A Concise History of Japan (Cambridge Concise Histories)

A Concise History of Japan (Cambridge Concise Histories) by Walker, Brett L.. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781107004184.

To this day, Japans modern ascendancy challenges many assumptions about world history, particularly theories regarding the rise of the west and why the modern world looks the way it does. In this engaging new history, Brett L. Walker tackles key themes regarding Japans relationships with its minorities, state and economic development, and the uses of science and medicine. The book begins by tracing the countrys early history through archaeological remains, before proceeding to explore life in the imperial court, the rise of the samurai, civil conflict, encounters with Europe, and the advent of modernity and empire. Integrating the pageantry of a unique nations history with todays environmental concerns, Walkers vibrant and accessible new narrative then follows Japans ascension from the ashes of World War II into the thriving nation of today. It is a history for our times, posing important questions regarding how we should situate a nations history in an age of environmental and climatological uncertainties.