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A Brief History of Japan
- Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
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Publisher's Summary
This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion.
First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline.
With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present, and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.
What listeners say about A Brief History of Japan
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Declan
- 05-02-2023
Very good. Yoi Hon
Very well written and narrated. Insightful, objective (and occasionally amusingly wry and witty) observations about Japan and the Japanese, from ancient to modern. Highly recommended.
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Overall
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- Nicholas J. Morley
- 28-11-2023
Improves as the book develops
Didn't really get a feel for the Japanese people at he beginning of the book (relying on historical texts of the ruling classes) but as the book progressed into the modern era he developed his insights into the general population.
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