Wilt L. Idema is Research Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University.Stephen H. West is Foundation Professor of Chinese, Arizona State University.
Idema and West have been collaborating on the production of scholarly works on, and translations of, Chinese vernacular literature for decades and their work has set a very high standard for scholarly value, accuracy, and readability. This is their second volume on popular treatments of the famous Three Kingdoms period,a fascinating age that, as a topic, has dominated both traditional Chinese fiction anddrama ... Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language ... presents a comprehensive introduction to all of the main characters (Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Cao Cao, Zhou Yu, etc.) and events (the Oath in the Peach Garden, The Battle at the Red Cliff, The Single Sword Meeting, etc.) that are so well known in China and deserve to be even better known in the West. -- David Rolston, University of Michigan A rollicking story cycle translated into lively English and ideal for undergraduate instruction. Also a crisp yet well annotated Introduction. Idema and West are two the best! Paul R. Goldin, University of Pennsylvania