Ssu-ma Ch'ien (145-ca. 86 BC) served for several decades as a high official at the court of the Han Emperor Wu around the year 100 BC. As China's greatest historian, he overcame political and personal conflicts to complete this huge narrative account of ancient China, from its beginnings through the end of the second century BC. William H. Nienhauser, Jr., is Halls-Bascom Professor Emeritus of Classical Chinese Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature (two volumes, Indiana University Press, 1985, 1998), (as translator) Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical by André Lévy (Indiana University Press, 2000), and (as editor and translator) the previous volumes of The Grand Scribe's Records. He is a founding editor of the journal Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR).

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

On Using This Book

A Note on Chronology

Weights and Measures

List of Abbreviations

Po Yi, Memoir

Kuan Yi-wu and Yen Ying, Memoir

Lao Tzu and Han Fei, Memoir

Marshal Jang-chu, Memoir

Sun Tzu and Wu Ch'i, Memoir

Wu Tzu Hsu, Memoir

Confiucius's Disciples, Memoir

The Lord of Shang, Memoir

Su Ch'in, Memoir

Chang Yi, Memoir

Shu-li Tzu and Kan Mao, Memoir

The Marquis of Jang, Memoir

Pai Ch'i and Wang Chien, Memoir

Meng Tzu and Excellency Hsun, Memoir

The Lord of Meng-ch'ang, Memoir

The Lord of P'ing-yuan and Excellency Yu, Memoir

The Noble Scion of Wei, Memoir

The Lord of Ch'un-shen, Memoir

Fan Sui and Ts'ai Tse, Memoir

Yueh Yi, Memoir

Lien P'o and Lin Hsiang-ju, Memoir

T'ien Tan, Memoir

Lu Chung Lien and Tsou Yang, Memoir

Ch'u Yuan and Scholar Chia, Memoir

Lu Pu-wei, Memoir

The Assassin-Retainers, Memoir

Li Ssu, Memoir

Meng T'ien, Memoir

Bibliography

Index

Maps