The First Emperor
Book description
'The following year Qin unified all under Heaven and the title of August Emperor was immediately adopted.'
The short-lived Qin dynasty unified China in 221 BC and created an imperial legacy that lasted until 1911. The extraordinary story of the First Emperor, founder of the dynasty, is told in the…
Why read it?
1 author picked The First Emperor as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I am recommending this collection of eight essays from the immense Historical Records primarily for Chapter 7, “The Story of the Rebel Xiang Yu.” This is a rebel who didn’t win – Xiang Yu was defeated by the man who went on to found the Han Dynasty in 202 BCE, which makes this perhaps China’s most famous tale of personal failure. The Grand Historian Sima Qian veered from his format to write this biography because he had so much to say about Xiang Yu. As I work on my own novels about the founding of the Ming, I keep Xiang…
From Laurie's list on entering the world of imperial China.
Want books like The First Emperor?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The First Emperor.
Browse books like The First Emperor
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in China, China History, and presidential biography?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about China, China History, and presidential biography.