Strategies of the Warring States Paperback – September 27, 2025

Strategies of the Warring States is a national - style historical book compiled by Liu Xiang in the Western Han Dynasty. The original author is unknown, and it is generally believed that it was not written by one person. Most of the materials date back to the Warring States period, including the works of strategists and historical records. The original title of the book is unknown, and the authors of the articles in the book are also unknown. It is inferred that the book was not completed at one time. After Liu Xiang compiled it, he deleted the obviously absurd content, rearranged the format according to different states, and named it Strategies of the Warring States. The whole book is divided into "strategies" and discussions of twelve states. The content focuses on the lobbying activities of strategists during the Warring States period, and at the same time reflects some historical characteristics and social styles of the Warring States period. It is an important classic for studying the history of the Warring States period.Traditionally, Strategies of the Warring States is classified as a historical work. However, the content of many chapters in the book is absurd and lacks historical basis. Although it is regarded as history, in fact, it contains more literary stories. Interestingly, this part of the works has quite excellent language and logic and strong literary qualities. The other part is less literary but is based on historical facts and has great historical value for studying the history of the Warring States period.The ideological concepts in Strategies of the Warring States are completely different from those in the historical books of that time. In his preface, Liu Xiang held that "During the Warring States period, the virtues of the rulers were shallow. Those who offered strategies had to take advantage of the situation and plan according to the circumstances. Therefore, their strategies were aimed at rescuing the urgent and shoring up the collapsing, and were all about expediency; they could not be used for moral and educational purposes."Strategies of the Warring States is good at narrating events to clarify principles and depicting characters vividly. It makes extensive use of fables and metaphors, with vivid language and rich literary grace. Whether it is an individual statement or a debate between two parties, it is highly persuasive. Therefore, it is also an excellent collection of essays and has had a considerable influence on the development of biographical and political essays since the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties in China. Read more