The First Emperor of China

by Frances Wood

Unifier or destroyer, law-maker og tyrant? As merciless in war as he was gifted in administration the First Emperor of China still divides opinion 2,000 years after his death. He ascended to the throne of Qin at just thirteen, but before reaching the age of forty he had defeated all of the Warring States and declared himself the first imperial ruler of a united China. He stressed the rule of law but suppressed all opposition - burning books and burying scholars alive. His military achievements are reflected in the astonishing terracotta warriors that surround his tomb, and his Great Wall still fascinates the world today.

Vilified by subsequent dynasties and historians, the myths that surrounded the First Emperor are examined by Frances Wood in this captivating study of a remarkable and controversial figure.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Biography, Archaeology, Ancient, Ancient History

209 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

From Wikipedia:

Frances Wood (Chinese: 吴芳思; pinyin: Wú Fāngsī; born 1948) is an English librarian, sinologue and historian known for her writings on Chinese history, including Marco Polo, life in the Chinese treaty ports, and the First Emperor of China.

Biography
Wood was born in London in 1948, and went to art school in Liverpool in 1967, before going to Newnham College, Cambridge University, where she studied Chinese. She went to China to study Chinese at Peking University in 1975–1976.[2]

in March 2001
Wood joined the staff of the British Library in London in 1977 as a junior curator, and later served as curator of Chinese collections until her retirement in 2013.[3][4] She is also a member of the steering committee of the International Dunhuang Project,[5] and the editor of the Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society.[3] She was also a governor of Ashmount Primary School for 20 years, relinquishing this post on the completion of her current term of office in July 2014.

She has argued in her 1995 book, Did Marco Polo go to China?, that the book of Marco Polo (Il Milione) is not the account of a single person, but is a collection of travellers' tales. This book's claims about Polo's travels has been heavily criticized by Stephen G. Haw, David O. Morgan and Peter Jackson as lacking basic academic rigor.

Reviews

[Marilynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to read about the Terracotta Warriors. Chapter 11 would have been sufficient. I did read the entire book though. Much of it was repetitive. Still I learned a lot about China's First Emperor.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read about 70% of this book, the parts that related directly to my assignment.

Based on what I read, considering the very little information we have on the First Emperor (outside of Sima Qian's writing) it was informative and well written.

[Emily Fritz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn’t. I thought the book would provide scholarly information about the first emperor and his tomb, but the book seemed disorganized and without a clear purpose.

Some of this could be due to how little is actually known about the emperor, but the majority of the chapters made little reference to the emperor. The book did mention some other historical figures, but never did fully explain their purpose in the emperor’s life or their influence on him.

I was also disappointed that information about the terracotta warriors was only in the latter half of the book. I thought information about the warriors would be scattered throughout the book. This chapter seemed to be tacked on to go with the title.

This book does concern useful information about the emperor and his times, but it is lacking in a few areas.

[Tom Darrow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a good book. First, the title of the book is only mildly related what the author talks about. A more appropriate title would be "a bunch of random information about early China." Very little factual information exists about the first emperor, so Wood speculates a lot and uses sources from 100+ years before or after when the first emperor ruled. What little "factual" information that does exist is repeated numerous times. Speaking of repeating herself, she is very fond of lists. She will find a quote that has a list of animals or plants in an ancient garden, and then will spend an entire paragraph listing every plant or animal.

The book is stuffed with full page pictures, some of which aren't even really related to what she is talking about. So I'd say that about 20-25% of the pages of the book are pictures.

The section about the terracotta warriors, which is the subject that attracted me to the book in the first place, is only part of one chapter. It is pretty informative, but obviously the title was a tease.

Finally, the last chapter is complete unrelated garbage. It is all about Maoist China. If Wood wanted to talk about the impact that the first emperor had over time, she should have covered that topic for more than just that one time period.

If you cut our the pictures, lists, repeated information, etc. you might have about 25 pages that actually relate to the title of the book. This should have been published as an academic article, but then no one would read it.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly enjoyable, equally informative and easy to read. As a novice on Chinese history, modern and ancient, this was a welcome introduction. Each chapter felt like a Kinder egg, a new unexpected perspective on who the First Emperor was in his time and how his portrayal throughout succeeding Chinese empires and in popular culture has evolved. I particularly enjoyed the final chapter on how Mao aimed to reshape popular imagination of the First Emperor, the chapters on the Burning of the Books and Standardization of the Weights and Measures, the brief (I wish there was a bit more) discussion and recurring threads on Confucianism, Legalism and Daoism, and the Drugs of Immortality chapter’s discussion of the body & two souls and recipe gentlemen. All in all, a fascinating read that didn’t disappoint and opened up many questions and curiosities for future reading and research.

[Michael Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zheng became the King of Qin in 247BC at the age of 13. He then ruled for 37 years during which he conquered the Warring States and unified China.

Little is actually known about the Emperor, but this book provides the known facts in a clear format. The book reviews the feats of the Emperor from the building of the Great War, legalization to standardization. It also discusses the burning of the books and the killing of the scholars.

Whilst the First Emperor, who took the title Qin Shi Huangdi, is best known for the Terracotta Warriors, this book gives more details on his life and works which China.

[Arend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief account of China’s “First Emperor”. Interesting, but with odd moments in tone (archness substituting for humor) and digression (long lists in one chapter, for example, that seemed to add little of use). She remarks being “nostalgically fond of the crazy rhetoric [of the Cultural Revolution]” which shows a very deliberate ironic distance that explains why she never managed to pull me in to what is a fascinating subject.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, like many of the other reviews I read the title of this book is horribly misleading. While it's still an ok read one wouls expect the book to be about China's first Emperor and the terra cotta soldiers that herded his tomb.

Instead it felt like the first Emperor, his tomb (an extravagant buried city) and his soldiers were nothing more of a passing thought throughout the book.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve tight chapters investigate and elucidate aspects of First Emperor's legacy--god bad and rumored. Good balance. Final chapter on legacy as it has affected and been used to affect Post WWII Chinese politics.

3.5 / 5.0

Short but well written. Dense information in accessible prose.

[Travelmaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deceptive title. As much as I enjoyed learning about the First Emperor, the warriors aren't really mentioned until after page 120, and there's about one chapter on them. It's the warriors I really wanted to learn more about.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering the little knowledge we have it’s a good insight into China’s first

[Patrick Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

didnt reveal much that i hadnt already learnt from a 40 minute youtube documentary. Lots of repeated useless detail and a totally superfluous chapter on post revolution 20th century politics.

[Hendel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow information, sometimes outdated and sometimes just wrong. Fine to extract some references to other book better written.

[L. Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and succinct distillation of what is known about China's first emperor and his impact on history. Highly readable and very informative.

[Yooperprof · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the historiographical approach.

I learned a lot.

[Kayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5/5) I sped through this book and though at some points became confused, came away with a better understanding not only of China's first emperor but also the ways in which historical figures can be misjudged and manipulated.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've recently become interested in learning more about China, particularly its 3,000+ year history. When I saw China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors in the course of my collection development activities for my job, I thought that it would be a good addition to our library's collection and also a fascinating book to read. So I ordered it, and checked it out as soon as it came in. I was not disappointed!

Qin Shi Huangdi was the very first emperor of what would come to be known in the Western world as China, a name that probably came from him ("Qin" is pronounced "Chin"). He unified the warring provinces of China, and kept them together by means of a centralized beauracracy and a standardized and codified law system, rather than the previous feudal system. Qin Shi Huangdi also standardized all weights and measures used in China, and it was during his reign that the Chinese system of written characters became used throughout the land. Today's Chinese characters are written a bit differently, but are direct descendents of those used during Huangdi's reign.

Despite these interesting achievements, Qin Shi Huangdi is perhaps best known for causing the creation of two world wonders: the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army. Huangdi's part in the Great Wall may be doubted, however, as there is no direct evidence in the parts that exist today were built during his time. This may be because they have been covered over by more recent construction, or that the stones have been re-used, which has been known to occur in China. Other walls around the country have been found that date to Huangdi's reign.

There is no question, however, about the origin of the Terracotta Army, a much more recent archaeological find. Three different sets of life-sized men, all unique, completely outfitted for battle and made entirely of ceramics (except for their weapons, which were crafted the same way actual weapons used by the Chinese army were made) surround Huangdi's magnificent tomb. Scholars speculate that there would have been a fourth set of soldiers, except Huangdi died before that set could be completed. The description of the Terracotta Army in the book is fascinating, although I wished for some pictures!

For an excellent and readable introduction to this fascinating (and mysterious - we really don't know much about him) ruler, China's First Emperor is an excellent choice. I am glad I read it, and glad I bought it for our library!

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn about Chinese history here is a short easy way to start. You won't learn much about the Terracotta Warriors as promised in the subtitle, but the essentials about the First Emperor are here.

There is an overview of his rise to power, his achievements and the modern interpretations of his legacy. Issues, such as Confucianism vs. Daoism, wall building and did he or didn't he burn books are discussed.

There are lots of illustrations. They are placed alongside of the material they illuminate.

The last chapter about how the symbolism of the First Emperor figures in more recent Chinese politics is interesting, but doesn't quite fit. It seems as though it was an essay used for some other purpose edited to fit this one.

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The language was simple and concise, a good combination for a person who is exploring a culture and its history for the first time. The greatest downfall was also one of the book's highlights: repitition throughout the chapters. Often, Wood revisited a story or archeological find to demonstrate how it contributed to the topic under discussion. A straight read-through may leave the reader feeling unsatisfied or deemed unintelligent; however, if read over the course of many days, revisiting the different elements feels refreshing--unlike school, the author does not expect the reader to retain the information and is willing to repeat himself for the reader's benefit and ease.

[Don]

Qin Shi Huangdi (秦始皇帝), the first emperor of unified China, is best known today for the thousands of terracotta warriors buried near his mausoleum. These three titles cover diverse aspects of his life, death, and legacy. While Wood’s book is the much more absorbing read, Man’s includes two sections of beautiful color plates. The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army, published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, is lavishly illustrated with photos and diagrams, and gives the most insight into the construction and meaning of the tomb sites.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched and insightful view of the Emperor Qin's life and times which attempts to provide a balanced view of his reputation as a cruel tyrant. The author struggles due to the limited documentation from the period but we do get a picture of an interesting and driven man. The chapter on the warriors is clear and concise, a good introduction to this marvel of archeology. The chapter on how Mao used the reputation of the emperor to create his own myth is an interesting insight into the importance of history in modern China.

[Wes Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, but not so much about the first emperor of Qin. In large part this is just a quick summary of early Chinese history and in some places one gets the feeling that Wood is merely trying to fill space in the book with various pieces of information. Yet it is a good and quick read for anyone interested in learning about China's early history.

[Jenine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, dipping a toe into the long and plenty complicated history of Chinese ancient history. The terracotta warriors are mostly a jumping off point rather than the true focus of the book. The last part which touches on modern (1950s-1970s) Chinese political uses of historical characters was the weakest part of the book. Or perhaps it was the part I was least interested in.

[Zombie Karin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay, but def mis-named: very little about the warriors. I found the information a bit hard to follow, maybe because of the writing style. There were a lot of (what felt like) non-sequiturs, and random jumps of logic and information. But I did learn about the First Emperor.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's definitely for archaeologists/amateur historians with the details about pottery types and agricultural styles. Knowing nothing about the period, I learned s lot, but I wanted more. I still don't feel like I have a good understanding of the man or the time period.

[Madeleine McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book informs the reader as to the time of the First Emperor of China and disspells some of the stories about him. Like he didn't really bury scholars alive nor burn books. If you're interested in this era of Chinese history, this is a good book to read.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, quick read that gives a good overview of what historians have been able to piece together about the first Qin Emperor, his rule and his death, while giving context to the legends and histories written about him long after his reign. A good introduction to further study.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book but it was mostly about the First Emperor and very little about the Terracotta Warriors.

[Zjay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the last chapter (on Modern China's revival of the First Emperor) less useful.

[Jamie Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is extremely different than most of my books. I taught a unit on this subject and the folklore as described in this book caught my attention.