Editions of the Three Kingdoms Novel
For a relatively obscure book, the novel has tons of different editions. Below, I've tried to list as many editions of the novel as I can, all of them in English and available for purchase in North America. Many of these editions are out of print and hard to find.
The information here is not 100% reliable. I'm doing the best I can, but you really wouldn't believe how much contradictory and blatantly inaccurate information is out there in online stores and book databases. If you know of any editions missing from this list that have been published in North America, in English, or if you see a mistake in this list, contact me.
I have absolutely no information on the editions available in Europe or Asia, you'll have to research that on your own.
Moss Roberts translation
| Book Covers | ISBN | Abridgement | Volume | Binding | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0394407229 | abridged | 1 volume | hardcover | Pantheon Books | |
| 0394733932 | abridged | 1 volume | paperback | Pantheon Books | ||
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0520215842 | abridged | 1 volume | hardcover | University of California Press | |
| 0520215850 | abridged | 1 volume | paperback | University of California Press | ||
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0520068211 | unabridged | 1 volume | hardcover | University of California Press | |
| 0520089308 | unabridged | 1 volume | paperback | University of California Press | ||
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0520224787 | unabridged | volume 1 of 2 | paperback | University of California Press | foreword by John S. Service |
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0520225031 | unabridged | volume 2 of 2 | paperback | University of California Press | foreword by John S. Service |
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7119024086 | unabridged | 5 volume set | hardcover | Foreign Languages Press | Chinese/English bilingual |
 |
7119005901 | unabridged | 4 volume set | paperback | Foreign Languages Press |
C.H. Brewitt-Taylor translation
There are other editions of the C.H. Brewitt-Taylor translation published before ISBNs were invented. I have no information on them, and doubt you'd come across them.
| Book Covers | ISBN | Abridgement | Volume | Binding | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
0804807264 | unabridged | 2 volume set | hardcover | Tuttle Publishing | |
| 0804816492 | unabridged | 2 volume set | paperback | Tuttle Publishing | ||
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0804834679 | unabridged | volume 1 of 2 | paperback | Tuttle Publishing | introduced by Robert E. Hegel |
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0804834687 | unabridged | volume 2 of 2 | paperback | Tuttle Publishing | introduced by Robert E. Hegel |
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1596542764 | unabridged | volume 1 of 2 | hardcover | Silk Pagoda1 | |
| 1596542756 | unabridged | volume 2 of 2 | hardcover | Silk Pagoda | ||
| 1596542780 | unabridged | volume 1 of 2 | paperback | Silk Pagoda | ||
| 1596542772 | unabridged | volume 2 of 2 | paperback | Silk Pagoda | ||
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0893469262 | unabridged | 2 volume set | hardcover | Heian International2 | |
| 0893469246 | unabridged | volume 1 of 2 | hardcover | Heian International | ||
| 0893469254 | unabridged | volume 2 of 2 | hardcover | Heian International |
1 Silk Pagoda is also known as Disruptive Publishing. They offer downloadable versions of the C.H. Brewitt-Taylor translation on their website. Back to table
2 Heian International is associated with the Singapore publisher Graham Brash; you may come across C.H. Brewitt-Taylor editions published by them, with ISBNs beginning with 981. Heian International has merged with Stone Bridge Press, and seems to be affiliated with a publisher called Weatherhill. Back to table
About the various editions
Translations
The novel has been completely translated into English twice, first in 1925 by C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (as Romance of the Three Kingdoms) and more recently in 1976 by Moss Roberts (as Three Kingdoms). The Moss Roberts translation is generally easier to find, usually uses the Pinyin system for the names, and has extensive annotations and extra material. The C.H. Brewitt-Taylor translation tends to be less expensive, uses the Wade-Giles system for the names, and has an epic, evocative prose style. They're both good, so pick the edition that meets your needs.
I don't know what other languages the novel has been translated into, so you'll have to look elsewhere for information on that.
Abridged vs. Unabridged
An "abridged" book is a book that has been condensed and shortened to be easier to read. Both translations of the novel have abridged and unabridged editions. Abridged editions come in a single volume and say "abridged" or "condensed" on the cover, whereas the full editions have several volumes, ranging from 2 to 5, and will say "volume 1" or "part 1" on the cover. I do not recommend reading abridged versions, because they take out lots of the story and many of the characters. The unabridged version is extremely long, but every page is worth it.
Romanization
Some editions of the novel use bastardized Wade-Giles romanization on the names, i.e., "Liu Pei" instead of Liu Bei and "Ts'ao Ts'ao" instead of Cao Cao. Check the Wade-Giles page for a chart of these romanizations.
The author's name can be written in several different ways. The common way is Luo Guanzhong, but you may also see Luo Guan Zhong and Lo Kuan-chung. You might also see the name order reversed as Guanzhong Luo or Kuan-chung Lo. It's common to see it mispelled, especially as Lou Guanzhong.
Last updated: 15 April 2008.