Xiang Yu and Liu Bang (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: (Japanese) Sima Qianlang
Publisher:
Publishing 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 dual confrontation 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 hero for life, why did he ultimately lose at Gaixia? Liu Bang, rising from a commoner with a sword, how did he emerge from chaos to become the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty? Why did the humble Han Xin switch sides from Xiang Yu to Liu Bang? How did Zhang Liang become China's unparalleled strategist? Chen Ping's successive cunning plots, Zhao Gao's twisted desires, Zhang Han's reluctant betrayal, Xiang Liang's tragic fate, Peng Yue's callousness, the sorcery-like strategies of Hou Sheng, Cai Tong, and Lu Jia—all the good and evil, righteousness and desire, the cruelty and fragility of the human heart, the tough and subtle—through the vivid characters who enter and exit under Sima Qianlang's pen, readers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotional shocks. The story reaches its climax at the end, cutting off abruptly like a snapped string. was first published in 1977 in the prestigious Japanese literary magazine Shōsetsu Shinchō, originally titled "Han Wind, Chu Rain." After its publication, it immediately caused a sensation, attracting countless readers. Two years and four months after its serialization, the standalone book was released, receiving rave reviews and quickly becoming a household name in Japan, as well as 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" between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang.
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 dual confrontation 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 hero for life, why did he ultimately lose at Gaixia? Liu Bang, rising from a commoner with a sword, how did he emerge from chaos to become the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty? Why did the humble Han Xin switch sides from Xiang Yu to Liu Bang? How did Zhang Liang become China's unparalleled strategist? Chen Ping's successive cunning plots, Zhao Gao's twisted desires, Zhang Han's reluctant betrayal, Xiang Liang's tragic fate, Peng Yue's callousness, the sorcery-like strategies of Hou Sheng, Cai Tong, and Lu Jia—all the good and evil, righteousness and desire, the cruelty and fragility, the tough and subtle—through the vivid characters who enter and exit under Sima Qianlang's pen, readers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotional shocks. The story reaches its climax at the end, cutting off abruptly like a snapped string. was first published in 1977 in the prestigious Japanese literary magazine Shōsetsu Shinchō, originally titled "Han Wind, Chu Rain." After its publication, it immediately caused a sensation, attracting countless readers. Two years and four months after its serialization, the standalone book was released, receiving rave reviews and quickly becoming a household name in Japan, as well as 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" between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang.