The Terra Cotta Army: China’s First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation by John Man (PDF)

Description

The Terra Cotta Army is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made. Over seven thousand life-size figures of warriors and horses were interred in the mausoleum of the first emperor of China—and each figure was individually carved.Weaving together history and a first-hand account of his experiences in China, John Man tells the fascinating story of how and why these astonishing figures were created in the third century BC, and how they have become a symbol of China’s history, culture, and society.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Charleston Post & Courier” “[Man] uses his skills as a travel writer to set the scene and fill it with vignettes…The folk stories and humorous incidents that salt the text prevent the dust of history from obscuring the glory of the story.”Joy Hog, 8/18/08 “If the tiny tidbits designed for the ADD crowd on NBC merely wet your palette for more, “The Great Wall” is a good place to start.” “Tucson Citizen,” 8/21/08 “A fascinating history.” “The Tucson Citizen,” 8/21/08 “A highly readable account.” “Acadiana LifeStyle,” September 2008 “[A] fascinating book…If you plan to go [to the traveling exhibit], buy this book first.” American Author’s Association website exciting an accounting of history as it gets!…John Man has a way of making history seem like a novel…Go buy a copy!” “Sun Lakes Splash” “A vivid account of the roots that formed the unique culture of China.””Library Journal,” 6/15/08″Brilliant and utterly readable…Reads much like an adventure story that offers fine access to this highly detailed subject.” “Roanoke Times,” 8/18/08″[An] engaging foray into Chinese history.””Charleston Post & Courier””[Man] uses his skills as a travel writer to set the scene and fill it with vignettes…The folk stories and humorous incidents that salt the text prevent the dust of history from obscuring the glory of the story.””Toronto Globe and Mail,” 7/19/08″[Man’s] travel journalism evocatively describes the terra cotta warriors as artifacts, and appropriately overwhelms us with their scale…Man’s prose attains precision and genuine awe.””Houston Chronicle” China book roundup”Provides essential background reading…Man is a genial guide…learned but not dry.””Augusta Metro Spirit,” 6/25/08″Worthy of praise…The narrative flows with an intricate knowledge…and personal insights that keep the reader flying along a path of discovery.””Roanoke Times” 5/11/0″If you can’t make it to China anytime soon to see the warriors, do the next best thing: Grab a warm cup of tea, sink into your favorite reading spot and open “The Terra Cotta Army” to the preface. And begin.” About the Author John Man is a historian and travel writer with a special interest in Asia. His many acclaimed books include bestselling biographies of Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun, as well as The Great Wall and The Terracotta Army. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐John Man’s book is a fun read. I purchased the book for my library to better understand The Terra Cotta Army and China’s First Emperor (one of many books on China now in my library). Nonetheless this book was an essential read prior to my recent visit to the High Museum in Atlanta, GA to soak-up The Terra Cotta Army display. The book enhanced my initial impressions and understanding. It was worth every penny for the factual knowledge it imparted.The book provided geographic insight to the site of the First Emporor’s tomb in Xian and the surrounding facilities. One of the more interesting aspects of the book was the account of the modern reproduction of the army in such a way as to give the book reader an cleaver idea of how the ancient Chinese may have produced such a wonder thousnads of years ago! The feat of the Terra Cotta Army production in ancient times combined with the vast unknown treasurers still to be explored are certainly mind-boggling! This book makes one think.Bottomline: Good book, fun read, provided insight.

⭐I had opportunity to attend the Terra Cotta Army exhibit at the Bower Museum, Santa Ana, California. I purchased this book on Amazon where it was discounted. Let me first comment that it might help if you read this book first before seeing the exhibit. The photographs are excellent and show much of what you will see at the exhibit. Unfortunately the text is rather uneven. On the positive side the beginning of the book, Part one which covers the discovery of the ARMY reads well as does the current state of restoration which ends the book as Part three. However, the history lesson in Part two of the book is dull and lifeless and it was my impression that Mr. Man just dictated and rambled through this section. When he devotes several pages to the film THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSIN or uses lines referencing the reader to having seen OFFICER AND GENTELMAN you know you’re in for tour guide writing 101. I did learn a lot, and recommend the book mainly as a tour guide introduction to the exhibit traveling the US this year. Otherwise, buy it for the photographs and read Parts one and three.

⭐Pretty interesting, makes me want to visit China one day.

⭐i’m a docent at the asian art museum in san francisco and this book was instrumental in helping me prepare for my public tour

⭐This book really complemented the exhibit of the Terra Cotta Warriors at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Great photos are included.

