The Book and the Sword (The ^Amartial Arts Novels of Louis Cha)

by Graham Earnshaw (Translator), Graham Earnshaw (Translator), Rachel May (Editor), Louis Cha (Jin Yong) (Author), John Minford (Editor)

New
Paperback
2018
$18.92

A lost city in the desert, wolf packs, a book, and, of course, a sword... The Book and the Sword was Louis Cha's first novel, published in 1955, and quickly established him as one of the new masters of the wuxia genre. The novel is panoramic in scope and includes the fantastical elements for which Cha is well-known: secret societies, kung fu masters, a lost desert city guarded by wolf packs, and the mysterious Fragrant Princess, an embellishment of an actual historical figure - although whether she actually smelled of flowers, we will never know. Further to that Cha revives the legend about the great eighteenth-century Manchu Emperor Qian Long which claims that he was in fact not a Manchu but a Han Chinese as a result of a baby swap. The Book and the Sword is a rip-roaring tale of Chinese kung fu masters battling it out for the future of the Chinese empire and control of central Asia.

Synopsis

A lost city in the desert, wolf packs, a book, and, of course, a sword... The Book and the Sword was Louis Cha's first novel, published in 1955, and quickly established him as one of the new masters of the wuxia genre. The novel is panoramic in scope and includes the fantastical elements for which Cha is well-known: secret societies, kung fu masters, a lost desert city guarded by wolf packs, and the mysterious Fragrant Princess, an embellishment of an actual historical figure - although whether she actually smelled of flowers, we will never know. Further to that Cha revives the legend about the great eighteenth-century Manchu Emperor Qian Long which claims that he was in fact not a Manchu but a Han Chinese as a result of a baby swap. The Book and the Sword is a rip-roaring tale of Chinese kung fu masters battling it out for the future of the Chinese empire and control of central Asia.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 536
Publisher: OUP China
Published: 11 Oct 2018
ISBN 10: 0190974281
ISBN 13: 9780190974282

Media Reviews

Utterly fascinating. For me, kung fu always used to be Bruce Lee and Enter the Dragon, which were amusing but unbelievable. The Book and Sword makes it more alive, more possible and, yes, more relevant. * Gareth Powell, author and publisher *
The Lord of the Rings meets The Magnificent Seven in an Oriental setting! Graham Earnshaw's translation of this popular kung fu classic whirls you on a breath taking carousel ride of adventure, romance and humour, as swordsmen and sorcerers battle it out in China's Wilde West, but this is not all blood and guts and derring-do. The whole romance is underpinned by a profound philosophy. This is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or Hero brought thrillingly to the page. * Adam Wiwams, author of the best-selling Palace of Heavenly Pleasure *

Author Bio

Louis Cha (Jin Yong) was, until his recent retirement, founder and publisher of the Ming Pao Daily news, Hong Kong, Shin Ming Daily News, Singapore, and related publications. He is best known, however, as a writer and is the most widely read novelist in Chinese communities all over the world. His Martial Arts novels, originally written for newspaper serialization, have been adapted for TV, film, audio cassette, strip cartoon, computer games, and restaurant menus. Graham Earnshaw is editor-in-chief of Xinhua Finance, managing director of SinoMedia Ltd, and a director and founder of Park 97 in Shanghai. He speaks Cantonese and Mandarin, and taught himself to read Chinese. He has written several books, including a China travel guide and a book on China's dotcom revolution. John Minford has translated several works in Chinese fiction and poetry into English including, with David Hawkes, The Story of the Stone. Rachel May is a literary editor, who has collaborated on several translations from the Chinese. Her novel Love in a Chinese Garden was published in 1997.