Foreword

I was barely 6 years old when the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1989.  I immediately fell in love with the game, it’s historical figures that are bigger than life, and the battles that carried the ruler that you controlled to the Emperor’s seat, or your doom.

Thirty-Three years later, I still go back to the way that Koei presented the game and its legendary historical figures that ruled the later Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, and I realize something important.

I have never actually read the novel that the games were based on.

As this story is one of the four great Chinese classics, I feel that some reverence should be made to this story and why I chose to provide the story with a fresh edit of the original translation.

It is both motivation for me to actually read the novel and be in love with these legendary figures all over again.

From the way that Cao Cao routed Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guan Du to the way that Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao in the Battle of Chi Bi and eventually establish the Three Kingdoms era, this era deserves to the very best editing that I can provide, and I hope that those reading this will appreciate the dedication and care that went into editing this translation.

Thank you with the utmost humility,

Kenneth Davis