The First Emperor is a book produced to accompany the exhibition of the Terracotta Soldiers at the British Museum in 2007. It is illustrated with over 250 photographs and drawings, many of which were exhibits. The book is not just an exhibition catalogue. It is also a history book, with topics as varied as the making of China, the Qin empire, and the ancient Chinese view of the afterlife.
The photographs in The First Emperor are clear and show a great deal of detail. They allow you to linger over the different objects in a way that wasn’t possible at the exhibition. They also allow you to look at aspects of the Terra Cotta Army that you might not have noticed, things like hairstyles, hats and facial features.
The book is an excellent, if expensive, souvenir of an interesting exhibition. It is also a reasonable book for people interested in Chinese history as it covers various aspects of the early Chinese empire, although not in any depth.
