SOURCE: Watson, Burton. “The World of Ssu-ma Ch'ien.” In Ssu-ma Ch'ien: Grand Historian of China, pp. 3-39. New York: Columbia University Press, 1958.
In the following essay, Watson outlines some general features of Chinese historical writings and explores the areas that were of greatest concern to Qian.
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Read the rest of this Criticism with our Sima Qian: Critical Essay by Burton Watson Access Pass.