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A History of Japan

By: R. H. P. Mason, J. G. Caiger
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Summary

A classic of Japanese history, this audiobook 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 aspect of history and culture through feudal Japan to the post-Cold War period and collapse of the bubble economy in the early 1990s. Recent findings shed additional light on the origins of Japanese civilization and the birth of Japanese culture.

Also included is an in-depth analysis of the Japanese religion, Japanese arts, Japanese culture, and the Japanese people from the sixth century BC to the present. This contemporary classic, now updated and revised, continues to be an essential work in Japanese studies.

A History of Japan, Revised Edition includes:

  • Archaic Japan - including Yamato, the creation of a unified state, the Nana Period, and the Heian period.
  • Medieval Japan - including rule by the military houses, the failure of Ashikaga rule, Buddhism, and the Kamakura and Muroachi periods.
  • Early modern Japan - including Japanese feudalism, administration under the Tokugawa, and society and culture in early modern Japan.
  • Modern Japan - including the Meiji era and policies for modernization, from consensus to crisis (1912-1937), and solutions through force.

This contemporary classic continues to be a central work in Japanese studies and is a vital addition to the collection of any student or enthusiast of Japanese history, Japanese culture, or the Japanese language.

©1997 R. H. P. Mason and J. G. Caiger (P)2018 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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What listeners say about A History of Japan

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting book for people for beginners

As a complete beginner of Japanese history, the book is well structured and well explained. The story is structured in a concise and straightforward way. It helped me to get an idea of the different periods of Japanese history. I found the part related to modern Japan a bit short, but perhaps this can be covered by more specialised books on the subject.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Japanese History Overview

Good detailed overview of Japanese History. Interesting and certainly increased my knowledge of the country.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating

It's a really good introduction to a fascinating culture.But it's a bit like by winder and full of names and dates.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Japan

There aren't many audio books or even books on Japanese history in English. This is one of the few that encompasses the totality of Japanese history. As such it is a bit Japan-lite. There is little detail on early Japanese history particularly the Tokugawa reign. It is a bit better on more recent history from the 1920s onwards but again it is a bit sparse on analysis. Overall a good introduction to Japanese history but more detail would have been better.

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7 people found this helpful

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Complex content but interesting all the same.

Context: I am a reader with dyslexia and I listened to this audiobook alongside reading a copy of the book.

This book was a very interesting, whirlwind tour of the history of Japan. I found that the content was very dry and I struggled to remember a lot of the Japanese terminology (EG: bafuku, han, Manyoshu etc). I felt like I learned a lot in the first third of the book which looked at early settlement, but as it began to dive into the minutia of political rule and law it began to be a bit of a slog for me.

I would 100% re-read this book again as I did enjoy it and felt like I learned a lot. If you're interested in Japan and Japanese history, I'd recommend reading A History of Japan.

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Very informative and comprehensive

The author looks at various aspects of Japan society and its evolution - religious, military, artistic, ethos, important people, and the influence of the outside world. Very good coverage of various topics.

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A mixed bag

Very good up to the middle of the 19th century but increasingly thin thereafter. Somewhat superficial on the underlying drivers of Japan's descent into militarism and the destruction it wrought on the country. Remainder of book needs a significant enhancement which would provide the opportunity to bring up to date covering the last 25 years

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