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Jonathan Clements

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A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun (Brief History of Asia Series) Paperback – August 1, 2017

by Jonathan Clements (Author)

461

Part of: Brief History of Asia (8 books)

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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

Part of series

Brief History of Asia
Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tuttle Publishing
Publication date

August 1, 2017
Dimensions

5.25 x 0.9 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

4805313897
ISBN-13

978-4805313893
See all details

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From the Publisher

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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tuttle Publishing (August 1, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 4805313897
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-4805313893
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.9 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #49,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #38 in General Japan Travel Guides
- #45 in Japanese History (Books)
- #128 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)

Customer Reviews:
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Jonathan Clements

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Dr Jonathan Clements is the author of many books on East Asian history, including biographies of emperors and empresses, statesmen and warriors, foreign visitors and outcast rebels. His works have been translated into over a dozen languages, including French, Spanish, Korean and Dutch. His history of the Silk Road, and his biographies of the First Emperor of China, Empress Wu and Wellington Koo have all been published in Chinese.

He has been a consultant and talking head on TV programs including Emperor's Ghost Army (PBS/Nova), Koxinga: Sailing into History (National Geographic), Raiders of the Jade Empire (Smithsonian), and Ancient Black Ops: The 47 Ronin (American Heroes). In 2016, he became the presenter of Route Awakening (National Geographic), a series investigating the origins of several key Chinese cultural icons.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

461 global ratings

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Renuka

A Brief History of Japan

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2023

Verified Purchase

I was expecting to read a more detailed account. It is my opinion that the author did not provide the history of Japan, in a more detailed manner, to a reader who did not know the history of Japan, at all.
The book was in good condition.

2 people found this helpful

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CynD

Many Clans & Emperor's over time

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2021

Verified Purchase

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.

7 people found this helpful

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Karen A Rousseau

Gift

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023

Given as gift

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2023

Verified Purchase

The books lacks structure, clarity, and a coherent narrative of Japanese history. Instead, it’s a series of personal reflections and labyrinthine retellings of imperial court dramas (without context). I was hoping for a clear, brisk, and historically rich account. This wasn’t it.

8 people found this helpful

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James Bridgeman

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

A good overview.

6 people found this helpful

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Safe Keithe

Just like the title states but more

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2018

Verified Purchase

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!

16 people found this helpful

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Cathy Craig

Great source of info on Japanese history

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2021

Verified Purchase

Interesting book

One person found this helpful

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Roninxian

Not what I expected

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

I was hoping for a more indepth work of history. Sadly, this is not that. This is more of a shallow study turned into a "story book" written for the reader without a quest for academic work. Quite disappointing to say the least. Look elsewhere for history.

5 people found this helpful

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hans van zele

alles

Reviewed in Germany on October 15, 2023

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alles

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Qachina

An interesting and informative brief history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2021

Verified Purchase

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.

2 people found this helpful

Daniel Macedo Gonçalves

Bom mas podia ser melhor

Reviewed in Brazil on May 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

Texto bom, mas muito superficial, mesmo sendo uma história breve, muita coisa é passada sem menção. A edição eletrônica é boa.

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Sandy

Great introduction to Japan History

Reviewed in Australia on July 21, 2019

Verified Purchase

Great reading with each historical chapter starting with a novel-like anecdote. It sometimes feels like the author is fast-forwarding through events but it is quite challenging to squeeze all of Japan history into 250 pages. Overall, great introduction to Japan history for the uninitiated !

A Reader

An Excellent Primer to a Remarkable Country

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

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.

5 people found this helpful

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