A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun
Jonathan Clements
Oct 2019 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Julian Elfer
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8 hr 41 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
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.
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4.0
4 reviews
H. imamura
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July 16, 2024
This is like a text book and does not provide much new interesting insights for people who are familiar with its basic history. This might be a good book who intend to visit Japan. No need to buy if you are Japanese. The book describes many trivial details not covered by many others, which are irrevant to Japanese history based on his personal taste, which I found irrelevant.
Anil Das
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November 22, 2024
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About the author
Jonathan Clements is the author of Christ's Samurai: The True Story of the Shimabara Rebellion, A Brief History of the Samurai, Modern Japan, Anime: A History, and Prince Saionji Kinmochi. In 2016 he became the presenter of Route Awakening (National Geographic)-a TV series on historical icons of Chinese culture.
British-born Julian Elfer is an award-winning New York City-based actor and audiobook narrator. With over 100 titles to his credit, Julian brings a unique facility for characterization in fiction and an empathy for the personalities and events of the past.
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