Imperial warlord : a biography of Cao Cao 155-220 AD

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List of Maps and Tables Introduction A Summary Chronology of Cao Cao Chapter One Grandson of a Eunuch 155–189 Chronology The problems of Later Han The eunuch connection Young man about town Yellow Turbans Ruin of Government Chapter Two To Guard the Emperor 190–196 Chronology To govern Yan province 190–192 Fight for survival 193–195 Welcome to Xu city 196 Captive Emperor Chapter Three To Battle at Guandu 197–200 Chronology Troublesome neighbours 196–198 Conduct at court Approaches to Guandu 199–200 Yuan Shao's Call to Arms Decisive victory 200 The Guandu campaign: a reappraisal Chapter Four The Conduct of Civil War The heritage of Later Han Rebels, bandits, gentry and self-defence groups: the development of hereditary troops Weapons and tactics Numbers, supply and control Casualties, prisoners, hostages and the behaviour of gentlemen Chapter Five Conquest of the North 201–207 Chronology The fall of the Yuan clan 201–204 Settlement of the North 204–206 White Wolf Mountain 207 Chapter Six Red Cliffs 208 Chronology Government of the empire To defeat in Jing province War on water: weapons, techniques and tactics Chapter Seven Military Matters 209–217 Military Chronology Northwest and southeast 209–214 Liu Bei and Sun Quan 209–214 Two surrenders: Zhang Lu and Sun Quan 215–217 Cao Cao and the Art of War Chapter Eight Court and Capital The elegance of Ye and the Masters of Jian'an Poems and an Apologia Character and style of government Chapter Nine Tensions of Loyalty 210–217 Chronology The Trappings of power Imperial consorts Women and children A question of succession 217: the year of the plague Chapter Ten The Last Years 218–220 Chronology 218–220 Chronology from 220 Liu Bei in Hanzhong 218–219 Guan Yu and Lü Meng in Jing province 219 Posthumous emperor 220 The later history of Cao Wei Chapter Eleven Another Life: History, Anecdote and Fiction Pei Songzhi, Fan Ye and Shishuo xinyu Story-tellers, poets, playwrights and Pinghua Revisionist history, Romance and the Peking opera Marxist debate and the modern actor Why Cao Cao? Bibliography Early Sources: Standard Histories Early Sources: Works by Cao Cao Early Sources: Other Texts Modern Works Index