A Concise History of Japan

"This is a textbook for our times from one of the leading scholars in the field. From humanity's deep history in the archipelago to the massive crisis of March 2011, Walker's history recasts the central themes of the Japanese past. Samurai scientists, wartime zealots, and the nation's vibrant post-war popular culture are placed in global context and enlivened through clear prose. Each chapter is concise, accessible and rooted in the latest scholarship. I can think of no finer text that covers the full range of Japan's past."
Ian Jared Miller, Harvard University, Massachusetts

"In crisp, clear prose, Brett Walker's A Concise History of Japan provides a sweeping view of Japan's past distinctively framed by world history and, most crucially, by environmental challenges."
Julia Adeney Thomas, University of Notre Dame, Indiana

"Brett Walker's A Concise History of Japan is a new national survey geared to the global Anthropocene. Alert to the many forces that threaten our planet's future, the author - a leading environmental historian in his own right - takes a critical look at the long sweep of the Japanese past. The result is a fast-paced account of the archipelago's development and its discontents, at once brisk and brooding."
Kären Wigen, Stanford University, California

"A lucid exploration of the way that the peoples of the Japanese archipelago have shaped and been shaped by their environment, from the extinction of big game to the grave disaster and diseases that accompanied industrialization every step of the way."
Morgan Giles, The Times Literary Supplement

"Walker's new history of Japan reflects a deep appreciation of the issues of concern to today's readers. This is a history of Japan unlike anything published so far in the attention given to the impact of disease, famine, deforestation, climate change, environmental pollution, and natural disasters on the story of the Japanese and their relationship with their country. In a clear, readable style, the author expertly narrates the course of Japanese history, reflecting the most recent scholarship available. Along the way, he discusses topics not included in previous histories of Japan, such as the introduction and impact of both disease and medical knowledge in the premodern era, the rise of the Japanese fishing 'pelagic empire' in the twentieth century, and the global impact of Japan's 'soft culture' in recent decades … Summing up: essential."
M. D. Ericson, Choice