China's first general history in biographical form, this work records more than three thousand years of history, from the time of the Yellow Emperor in high antiquity to the fourth year of the Taichu era under Emperor Wu of Han. It is divided into five parts: Basic Annals, Hereditary Houses, Biographies, Treatises, and Tables. Guided by the aim of “investigating the relationship between Heaven and humanity, understanding the changes from ancient to modern times, and creating a distinctive school of thought,” it brings its characters vividly to life and tells its stories with concise, lively prose. Lu Xun praised it as “the supreme achievement of historians, a poem without rhyme.” A model for later historical works, it combines immense historical value with literary appeal.
