New Book Announcement: “Kingdoms in Peril, Volumes 1-4” by Feng Menglong, translated by Olivia Milburn

Kingdoms in Peril: Volumes 1-4, Feng Menglong , Olivia Milburn (trans) (University of California Press, October 2023)
Kingdoms in Peril: Volumes 1-4, Feng Menglong, Olivia Milburn (trans) (University of California Press, October 2023)

One of the great works of Chinese literature, Kingdoms in Peril is an epic historical novel charting the five hundred years leading to the unification of the country in 221 BCE under the rule of the legendary First Emperor. Writing some fourteen hundred years later, the Ming-era author Feng Menglong drew on a vast trove of literary and historical documents to compose a gripping narrative account of how China was forged.

Detailing the stories of unforgettable characters who defined and shaped the times in which they lived, the complete edition of Kingdoms in Peril is a vital resource for those seeking a comprehensive overview of China’s ancient past and the political machinations that led to its unification. There are many historical works that provide an account of some of these events, but none are as thrilling and breathtakingly memorable as Kingdoms in Peril.

 

Kingdoms in Peril, Volumes 1-4
by Feng Menglong, translated by Olivia Milburn
University of California Press, October 2023