Neede help dating book

[ghostexorcist]

Literary critic C.T. Hsia mentions a tale called Qi Guo Chunqiu Houji (七國春秋後集 - Latter Volume of the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Seven Kingdoms) which is about the struggle between the strategists Sun Bin (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun Bin) and Pang Juan. However, he gives no date for the book.

I've been told this is a novelization of events from the Annals, but I've also seen it specified as a "Pinghua", popular oral tale. Pinghua were popular during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Is it possible it originated from that time?

[BM2]

My bad, I thought you were wanting a dating book and I was going to recommend RD Alias as he seems to need one.

[Lucas]

Not sure if this lead will go anywhere....

Thomas Cleary translated Sun Bin's version of "The Art of War" when the scrolls were un covered. Not sure if he has done the only direct translations of the entire scrolls, or if others have as well. I am pretty sure he was the first to translate Sun Bin (AKA: Sun the Mutilated).

However, that strategic battle is played out in that book, and may shed some light, if he has any references involved. He does add his own commentary in most of his work and likely lists his references.

[Lucas]

I'm pretty sure I have that book at home, I can check tonight to see if there is any other info in it.

Edit: 3/18/08

sorry forgot to look. I'll check it out tonight...

[Lucas]

So sorry, no other references in the book I was looking in.

Not sure if it helps but the capturing of Pang Juan is dated 365-320 BC as accounted in Sun Bin's Art of War.