Why read A History of Japan?

Book cover of A History of Japan

Book description

A classic of Japanese history, this book is the preeminent work on the history of Japan.

Newly revised and updated, A History of Japan is a single-volume, complete history of the nation of Japan. Starting in ancient Japan during its early pre-history period A History of Japan covers every important…

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Asian history

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Why read it?

1 author picked A History of Japan as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Rob Goss

Author

For a concise history of Japan and a cultural primer on the country, I don’t think anything else is as easily digestible or insightful as this book. It does an incredible job of highlighting key periods in Japanese history, from the foundation of the first capital to the modernization of the Meiji era and the rise of militarism, while also covering the development of such things as religion, arts, and architectural styles.

What’s really impressive is that it does it all in just 400 pages: a far cry from some of the painfully heavy books I had to wade through…

From Rob's list on The best books to get a deeper understanding of Japan.