Web ThreeKingdoms



About the book Romance of Three Kingdoms:

ROTK, aka Three Kingdoms, is the most popular novel in Asia. Written 600 years ago, it tells the epic of Han Dynasty in China during the 2nd and 3rd century. Sometimes I look at this old story and marvel to see it glow as the time goes by. In video games alone, I know 5 titles related to ROTK.

In paper book, I have read 3 full English translations of ROTK, of which one translation has been lost many years ago. But the other two are much more popular among readers. One is by C.H. Brewitt-Taylor, and another by Moss Roberts. I own 5 editions of Brewitt-Taylor (1925, 1929, 1959, 1985, 1995), and 3 Roberts' editions (1976, 1991, 1999). Since ROTK fans often want to purchase paper books, they email me quite frequently to ask about the info of these editions. So, I will write here the info I know about the books, hoping that it would help you select the suitable ones.

Abridge vs. Full: Regardless of edition, don't buy abridged versions of ROTK. Moss Roberts has a full version and an abridged version, and they may confuse you. When you read the cover of the book, pay attention to whether the word "abridged" is present in the cover or the publisher reviews. If it is, don't go for it. The full version is much more enjoyable.

Size of the Book: ROTK is a huge book of 120 chapters and from 1,100 to 1,700 pages (depending on paper and font sizes). So, it is published in several volumes (from 2 to 4 volumes). When you purchase the books, try to buy a complete set. ROTK is often sold in complete set, but somehow one of Brewitt-Taylor's versions is sold in separate volumes.

Moss Roberts (Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel): The English translation of ROTK by Moss Roberts is the best translation I have ever seen. It is more enjoyable than the original Chinese text, I truly agree. Here is the one reason: Professor Roberts provides us 250 extra pages of notes, which come from various sources, from both history and traditions. I have read a few original texts, and the editions I read do not give as much information. Beside notes, Professor Roberts also supplies several useful maps of battles. One advantage of this translation is that it is new, and therefore, it uses the modern Pinyin name system (names like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan---those names are used in games, too). Below are the covers of different editions. The links point to the full translation, which I recommend, and you can purchase it online:

C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (Romance of Three Kingdoms): The English translation of ROTK by Brewitt-Taylor is very old. Therefore, it uses the Yale name system (names like Tsao Tsao, Liu Pei, and Sun Chuan), which is less popular today. A disadvantage of this translation is that it does not provide background information like Roberts' version. This translation is like a pure novel, from page 1 to ending page---no maps, no notes. Furthermore, it has many errors that haven't got corrected since the first edition. With so many flaws, why should the readers be interested? Well, if you collect ROTK books like I do, you may want to buy several of them. But one important thing is that the translation of Brewitt-Taylor is very beautiful in literature style. The language in this version is fluid and suitable to ROTK, perhaps partly due to its old English. Here are some of its covers (be careful, the books are sold separately in 2 volumes):



Non-English translations: Since ROTK is well-known in East Asia, it's easy to find a copy in Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. in your local bookstore. Some readers ask if there are translations in French, German, Spanish, or Russian. My answer is "Maybe there are." I have seen a French translation published by Flammarion (7 volumes). Since I don't know French, I cannot tell if it is a good translation or not. A reader (Diego Rodriguez) also told me there's a Spanish translation in Beijing (cost about US $300). Another reader (Bas Suverkropp) says there's an "abridged" German translation by Franz Kuhn. If you come across these versions or any other versions, please email me your review. Amazingly, a reader (AJ) sent me a link to an online Russian translation of ROTK History Records here .