Customer Reviews

Ancient Chinese Armies 1500-200 BC (Men-At-Arms Series, 218)

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The Men-at-arms Series covers ancient and classical China in five books, all by Chris Peers who is very familiar with the subject. This is the first book of this series. The chapters: Chronology -- The Shang dynasty -- The Western Chou -- The Eastern Chou -- The 4th and 3rd centuries -- The Ch'in empire -- Tactical and strategic doctrine -- Ten decisive battles. The text is clearly written and informative, the drawings by Angus McBride are good, only the maps are a bit primitive and not very useful. The follow-up to this book is "Imperial Chinese Armies 200BC - 589AD" (MAA 284).

The text by Chris Peers is OK. The bland artwork by McBride is pretty bizarre. The white tentlike hats reconstructed from pictorial representations of the Han period are wrong. They serve no practical function and only add to a woeful catalog of misinterpretations of Oriental representations by Occidental artists.

A thousand years of history, of evolution in concepts of warfare, of tactical innovations and new weapons. A tough endeavor for Dr. Peers, particularly because westerners usually have few basic knowledge of the extremely interesting Chinese culture and history.

Divided by broad chronological periods (Shang, Western and Eastern Chou, 4th and 3rd century BC, the ch'in Empire) and concentrating on the main written and archeological sources, the reader will get an abstract on the main conflicts of those periods and the basic description of weapons and armies of the period. Short descriptions of 10 major engagements, tactical doctrine, sieges and fortifications and some particularities of several kingdoms military characteristics or personalities are also provided.

Some data will stand out: The use of bronze to make weapons even so late as the 3rd century BC, the early use of the crossbow and the inability of "barbarians" to replicate the trigger mechanism, the military literature, the human sacrifices and "hunting expeditions" popular in the Shang period, the chariot being used in the Han period although in the process of being replaced by cavalry. In so many ways they were more advanced then contemporary Romans and Greeks and in so many others they were so far from them.

Very good photos of artifacts from the British Museum (but the author could use more sources), and nice color plates (not the best) from Angus McBride. Maps provided for each period with political divisions and main cities (like a previous reviewer commented, they aren't great looking - this book was originally printed in 1990 and the maps reflect it very well - but they fulfill the role of providing the reader a geographical reference and political evolution of the several kingdoms).

First of all, the plates are anything but 'bland' but are in fact very exciting. Honestly, I am no expert on ancient Chinese warfare and thus cannot say how accurate they are. Regardless of the plates, the text is extremely useful providing an excellent intro to the subject; exactly what I was seeking when I purchased this book. It covers the ancient and mysterious Shang Dynasty, the Chou Dynasties, and the warring states that were finally united in the 3rd Century BC.

Not enough info to validate paying full price for this. and the pictures are not used in a learning capacity. Le Sigh.