A Traveller's History of Japan

by Richard Tames

Overview

A Traveller's History of Japan not only offers the reader a chronological outline of the nation's development but also provides an invaluable introduction to its language, literature and arts, from kabuki to karaoke. This clearly written history explains how a country embedded in the traditions of Shinto, Shoguns and Samurai has achieved stupendous economic growth and dominance in this century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781566564045
Publisher:	Interlink Publishing Group, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/28/2017
Series:	Interlink Traveller's Histories
Edition description:	3RD
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Richard Tames read history at Cambridge and took his Master's Degree at the University of London. He was Head of External Services at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Editorial Reviews

"It succeeds admirably in its goal of making the present country comprehensible through a narrative of its past, with asides on everything from bonsai to zazen, in a brisk, highly readable style... you could easily read it on the flight over, if you skip the movie."

"Tames's readably concise survey of Japanese history comes supplied with an impressive array of facts and statistics."

"This clearly written and succinct volume romps through Japan's history and provides useful cultural descriptions and essays."

From the Publisher

"Tames's readably concise survey of Japanese history comes supplied with an impressive array of facts and statistics."

The TLS

"It succeeds admirably in its goal of making the present country comprehensible through a narrative of its past, with asides on everything from bonsai to zazen, in a brisk, highly readable style... you could easily read it on the flight over, if you skip the movie."

The Washington Post

"This clearly written and succinct volume romps through Japan's history and provides useful cultural descriptions and essays."

Contexts

It succeeds admirably in its goal of making the present country comprehensible through a narrative of its past, with asides on everything from bonsai to zazen, in a brisk, highly readable style...You could easily read it on the flight over, if you skip the movie.

Washington Post

...delightfully written...Its conciseness makes it one of the best books for a traveler to read before visiting Japan.

Academic Library Book Review

Tames ( Encounters with Japan , LJ 6/1/92, among others) has written an interesting and informative introduction to Japan. The first two-thirds of the book comprise a mad dash through Japanese history, from prehistoric times to the 1990s. This section of the book has as much detail and scope as the brief space allows. The final third consists of topical information: ``Food and Drink,'' ``Prime Ministers,'' and so forth. Blunders include a bizarrely rose-tinted view of the Yakuza crime syndicate and the lack of any real treatment of Shinto. Although hampered by brevity, Tames does manage to hold the history together, and the book is fairly engaging. Recommended for most travel collections.-- Chuck Malenfant, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge

Library Journal

Gr 3-5-- These two attractive volumes give simple introductions to their respective countries, highlighting specific locales within each. Both concentrate on the here-and-now with only the slightest genuflection to history. China's great diversity of terrain and ethnicity is clearly brought out, while in Japan homogeneity is underscored. The whirlwind approach gives very little feeling for what it is like to live in either place. Factual tidbits are presented in an attractive and clear manner; well-reproduced full-color photographs and illustrations present unusual and informative material. Appended fact files and time charts will prove useful for school reports. The index to Japan is fairly comprehensive; the one in China , although larger, consists largely of place names. Waterlow's China (Bookwright, 1990) is the only serious competition at this grade level, while Japan has no real rivals. Neither book is definitive, but both are good stopgaps. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal