《曾国藩的故事》以轻松活泼的文笔讲述了曾国藩的一生：如何从农村走出来，如何十年七迁，如何带兵打仗、成为中兴名臣，最后为何被骂为卖国贼、忧郁而终。曾国藩一生可以分为四个时期，不同的时期有他不同的人生追求和社会理想，显著影响着他的人生轨迹。一、求学27年（1811～1838）曾国藩出生于湖南农村一个小地主家庭，家境并不富裕。祖父、父亲深受耕读传家的影响，因此曾国藩7岁开始读书，启蒙老师就是他父亲。27岁考中进士。二、京官14年（1839～1852）曾国藩从湖南农村走进北京城，几乎没有任何背景，但他的官却升得很快：28岁入翰林院，29岁定为从七品，32至36岁由从七品骤升至从二品，五年之间连升十级。难怪他得意地说："（湖南）三十七岁至二品者，本朝尚无一人。"三、镇压太平天国12年（1853～1864）曾国藩在长沙练兵时被绿营兵迫杀过；连续吃了几个败仗，跳水自杀过；坐困江西时，局势绝望，连如何死法都想好了；在祁门大营，有五次差点被太平军攻破营垒，而他身边只有两千护卫。经历了这些生生死死，他终于当上了两江总督，手握江南四省军政大权，最后将轰轰烈烈的天平天国运动镇压下去。四、生命最后8年（1864～1872）这个阶段有两件事情很重要：一是镇压捻军；二是处理天津教案。曾国藩因天津教案被骂为卖国贼，精神上异常痛苦，一年八个月后就死了。最后的头衔和官职是：太傅、武英殿大学士、一等毅勇侯、两江总督。（Stories of ZENG Guofan is a relaxed-style description of ZENG Guofan's whole life: came out of a village, promoted for seven times during ten years, led troops, became a senior official setting the scene for Tongzhi Restoration and finally reviled as a traitor and died in depression. His life may be divided into four periods with different life pursuits and social ideals that remarkably influenced his course of life. The first period (1811-1838) is his 27-year school life. Born in a less affluent family of small landlord in rural Hunan, ZENG started study at seven. His first teacher was his father, who as well as ZENG's grandfather had been well influenced by the concept of part-time farming and part-time study. ZENG then became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) when he was 27. In the second 14-year period (1839-1852), he went to the capital from his hometown. He had hardly any patron but was promoted quickly: entered the Hanlin Academy at 28, obtained a junior seventh rank title in the following year, promoted rapidly to junior second rank during the ages of 32 to 36. He was promoted for ten ranks upward during only five years, which explains his proud words: "nobody (from Hunan) of the dynasty has ever been promoted to the second rank at the age of 37". The following 12 years (1853-1864) is the period when he devoted to putting down the Taiping Rebellion. ZENG's troop was attacked by the Green Standard Army when he was training his Hunan Army in Changsha; he suffered successive defeats and drowned himself in despair. In addition, he even once planned his way of death when desperately entrenched in beseiged Jiangxi; while for five times in his camp at Qimen, where he was protected by only two thousand soldiers, his defense line was almost destroyed by the Taiping Army. Finally, he became the Viceroy of Liangjiang after so many near escapes, seized military and political powers of four provinces in the south of Yangtze River and succeeded in suppressing the Rebellion. ZENG's last eight years (1864-1872) saw two important events: suppression to Nien Rebellion and handling of Tianjin Massacre, for the latter he was then cursed as a traitor. He felt so distressed that died after twenty months as a Grand Preceptor, Grand Secretariat of Wuying Palace, Marquis Yiyong of the First Class and Viceroy of Liangjiang.）