Chinese Originals & Records
The original novels and historical records
History vs. Romance
To study this era, one must understand the difference between the 3rd-century historical record (Records of the Three Kingdoms) and the 14th-century historical novel (Romance of the Three Kingdoms). While the novel is a literary masterpiece that defined the popular perception of the heroes, it contains significant fictionalization. The records represent the actual history.
I. The Original Novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The classic 120-chapter historical novel that popularized the Three Kingdoms era. The 17th-century Mao Lun and Mao Zonggang recension standardized the format and text, serving as the basis for most modern editions and English translations.
II. The Historical Records
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The official, authoritative history of the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). Rather than a single narrative, it is a collection of biographical accounts organized into 65 fascicles covering the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu.
There is NO complete, professional English translation of this historical text.
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms
Commissioned to annotate Chen Shou's work, Pei Songzhi consulted over 200 other historical sources—many now lost—adding vital commentary, alternative accounts, and nearly doubling the length of the original text. The combined 'Sanguozhi zhu' is the standard scholarly text.
There is NO complete English translation of Pei Songzhi's extensive annotations.