⭐for school not much to say.

⭐Book review: The Terra Cotta Army: China’s First Emperor and the Birth of a nationWhat would you take to your grave when you die? If you are like me, you would be buried with all the Michael Jackson’s albums, but if you are China’s first emperor, you might as well bring the entire army you had commanded during your reign. John Man’s The Terra Cotta Army: China’s First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation is a book that covers not only the discovery of the Terra Cotta Army’s development but also the history of the Qin dynasty and why the Terra Cotta army was constructed. John Man takes you on a journey through the city of Xian and shows you all the places you must go if you wish to visit the Terra Cotta warriors.The story began in 1974, where Zhang Zhifa and his five brothers are digging a well, and when suddenly was an encounter with hard red dirt, and what looked like bronze arrowheads. The brothers first disregarded and sold the arrowheads as scrap metal pieces. After the first head of a Terra Cotta warrior appeared, the brothers thought it was an earth God, and while they were away, “A 70-year-old lady picked up ahead, took it home, washed it, put it on her table, lit incense and prayed to it(PG9).” After a young local museum operator heard about these discoveries, he rushed down and knew it was something extraordinary. Man delivered first-hand information of the discovery directly to his audience, taking them on his journey in Xian. Man continued to tour Xian and find out what the discovery means to the people of Xian. For some people, it was considered bad luck to reveal dead spirits, for other, they will advertise and make a fortune for replicating and selling the Terra Cotta army figures to tourist. Overall Man’s writing about the discovery is the deliverance of an interesting and exciting tale.Imagine being a king at the age of 13, and all the neighboring states are looking for the opportunity to attack. Your only loyal prime minister turned out to be having an affair with your mother. Man delivers an excellent piece about the upbringing of Qin Shi Huang, and his struggles to deal with the politics at a very young age. Perhaps the biggest mystery this book will answer is why was the Terra Cotta Army built? The folks at the time believed in “two souls: the ‘spirit soul’, which inspired thoughts, virtues and artistic abilities and which flew off to the land of the immortals at the moment of death; and the ‘earth soul’, which was at that point left behind, in some way attached to the corpse, to be buried with it(PG98).” But the thought of the emperor was much different than the common folks. Man goes into detail of the possible account of why Qin created the Terra Cotta warriors. Man’s historical writing is mostly based on the grand Chinese historian Sima Qian, who was born in the Wu dynasty and revolutionized history writing during his time. Sima Qian worked as a historian court official during the Wu dynasty. Before Sima Qian, the historians would only write and reflect a specific event and time period, but Sima introduces a way of general history, which was broader and better reflected the society as a whole.Overall this book concludes by bringing the audience back to the present day where Terra Cotta warriors are still being discovered. By Man’s account, the whole tomb and area are approximately 38 square miles. The task of putting back together just a single warrior can take up to months, sometimes years! There are warriors still in the ground with clays broken apart; it takes time and patience to reattach them together carefully. The interesting question is how did the Terra Cotta warriors endure all the years on the ground without rotting? The secret to the clay is that the “binding medium used in the polychromes of the Terra Cotta Army is eggs(PG261).” So, if you are looking for a way to make time lasting clay, add some egg into your mix!The Terra Cotta Army: China’s First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation is a book that tells the dramatic history of Qin Shi Huang’s rise to power, and perfectly connects the creation of the Terra Cotta warriors. The present day’s discovery makes you want to book a plane ticket the next day to see the beauty of the old city. This book not only serves as a historical record of the Qin dynasty but also a scientific account of Terra Cotta’s discovery. I would recommend this book if you are considering visiting the Terra Cotta warriors. This book would serve as an excellent guide to give a deeper understanding of the Terra warrior, and when you visit, you will appreciate the monument not only for its construction but also for its rich history. This book can be found on amazon.com for $19.99.

⭐This is a subject I have always been interested in, and after seeing a travelling exhibition of some of the artifacts from the Last Emperor’s tomb at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, I was happy to delve into John Man’s book. He writes very clearly and with authority, and the theories he presents seem very well reasoned.My only negative about the style of his narrative was the way he jumped between relating the historical account and relating his own experiences visiting the site in modern day China. Sometimes it was a little jarring and disjointed.All in all a very informative book and a good, easy read.

⭐Good

⭐This book was a fascinating follow up to our trip to Shanghai and points north and south on a ten day trip.

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