For a Kinder, Gentler Society
The Road to the Throne
How Liu Bang Founded China's Han Dynasty
  • Hing Ming Hung
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The Road to the Throne . How Liu Bang Founded China's Han Dynasty
Sound Bite
Liu Bang was a low-ranking functionary in an obscure corner of the realm when he caught the wave of great uprisings against the Qin Dynasty in China. First as leader of a local contingent and then as general of larger and larger armies, he eventually overthrew the despotic Qin emperor and brought the Han people to power. The Han are the majority ethnic identity in today's China.

About the Author

Hung Hing Ming studied English at China’s most prestigious university in the early 1960s and went on to work as an official interpreter and translator working with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

He taught English at Zhongshan University (Dr. Sun Yat San University), Guangzhou, in 1984 and again from 1987 to 1991, as an associate professor and an instructor for graduate students in the Foreign Languages and Literature Department. He was a visiting scholar at the University of California at Berkeley and at the University of Kansas from late 1984 to 1987, when he earned his Masters degree in linguistics, before returning to Zhongshan University. In 1991, Mr. Hung moved to Hong Kong where he worked as a legal translator with international law firms for close to 20 years.

Mr. Hung is writing a series of biographies to introduce some of China’s most emblematic historical figures to the American public.

About the Book
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...
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: ?? or shiji) by the great Sima Qian (145 BC'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.

Pages 254
Year: 2011
LC Classification: DS748.16.H354H86 2011
Dewey code: 931'.04--dc22
BISAC: HIS008000 HISTORY / Asia / China
BISAC: BIO014000 BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Royalty
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ISBN: 978-0-87586-837-0
Price: USD 22.95
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ISBN: 978-0-87586-838-7
Price: USD 32.95
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