Updated September 2026
About Cao Cao
Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty, ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation for the state of Cao Wei, established by his son and successor Cao Pi, who ended the Eastern Han dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period. Beginning in his own lifetime, a corpus of legends developed around Cao Cao which built upon his talent, his cruelty, and his perceived eccentricities.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Authors like Cao Cao
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.