The Battle of Chibi (Red Cliffs)

Long ago, along a stretch of a river deep and wide but far away from the consciousness or imagination of anyone outside All under Heaven, a battle was fought that determined the fate of its people for the next four hundred years. The Battle of Chibi vividly retells selections (translated by the author) from the great Chinese classic, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This novel combines fascinating characters in action as well as ideas in conflict and battle scenes, deception, and earnest debate; there is even a marriage arranged for the purpose of entrapping of the Loyalist leader. The narrative weaves together stories, drama, poetry--events and episodes that have engrossed Asian readers and listeners for the last seventeen hundred years. Above all, the warriors and leaders in this retelling, their loyalties and conflicts, show why this classic has been valued as the best introduction to Chinese thought.