I've read the short paper from Rafe de Crespigny about the Three Kingdoms period, and wanted something that goes into more detail about the historical events of the Three Kingdoms period (as opposed to the more legendary version of events).
I was trying to find an affordable book (as opposed to Imperial Warlord) that covers the period for someone who has little background in Chinese history, and I found the above book. Would anyone be able to endorse that book or have any suggestions for alternatives?
its probably the most informative of the time period, as practically everything since (including the ROT3K) is based off of it.
However, as with any sources from ancient times, it must be taken with a grain of salt as to claims it makes. One thing to note, however, is that it isn't written like a traditional history book. Its more a set of notes that were jotted down. Not very informative, or descriptive in many ways. making up an example
Liu Bei conquered Liang province in 243AD.
thats it. Not how he did it, or what happened, or who he took it from. Notes like this are pretty much the whole of the Records.
The Records of the Three Kingdoms is a primary source, not an overview. It would be a helpful reference and would probably be a rewarding read in its own right, but if you're just looking to get a grip on the period before driving straight into translated annals I'd recommend China Between Empires by Mark Edward Lewis. It covers roughly the whole period between the Han and Tang dynasties, not only the Three Kingdoms, but it's organized thematically and makes quite a few insightful points. I think I only spent a little over $20 for my copy.
I'm probably late, but Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language is a work of fiction, despite its name. It's actually a precursor of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and I would not recommend this book for historical content. You can try Rafe de Crespigny's To Establish Peace here for free - it is a annotated translation of an old Chinese text that covers the years 189 to 220.