Biography and Works of Sima Qian: A Critical Examination

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. On major issues in "Shiji Studies," such as the connection between Records of the Grand Historian and Chinese civilization, the mysteries surrounding Sima Qian's life, the tracing of the origins 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 themes, and the authentication of the Commentary on the Records of the Grand Historian, the author has achieved significant breakthroughs. The book is distinguished by its thorough argumentation, meticulous research, insightful perspectives, and originality. The biographies of Tao Yuanming and Li Qingzhao included in the fifth volume are the author's practice works in the historical narrative style of Sima Qian, written for the Biographies of Outstanding Figures of the Chinese Nation series by the China Youth Press. They are also quite vivid. This book is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students in literature and history, scholars, and a broad readership.