This second volume of the history of the Han dynasty consists of chapters dealing principally with the reign of Emperor Wu, one of the most energetic and strong-willed of China's Rulers.
Here the historian is chronicling events he has witnessed and writing of the men he personally knows or has known.
In Nagano Hozan's (1783-1837) words, He makes us see in our minds the character of the men of the time, and this is why he is a great historian.
:About the Author Burton Watson is a renowned translator of Chinese and Japanese literature and an Adjunct Professor of Chinese and Japanese at Columbia University.
His recent translations include Ryokan: Zen-Monk Poet of Japan, Saigyo: Poems of a Mountain Home, and The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry.
He lives in Japan.
Columbia University Press Records of the grand historian: han dynasty, volume 2, paperback/qian sima
