Historia Japonii

Blackwell History of the World

by Conrad D. Totman, Justyn Hunia (Translator)

Autor przedstawia dzieje Japonii od czasów najdawniejszych aż do dziś. Czytelnik znajdzie tu pełne i wszechstronne informacje zarówno z zakresu historii politycznej i gospodarczej, jak i historii kultury. W kolejnych rozdziałach Conrad Totman porusza m.in. zagadnienia dotyczące kształtowania się stosunków polityczno-społecznych, zmian w sferze produkcji i dystrybucji dóbr, rozwoju kultury wysokiej i kultury wojowników, skutków procesu jednoczenia państwa japońskiego w okresie wojen domowych oraz problemów wynikających z izolacji Japonii. Autor podejmuje też kwestie związane z wchodzeniem nowoczesnego państwa japońskiego na arenę międzynarodową, demokratyzacją, rozwojem gospodarczym i rodzącymi się w jego wyniku problemami społecznymi oraz kulturą współczesną.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature, Academic, Historical, World History

894 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2000

About the author

A specialist in Japanese history, Conrad Davis Totman is professor emeritus of history at Yale University.

Reviews

[Richard Beasley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sound and interesting stuff
A history focusing on the ecological limits to Japanese society, and more focused on the culture than a narrative of who did what. I am up to chapter 16 now.
It is slow going so I take a break every now and then (usually 3 or 4) chapters to keep it fresh

Finished it now - lots of interest, but don't feel I really got a complete story - I read with interest discussion on culture, but it occasionally referred to events I had missed in narrative sections.

Also maps not a lot of help. There were lots of references to locations, towns etc that could not be easily found. As geography is critical to historical development this was problem. But it's a start to understanding the history.

[Thomas H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a focus on the ecological, Totman has found an inventive way of telling an otherwise familiar story. The escape from a traditional narrative will alienate some readers, with a focus as much on economic and social change than on individual historical figures. It may not be the easiest or the most enjoyable history of Japan to read, but it is certainly one of the best histories of Japan ever written, and in the over twenty years since its publication, there is still nothing quite like it.

And so, if you want a gripping history, this is not for you (it would be three stars); but if you want to read real solid, factual history, this is a five star read. For this reason it averages out at four stars from me, but this is one history of Japan that should not be passed over for a serious reader of history.

[Lio Smits · Rating 4 out of 5]

ecologisch perspectief dat de klassieke indeling van japanse geschiedenis interessant in vraag stelt

[Pär Kawaai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never really goes into depth about any interesting historical topic. Feels like riding a tour bus through Japanese history.

[Mika Bracke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conrad Totman's book can be seen as a counterpart to Wim Boot's concise overview of Japan's political history ('Emperors and Shōgun: A History of Japan until 1868'). While Boot focuses primarily on the emperors and the elite, Totman turns his attention to ordinary Japanese people, showing how society, economy, and culture collectively shape history. His approach combines a human-ecological perspective with attention to social and economic issues, offering a perspective very different from Boot's.