{"product_id":"the-letter-to-ren-an-stephen-durrant-9780295995441","title":"The Letter to Ren an and Sima Qian's Legacy","description":"\u003cp\u003eSima Qian (first century BCE), the author of \u003ci\u003eRecord of the Historian\u003c\/i\u003e (Shiji), is China's earliest and best-known historian, and his \"Letter to Ren An\" is the most famous letter in Chinese history. In the letter, Sima Qian explains his decision to finish his life's work, the first comprehensive history of China, instead of honorably committing suicide following his castration for \"deceiving the emperor.\" In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, some scholars have queried the authenticity of the letter. Is it a genuine piece of writing by Sima Qian or an early work of literary impersonation? \u003ci\u003eThe Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy\u003c\/i\u003e provides a full translation of the letter and uses different methods to explore issues in textual history. It also shows how ideas about friendship, loyalty, factionalism, and authorship encoded in the letter have far-reaching implications for the study of China.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Stephen Durrant,Wai-Yee Li,Michael Nylan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0295995440\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780295995441\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Washington Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 190\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2016","brand":"Stephen Durrant","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48064817660159,"sku":"9780295995441","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a1f620d8-5717-4eca-a6cd-2cbab81e2c42.jpg?v=1768671229","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-letter-to-ren-an-stephen-durrant-9780295995441","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}