When Liu Bang, the eponymous protagonist of this novel, set out to conquer all under Heaven, he was already 47 years old. A medium-built, foul-mouthed peasant with a reputation as a ne’er-do-well, a womanizer, and a drunkard, who, though literate, never cared much about literature, he seemed to have a slim chance at success at a time when all the heroes in the realm contended for power and dominance. Against all odds, he defeated his rivals to found the Han dynasty, and quelled the numerous rebellions that challenged his rule. 本書以史實與故事兼容之手法，描述歷史人物劉邦以平民出身，卻能扭轉情勢爭奪天下的經過。
Welcome to Chinese Biography series. In this book, we will discover the life of Liu Bang (刘邦传, 256 BC-195 BC), the founder of China's Han Dynasty. Liu Bang, also known as Han Gaozu (汉高祖), ruled the Han Empire from 206 BC to 195 BC. The Biography series is dedicated to helping Mandarin Chinese learners improve Chinese reading skills. In this series, we will discover lives of some of the most famous people in Chinese history. Each book will introduce a famous Chinese personality whose contributions were immense to shape China's future. The books in Biography series contain numerous lessons in Mandarin Chinese. We start with a brief introduction of the book in the preface (前言), a brief introduction to the person, and continues to dig his life and relevant issues. Each book contains 6 to 10 chapters made of simple Chinese sentences. For the readers' convenience, a comprehensive list of words (vocabulary) has been provided at the beginning of each chapter. The pinyin for the Chinese text is provided after the main text. Further, to enforce a deeper learning, the English interpretation of the Chinese text has been purposely excluded from the books. This would help the readers think deeply about the contents the way native Chinese do. In order to help the students of Mandarin Chinese remember important characters, words, long words, idioms, etc., these entities have been purposely repeated throughout the book, and across the books in the series. Taken together, the books in Biography series will tremendously help readers improve their Chinese reading skills. I blog at: www.QuoraChinese.com
China is one of the world's oldest uninterrupted civilizations, and the essential culture and identity of the Chinese people--the Chinese Way--was formed more than 2,000 years ago. This volume chronicles the development of Chinese civilization from Neolithic times, when agriculture revolutionized society, to the early first century A.D., when the Han dynasty's triumph over a usurper firmly established a social and governmental model that would survive into the 20th century. Ancient History of China presents China's important formative legends; relates the story of China's early Bronze and Iron Age cultures; chronicles the chaotic periods of warfare that preceded the unification of the country in the third century B.C.; and introduces such influential figures as the philosopher Confucius and the emperor Shi Huang Di, who built the Great Wall and commissioned the sculpting of a huge terra-cotta army to guard his grave. Students will be fascinated by this fast-moving and informative account.
The dynasties of ancient China ruled the country for centuries. The contributions of the leaders and people of this time have a legacy that can still be seen in Chinese culture today. This title begins with background information on China before the Qin conquest and ends with the end of the Han Dynasty in AD 220. Readers learn about life in Chinese cities and the countryside, as well as important social studies topics such as religion, class structure, education, family life, food, and clothing. By the end of this title, readers will understand how cultural life in Han China set a pattern that is still seen today.
The book is the volume of "From Xia Dynasty to Qing Dynasty: An Overview of the History of Chinese Dynasties" among a series of books for "China Classified Histories".
Learn all about the fascinating lives and tremendous impact of 100 influential leaders around the world and throughout history with this fact-filled biography collection for kids 8 and up This easy-to-read biography collection includes: 100 one-page biographies: Find out how these individuals from around the world changed the course of history! Illustrated portraits: Each biography includes an illustration to help bring history to life! A timeline, trivia questions, project ideas, and more: Boost your learning and test your knowledge with fun activities and resources! From Hammurabi to Catherine the Great, Winston Churchill to Nelson Mandela and many more, readers will dive into the lives of 100 kings, dictators, popes, prime ministers, and presidents from all over the world. Organized chronologically, this thoroughly researched biography collection offers a look at how the actions of each leader have affected the course of human history, even hundreds and thousands of years after their reign.
Saigon, Kampuchea, and Burma. These names of places in Asia are like many that once existed but now officially do not. As the times have changed, so have the names, but many of the old labels still live on. To forget them would be to forget the people and events that made those places what they are today. Readers will find accounts of one city, three countries, and four empires. Unfortunately, much of the history of these places is extremely bloody. Stories of wars, mass killings, executions, and uprisings fill these pages. However, readers will also find tales of people who stood tall in the middle of all that chaos, destruction, and horror. They may not have always won their battles, but with great courage, they always held out hope for a better future.
This is the story of the rise of Emperor Gaozu, his alliances and his rivalries, and the priceless partnership provided by his chief military strategist Zhang Liang, who planned victorious campaigns from 1000 miles distance; Xiao He, who stabilized the state, pacified the people, and assured the food supply to the army; and General Han Xin, who commanded the Han army in its conquest of the State of Wei, the State of Zhao, the State of Yan and the State of Qi and played a great role in the defeat of Xiang Yu. Most of the material used in writing The Road to the Throne are taken from the Records of the Grand Historian (Chinese: 史記 or shiji) by the great Sima Qian (145 BC to 85 BC) of the Early Han Dynasty, which is not only a great work of history but also a great work of literature. Interwoven into the chronological narrative of battles fought and alliances forged, forced, or flouted, we find edifying examples of good leadership versus bad, hot-headed fighters versus disciplined warriors who bide their time and win the day, and lessons on how to test and win people's loyalty, and how to prevail under the most disadvantageous conditions. In an era we may think was run by sheer force and autocratic rule, the greatest achievements are credited to the person who accepts advice, who rewards wise subordinates, and who shares the spoils rather than playing winner-takes-all.
