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Review
"John Man conjures up an ancient people in an alien landscape in such a way as to make them live."-"Guardian"
Book Description
The incredible story of China's greatest archaeological treasure - the Terracotta Army.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Taking in not only the Terracotta Army itself but also the life and death of the First Emperor of China and some discussion on the belief and burial customs of the Qin dynasty, this book is a greatly interesting read that I would recommend to any fan of Chinese history. The book is divided into three sections: the first detailing the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and the life and rise to power of First Emperor of China; the second tells the story of the construction of the First Emperor's tomb and the army itself; the final part details the finds from around the tomb complex, the restoration and conservation process, and the plans for the future of the entire site.
I greatly enjoyed John Man's previous books on Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan and once again I was really impressed by his writing. You can really tell that the author greatly enjoys his subject and his easy to read style really brings across his enthusiasm. Having been to China to see the Terracotta Warriors myself and I greatly enjoyed reading this book and remembering my trip.
Overall this was a very enjoyable book and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
I greatly enjoyed John Man's previous books on Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan and once again I was really impressed by his writing. You can really tell that the author greatly enjoys his subject and his easy to read style really brings across his enthusiasm. Having been to China to see the Terracotta Warriors myself and I greatly enjoyed reading this book and remembering my trip.
Overall this was a very enjoyable book and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
John Man's work is an interesting piece of history, archaeological debate, tourist guide and visual reference to the context and history of the Terracota Army.
I have given the work three stars because although it has particular strengths there are also some areas weaknesses that perhaps detract from the works appeal. The strengths of the text derive from the author's personal knowledge of the region having visited the area the book has the feel of something like a latter day Victorian explorer's diary combining strong geographic description and imagery with pointers to those wishing to visit the Terracotta army. The text further has the benefit of including a good discussion of how the tomb was made from assessing the figures in the source material (both sizes/measurements and numbers of labourers) as well as an illuminating discussion of the mass production of the terracotta soldiers themselves.
The weakness of the work is perhaps in its attempt to write history. John Man has a fondness for very judgemental anecdotes some of which overshadow the history they describe (several unhelpful references to 20th Century totalitarianism seem to detract from understanding the First Emperor - he seems to dismiss any religious component to rulership despite his own source material seeing the Emperor as a divine figure above the law rather than an ideological dictator) he also seems to offer random anecdotes which seem to confuse the point he is making including a gratuitous attack on the Qin religion and Christianity as being incomplete concepts (it is poorly handled and verges on the offensive in it's general dismissal of all religion). Anecdotes aside he also seems to be very opaque as to where he draws his historical narrative from and seems to lack solid analysis of how the first emperor succeeded in conquering the 6 other kingdoms. This is disappointing as there are few popular texts to cover this period in English and a real opportunity seems to have been lost.
The book is worth reading but perhaps as an interesting collection of genre's, I prefer to think of it like a miniature Herodotus, a westerner travelling East reporting his journey for the benefit of a western audience. In this respect the account seems to tell us what was different in Ancient China to our own European heritage, emphasis is placed on Chinese Unity against European dis-unity and there are several other cultural red herrings thrown in to Man's cultural comparison including comparing Legalism against Machiavelli when ther are several ancient Greek works on pragmatic rulership from which a contemposry benchmark could be made.
In a nutshell the book is good where it discusses the Terracotta Army, it is less in command of it's subject when it talks around the subject.
I have given the work three stars because although it has particular strengths there are also some areas weaknesses that perhaps detract from the works appeal. The strengths of the text derive from the author's personal knowledge of the region having visited the area the book has the feel of something like a latter day Victorian explorer's diary combining strong geographic description and imagery with pointers to those wishing to visit the Terracotta army. The text further has the benefit of including a good discussion of how the tomb was made from assessing the figures in the source material (both sizes/measurements and numbers of labourers) as well as an illuminating discussion of the mass production of the terracotta soldiers themselves.
The weakness of the work is perhaps in its attempt to write history. John Man has a fondness for very judgemental anecdotes some of which overshadow the history they describe (several unhelpful references to 20th Century totalitarianism seem to detract from understanding the First Emperor - he seems to dismiss any religious component to rulership despite his own source material seeing the Emperor as a divine figure above the law rather than an ideological dictator) he also seems to offer random anecdotes which seem to confuse the point he is making including a gratuitous attack on the Qin religion and Christianity as being incomplete concepts (it is poorly handled and verges on the offensive in it's general dismissal of all religion). Anecdotes aside he also seems to be very opaque as to where he draws his historical narrative from and seems to lack solid analysis of how the first emperor succeeded in conquering the 6 other kingdoms. This is disappointing as there are few popular texts to cover this period in English and a real opportunity seems to have been lost.
The book is worth reading but perhaps as an interesting collection of genre's, I prefer to think of it like a miniature Herodotus, a westerner travelling East reporting his journey for the benefit of a western audience. In this respect the account seems to tell us what was different in Ancient China to our own European heritage, emphasis is placed on Chinese Unity against European dis-unity and there are several other cultural red herrings thrown in to Man's cultural comparison including comparing Legalism against Machiavelli when ther are several ancient Greek works on pragmatic rulership from which a contemposry benchmark could be made.
In a nutshell the book is good where it discusses the Terracotta Army, it is less in command of it's subject when it talks around the subject.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Brilliant. John Man has clearly mastered the art of writing a "history" book, and making it as easy to read and as gripping as any best selling thriller. This book is a fascinating account of the discovery of, and the story behind, the Terracotta Army. Based on thorough research which includes interviews with those involved in the initial discovery and the building of the museum, this book just makes you want to head for China immediately to see this piece of history for yourself. I am now insanely jealous of anyone who has been lucky enough to visit the museum and it is now top of my list of dream destinations. I read this book after reading John Man's book on "The Great Wall" and that had the same effect on me. I have always been fascinated by China and Chinese history buy John Man is turning this into an obsession !
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Accessible and readable history
John Man has developed a distinctive style of writing history. This is history at its most readable - Man makes great use of anecdotes, asides and modern observations to get his... Read more
Published 2 months ago by History Geek
the terracotta army
very very interesting and enjoyable, very well written and i was there!i like a book that i dont want to put down and this was one .
Published 10 months ago by barbara
terracotta army
This excellent short book deals not only with the terracotta army but also with the first emperor of China-Qin Shi Hung Di (259-210bc)
The book is divided into three a)the Qin... Read more
The book is divided into three a)the Qin... Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2009 by G. I. Forbes
Easily read book about the Army
Easy read adds some character to the story of the army. The Terracotta Army now dried out inside the big hanger looks a little dusty and unreal. Read more
Published on 16 April 2009 by Bob D
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