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Reviews
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Date of last review
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1
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12144
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12 July 2004
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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None indicated
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10.0
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Description:
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In a rare combination of comprehensive coverage and sustained critical focus, this book examines Japanese history in its entirety to identify the factors underlying the nation's progression to superpower. Japan's achievement is explained not merely in economic terms, but at a more fundamental level, as a product of historical patterns of response to circumstance. Japan is shown to be a nation historically impelled by a pragmatic determination to succeed. The book also highlights unresolved questions and little-known facts.
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Maciamo
Twirling dragon
Registered: July 2002
Location:
Posts: 3237
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Review Date: 12 July 2004
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
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Positive aspects of the product (pros):
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concise, complete, easy to read, lots of interesting facts and anecdotes
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Cons:
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too short (180pp) for those looking for a very detailed history
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After reading Gordon's "A Modern History of Japan" which was twice thicker with longer pages and concentrate on the history since Meiji, I was a bit skeptical that Henshall would be able to tell me much more about Japanese history, as there isn't much to say about early and medieval history in 70 pages, and even less from Meiji in 110 pages. However, I really enjoyed this book. Not only was it more digestible than Gordon's, it is probably the best comlpete history of Japan from the stone age to now that I have read so far.
There are lots of interesting anecdotes and facts, and Henshall's summaries of key points in Japanese culture's development after each chapters are very eficient and perspicacious. There is very little useless commentaries or wasted space, without being too dense. Very good indeed !
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Registered: July 2002
Location: