Charles Holcombe begins this extraordinarily ambitious book by asking the question 'What is East Asia?' In the modern age, many of the features that made the region - w defined as including China, Japan, and Korea - distinct have been submerged by the effects of revolution, politics or globalization. Yet, as an ancient civilization, the region had both an historical and cultural coherence. It shared a Confucian heritage, some common approaches to Buddhism, a writing system that is deeply imbued with ideas and meaning, and many political and institutional traditions. This shared past and the interconnections among three distinct, yet related societies are at the heart of this book, which traces the story of East Asia from the dawn of history to the twenty-first century. Charles Holcombe is an experienced guide who encapsulates, in a fast-moving and colorful narrative, the vicissitudes and glories of one of the greatest civilizations on earth.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
ISBN-10
052173164x
ISBN-13
9780521731645
eBay Product ID (ePID)
95867068
Product Key Features
Author
Charles Holcombe
Format
Trade Paperback (US), Paperback
Language
English
Subject
Regional History
Type
Textbook
Dimensions
Weight
790g
Height
253mm
Width
215mm
Additional Product Features
Place of Publication
Cambridge
Spine
22mm
Content Note
44 B/w Illus. 14 Maps
Author Biography
Charles Holcombe is Professor of History at the University of Northern Iowa. His publications include The Genesis of East Asia, 221 B.C.-A.D. 907 (2001) and In the Shadow of the Han: Literati Thought and Society at the Start of the Southern Dynasties (1994).