magazine Shōsetsu Shinchō, originally titled "Han Wind, Chu Rain." After its serialization, it immediately caused a sensation, attracting countless readers. Two years and four months later, when it was released as a standalone book, it was met with rave reviews and quickly became a household name in Japan, becoming the best-selling novel in Japanese history. It held this record until 1987, when it was surpassed by Norwegian Wood. Over more than three decades, this most influential historical novel in Japanese publishing history has only grown sharper, now hailed as the definitive classic of the "Struggle between Chu and Han."