A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) by Jonathan Clements (PDF)

Description

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion. First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline. With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world’s most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests. Among the chapters in this Japanese history book are: The Way of the Gods: Prehistoric and Mythical Japan A Game of Thrones: Minamoto vs. Taira Time Warp: 200 Years of Isolation The Stench of Butter: Restoration and Modernization The New Breed: The Japanese Miracle

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Perfect for travelers or students…A wonderfully fun, interesting, and informative introduction to Japanese history. Clements blends culture, politics, military, economics…all with a wit and humor that carry the narrative forward and make it real.” —Mark Zachary Taylor, author of The Politics of Innovation”With a lightness of touch but seriousness of purpose, Clements negotiates the complexities of Japanese history in this compact book. The result is an accessible, persuasive and reliable introduction.” —Ellis Tinios, Lecturer in East Asian History, University of Leeds”Writing a brief history of a land as ancient and complicated as Japan is no easy task…Luckily, with Jonathan Clements, readers are in the hands of a master. His crackling prose, sharp wit, and learned insights make Japan’s history truly come alive.” —Frederik L. Schodt, author of America and the Four Japans: Friend, Foe, Model, Mirror”…it sets out what it aims to do: quickly teach you Japanese history from the ancient times to the present, without getting overly complicated or long-winded, which history books tend to do.” —San Francisco Book Review”Jonathan Clements book is a tour de force, which summarizes all the key elements you need to understand Japan. Besides all the vital landmark events like the arrival of Zen or the 200 years of isolation, you’ll also encounter a wealth of fascinating but less well-known aspects. A Brief History zips along in a style that is both witty and informative. Whether you’re a long-term Japanophile, or an armchair traveler with Japan somewhere on your bucket list, this book will help you understand how Japan became the fascinating unique place it is today.” —Zoom Japan Magazine”…one of the book’s big take-home points: Japan’s perennial ability to rebuild, adapt, innovate and, above all, fascinate. This book helps you understand how it all came about.” —The Japan Times”…an unmissable guide to one of the most fascinating countries on earth.” —NEO magazine”Now… less one think that only having 265 pages for the supposed 5,000 year history of Japan isn’t enough, let me state that Clements has presented the history book in an easy-to-read format, doing away with superfluous wording. IE: It’s easy to read, and more importantly, easy to understand.” —It’s a Wonderful Rife blog About the Author Jonathan Clements is the author of Christ’s Samurai: The True Story of the Shimabara Rebellion, A Brief History of the Samurai, Modern Japan: All That Matters, Anime: A History, and biographies of Admiral Togo and Prince Saionji Kinmochi. In 2016 he became the presenter of Route Awakenings (National Geographic) a TV series on historical icons of Chinese culture.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐What you won’t get by reading this book:* A clear picture of Japanese prehistory from archaeological findings (Clements prefers to dwell on legendary material for the prehistorical period)* A detailed chronology of Japanese history* Any sense of the periodization that professional historians apply to Japanese history* Any economic history whatsoever (at least for the premodern era)* Any detailed military, social, or religious history (these are touched upon, but in the most superficial terms)What you will get by reading this book:* Some mildly interesting stories plucked from Japanese history* Some vague and superficial impressions of Japanese culture and how it has developedAs diversionary reading, this book works OK. As serious history, not at all.

⭐The author provides interesting background on the evolution of Japan’s peoples from prehistoric times to present. Maps of the areas being discussed would help for those who are unfamiliar with Japan’s climatic changes and ecological changes. Land bridges, returned geography to the seas, population isolation, the dichotomy of aristocrats and peasantry, overuse of land and timber, nomadic clannish lifestyle and a clash of Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian contribute to the dynamics of Japan. It’s believed predecessors, China and high born Korean families provide interceding influences as well as the Europeans.Will need to update this review when I’m finished with the book.

⭐Interesting book

⭐Clements gives the reader everything promised in the title, in a well researched, thoughtful, enjoyable and educational read. This may be the “Goldilocks” of books on Japanese history: not too much, not too little, but just right. Bravo!

⭐It is a good read before traveling to Japan

⭐A good overview.

⭐Not very well written. It could have used some editing. I would not recommend this book.

⭐I was channel surfing and came across the NHK channel which I simply call the Japanese channel. I have been watching stuff on it for about a year now. (No commercials! ) Everything on it is either subtitled or dubbed. There are a lot of interesting shows about all kinds of subjects and is such a beautiful country. I have read Western history books which is my history. (My DNA shows me to be 100% European mongrel) So I bought this out of curiosity because I knew zero about Japanese history. It is an easy read and a good start for the curious beginner.

⭐I bought this as I was just about to head to Japan for a whistle stop business trip – Okinawa, Kobe and Tokyo in 6 days – and this book was perfect for helping me understand this delightful yet baffling country, which manages to succeed despite its many inherent contradictions: a resource-poor archipelago off the coast of larger, richer neighbours; political systems of intricate complexity and sometimes extreme violence in which everything seems to work out well in the end; and a leader in high-tech invention that is at the same time deeply conservative. If I have a comment it’s a bit too breathless, especially in the early parts, in which emperors with rather similar names succeed one another in serpentine succession. It would have been nice to have had a time chart to set out the more important emperors and events, and how they related to events elsewhere in the world. On the whole, though, I found it a quick, readable and witty way to get a feel for a country that seems at once completely alien and yet reassuringly familiar.

⭐I love this book! I’m halfway through so far, but the writing style is great, easy to follow and quite fun. A lot of history books tend to be quite stiff and hard for me to keep my focus on but this has been good for me. While brief, it is still packed with information but allows me to go off on my own to find more information when I find something really interesting.

⭐A book this short is necessarily a whistle stop tour, but the author brings enough detail to the table to stop it being pointless, coupled with an enthusiasm and a readable style which make it rewarding.

⭐While I enjoyed the book and found it informative, I have come away from it with a feeling of incompleteness. Certain periods seem rushed and lack clarity particularly the pre Shogunate era. I know it’s a Brief history but it’s possibly too brief .

⭐I am halfway through the book and we are still 1000 years away?!

Keywords

Free Download A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) in PDF format
A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) PDF Free Download
Download A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) 2017 PDF Free
A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) 2017 PDF Free Download
Download A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) PDF
Free Download Ebook A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series)