Summary: Romance of the Three Kingdoms is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of Chinese literature. Written 600 years ago, it is an historical novel that tells the story of a tumultuous period in Chinese history when the Han Dynasty fell from power in the 3rd century AD. The influence of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in East Asia has been likened to that of Homer in the West, and this warfare epic remains popular in China today. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Frances Wood, Former Lead Curator of Chinese Collections at the British Library; Craig Clunas, Professor of the History of Art at the University of Oxford and Margaret Hillenbrand, University Lecturer in Modern Chinese Literature at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Wadham College.
