The Japanese

byChristopher Harding

A History in Twenty Lives

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Chris Harding's enormously enjoyable new book distils Japan's long, complex and fascinating history into the stories of twenty remarkable individuals. These vivid and entertaining portraits take the reader from the earliest written accounts of Japan right through to the life of the current empress, Masako. We encounter shamans and warlords, poets and revolutionaries, scientists, artists and adventurers - each offering insights of their own into this extraordinary place.

For anyone new to Japan, this book is the ideal introduction. For anyone already deeply involved with it, this is a book filled with surprises and pleasures.

Skilled, ambitious, mightily impressive ... Harding turns out to be as adept at describing the country's artistic development as he is at unpicking its brutal politics. Another of his talents is a sharp eye for the telling quote that makes these distant presences tangible ... a marvellous read, full of startling information.

Waldemar Januszczak, Sunday Times

About Christopher Harding

Christopher Harding is the author of Japan Story, The Japanese and The Light of Asia. Harding teaches at the University of Edinburgh and frequently broadcasts on Radio 3 and Radio 4. He also writes the IlluminAsia blog, about Asia’s influence on Western life.
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9780141992280
  • Length: 528 pages
  • Dimensions: 198mm x 28mm x 129mm
  • Weight: 383g
  • Price: £12.99
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