Japan: A Concise History (Littlefield Adams Quality Paperbacks)

This popular introduction to Japan offers readers an authoritative and up-to-date overview of 2,000 years of Japanese history. Approximately half of the text deals with pre-Meiji Japan, the period before 1868. The second half narrates domestic and relevant foreign events since 1868. Milton W. Meyer's concise explanations of Japanese traditions, religion, history, economics, politics, and relations with the West provide an invaluable aid for understanding contemporary Japanese society and values.

Meyer succeeds in compacting a truly impressive mass of information. The format he uses features brevity, but never paucity of data. He manages to incorporate useful Japanese phrases for specialists without wasting the general reader's time with detailed explanations. His chapter on contemporary politics shows all his strengths. (George M. Wilson, director, East Asian Studies Center, Indiana University)