About this ebook
The battle of the Red Cliffs is the centerpiece of Three Kingdoms, and it represents the culmination of events that define the first half of the story. From the chaotic aftermath of the war against the Yellow Scarves that opens the story, the focus of Three Kingdoms has gradually narrowed to the point where three men determine the course of events: Cao Cao, the brilliant but ruthless prime minister who gained power through cunning and maintains power through cruelty; Liu Bei, a man of royal blood and humble beginnings who pledges, along with his two sworn brothers, to restore peace to the land; Sun Quan, who unexpectedly inherits his father's mantle and must live up to his family's legendary name. For years, these men have outmaneuvered countless rivals in the ongoing struggle for the throne. What makes the Battle of the Red Cliffs such an epic encounters is that it represents the three most powerful forces in China finally colliding with one another. Decades of turmoil, millions of casualties, social and economic upheal, generations swallowed whole by endless war: when the armies meet at the Red Cliffs they carry with them not just weapons, but the weight of the entire war. The results are seismic.
