China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors

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		China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors
		China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors

基本信息·出版社：St. Martin's Press
·页码：224 页
·出版日期：2008年06月
·ISBN：0312381123
·条形码：9780312381127
·装帧：精装
·正文语种：英语
·外文书名：秦始皇

内容简介 在线阅读本书

Unifier or destroyer, law-maker or tyrant? China’s First Emperor (258-210 BC) has been the subject of debate for over 2,000 years. He gave us the name by which China is known in the West and, by his unification or elimination of six states, he created imperial China. He stressed the rule of law but suppressed all opposition, burning books and burying scholars alive. His military achievements are reflected in the astonishing terracotta soldiers—a veritable buried army—that surround his tomb, and his Great Wall still fascinates the world.

Despite his achievements, however, the First Emperor has been vilified since his death. This book describes his life and times and reflects the historical arguments over the real founder of China and one of the most important men in Chinese history.

作者简介

FRANCES WOOD is head of the Chinese department at the British Library. She is also the author of multiple books, including, Did Marco Polo Go to China?, No Dogs and Not Many Chinese: A History of the Treaty Ports, and The Silk Road.

编辑推荐 From Booklist
This is the first biography of the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuangi. Westerners were largely ignorant of this enigmatic man until the discovery of thousands of terra-cotta and bronze soldiers, administrators, and animals, which were excavated in 1974 adjacent to his tomb. The discovery sparked foreign interest in Qin Shihuangi’s life and reign, and the publication of this biography coincides with the first American exhibition of the terra-cotta figures. Wood, head of the Chinese department at the British Library, reveals the emperor as a rather terrifying figure who willingly caused the deaths of tens of thousands of his subjects in pursuit of his projects, including starting the Great Wall and enforcing political and cultural unity. He combined cunning, ruthlessness, and military skill to unite a vast territory under his control. Yet he was undeniably a brilliant innovator and an effective ruler worthy of a prominent place in Chinese and world history, as this interesting and informative work illustrates. --Jay Freeman

Review

Praise for China's First Emporer and His Terracotta Warriors

‘Wood’s book is a readable introduction to a ruler who has been hailed both as his country’s founding father and vilified as a ruthless tyrant.’ – Sunday Times

‘Fascinating book’ – Mail on Sunday

‘great knowledge, lightly worn.’ Literary Review

‘wry, concise and authoritative.’ Times Literary Supplement

‘timely, and as sensible as it is concise.’ The Independent

‘Frances Wood presents a different portrait China's First Emporer, offering good reasons why myths of cruelty and megalomania should not be entirely believed.’ Metro

‘Essential reading and a colourful insight into a world in the making.’ – The Good Book Guide

‘a timely digest of English-language scholarship on the subject.’ – The Times

‘Wood’s thorough analysis of the history is heightened by sensuous descriptions that, along with poems, recipes and other quirky details, provide a vivid evocation of life in this period.’ - Waterstones’ Books Quarterly

Praise for Did Marco Polo Go to China?

“An authoritative book…likely to rock the foundation of a basic tenet of European civilization.”—The Times (UK)

“Profound but elegant scholarship, supported by a multitude of authoritative, perplexed sources, and aided by a dry engaging wit.”— Spectator (UK)

“Wonderfully lucid.”— Economist (UK)

Praise for No Dogs and Not Many Chinese: A History of Treaty Ports

“Vivid, highly enjoyable and witty.”—Daily Mail (UK)

“A superb book.”—Evening Standard (UK)

“A first-rate account...superbly written and entertaining.”—The Times (UK)

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