The Three Kingdoms of Korea: Lost Civilizations

by Richard D. McBride II

An expansive and accessible introduction to the history of Korea during the first millennium CE.
 
Korea’s Three Kingdoms period is a genuine “lost civilization,” during which ancient realms vied for supremacy during the first millennium CE. Nobles from this period’s feuding states adopted and adapted Buddhism and Confucianism through interactions with early medieval Chinese dynasties. It was not until the mid-seventh century that the aristocratic Silla state, with the assistance of the mighty Chinese Tang empire, unified the Three Kingdoms of Korea by conquering the kingdoms of Koguryo and Paekche. Weaving together legends of ancient kings with the true histories of monks, scholars, and laypeople, this book sheds new light on a foundational period that continues to shape Korean identity today.

Genres: History

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2024

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I good survey of the three kingdoms that made a temporarily stable multipolar system on the Korean peninsula for much of the first millennia AD. My only gripes were that the military aspects were mostly overlooked (considering how much time these states spent fighting each other and the uniquely Eurasian aspect of the Koguryo state) and that there should have been more maps as we moved through time, considering territory and fortunes constantly changed.

We get a good survey of political and cultural evolution, with special attention given to religious evolution which was especially interesting to me in the pre-Buddhist era and the survival of folk traditions under Silla.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does need a bit of background knowledge to be read but it still gives a great overview of the three kingdoms of Sila, paekgae and kokoryu.

[Dameon Launert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A deluge of dates, names, and factoids without enough context to make it comprehensible. Imagine an autistic child with ADHD explaining his favorite obsession to a stunned group of adults at a cocktail party and you have some semblance of how the book was written. The material is fascinating, but the presentation nearly caused me to quit reading it. It should have been either more generalized to not get lost in the weeds or expanded to make all the detailed information more understandable.

The pages were thick and glossy and included many beautiful pictures, so at least there's that.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blurb says this is good for beginners, I would disagree. It presume quite a lot of background knowledge.