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東亞大競逐 1860-1910：中日俄三國環伺下的朝鮮半島，塑造現代東亞權力版圖的另一場大博弈
─2024年美國政治學會賈維斯－施羅德最佳書籍獎─
─2024年威靈頓公爵軍事史獎章得主─
宗主國大清 vs 維新的日本 vs 東擴的俄國
朝鮮半島的處境，牽動著整個東亞的命運！
吳政緯 中央研究院歷史語言研究所博士後研究員
周雪舫 輔仁大學歷史學系兼任教授
長谷川正人 國立臺灣大學歷史學系助理教授
曾寶滿 國立臺灣大學歷史學系助理教授
廖敏淑 國立政治大學歷史學系副教授兼人文中心主任
──專業推薦
外交攻防╳軍事分析╳敘事史，再探現代東亞與帝國爭霸的新視角
作者席拉・賈格以十九世紀中期至二十世紀初期的朝鮮半島為舞台，講述了一場規模不亞於英俄大博弈的「東亞大競逐」。其以敘事史筆法展開書寫，將各國對於朝鮮及自身利益的打算梳理得淺顯易懂，加上對歷史人物性格與動機的生動側寫，以及別具真實感的敘事方式，令人彷彿置身外交辭令齊發、勾心鬥角的談判桌上。而在軍事行動方面，則仔細考證了當時報章雜誌、記者與駐外人士之紀錄，致力於還原戰場前線，闡明每場戰役的發展都牽動著國際情勢變化，更從戰爭的角度看見各國面對東亞局勢時的軍事實力與策略運用。
彼時的大國衝突，延伸出一系列二十世紀初迄今的國際紛爭：美蘇冷戰、千島群島主權問題、釣魚台列嶼主權問題、中國與俄羅斯為了「重返榮耀」再度擴張的野心……透過本書，我們得以回溯這些議題的開端，從朝鮮半島跌宕起伏的命運，洞見當今東亞地緣政治的複雜糾葛究竟如何成形。
▎朝鮮半島的困境──內部主政者無力、派系分裂，外部面臨列強虎視眈眈
一八六三年，哲宗駕崩。由於其膝下無子，神貞王后趙氏便遴選王族中的幼子繼承王位，是為高宗。數度干政的父親興宣大院君，以及手段強硬的妻子閔妃，兩人互相掣肘，使得高宗難以掌握政事主導權，即便親政後一改先前父親的排外態度，轉而與列強來往，卻也接連簽下多項不平等條約。
朝鮮當局除了要面對國內的不滿聲浪與派系分裂，還有宗主國大清的反覆、日本的強勢叩門，以及俄國蠶食宮廷內部的企圖，內外問題接踵而至，令其進退維谷。
▎中國、日本、俄國有何盤算──介入內政、強推改革、滲透宮廷……無所不用其極
大清是朝鮮的宗主國。起初表示「兩國雖為宗藩關係，但朝鮮仍保有其自治權」，但這般態度卻為日本大開方便之門。雖曾在壬午兵變後試圖加強對朝鮮的控制，未料日後爆發東學黨之亂，中日聯合出兵鎮壓，隨之而來的衝突最終導致甲午戰爭。戰敗後於《馬關條約》中承認朝鮮完全獨立自主，就此喪失宗主權。
正值維新時期的日本，此時走在成為帝國的路上。起初推派使節前往朝鮮，望其承認明治新政權，然而當時朝鮮鄙夷日方「稱皇」的要求及穿著洋服的姿態，於是對朝鮮的態度便轉向「征韓論」。此後先以《江華島條約》實施經濟滲透，再藉《馬關條約》行主權干預，最後於一九一○年殖民朝鮮，將整個半島納入版圖。
俄國亟欲東擴國界，因而意識到朝鮮的戰略地位之重。當日本的影響力日益增大，俄國也藉由商務與外交手段進入朝鮮，獲得宮廷人士的信任。一八九五年閔妃遇刺身亡，高宗逃往俄國公使館尋求保護，期間他任用俄國軍事顧問，並給予商業特權，俄國勢力逐漸掌控朝鮮宮廷，直到日俄戰爭再度翻轉局勢。
▎其他列強爭相出手──為維護自身在東亞的權益，英、美、法三國也加入戰局
由於興宣大院君下令鎮壓天主教勢力，並處決九名傳教士與數千名教徒，法國在一八六六年向朝鮮發起懲罰性遠征，卻吃了敗仗。
英國擔心朝鮮若受俄國控制，則俄國將入侵滿洲。為保障其在東亞的權益，遂於朝鮮南部的巨文島成立臨時據點以阻斷俄國海軍補給，日後又為此進一步形成英日同盟。
美國則與朝鮮簽訂《朝美修好通商條約》，將朝鮮拉進大國的權力遊戲之中。日俄戰爭時更出面調停，促使雙方簽下《樸茨茅斯條約》，削弱俄國在遠東的勢力。
★各界好評★
《東亞大競逐1860－1910》獲得最新一屆（2024年）威靈頓公爵獎章可謂實至名歸……將一個長期受忽視的研究領域，成功納入了塑造今日東亞格局的帝國歷史主流敘事之中。
──英國知名國防研究學者／威靈頓公爵軍事史獎章評審 麥可・克拉克（Michael Clarke）
席拉・賈格為現代東亞帝國競爭寫下了一段宏大的敘事，成功展現出朝鮮對該區域的重要性遠超過以往認知。
──美國漢學家 裴士鋒（Stephen R. Platt），《華爾街日報》
在時間跨度與多國視角的架構下，本書對無數政治辯論、外交談判與軍事衝突的細節掌握極為到位，是這些事件的重要資料庫。同時，將朝鮮的競爭重新置於俄國擴張，以及由此引發的利益衝突之中……無論以何種角度閱讀，賈格的敘事都是一部鉅作。
──德州大學亞洲研究與人類學教授 羅伯特・奧本海姆（Robert Oppenheim），《世界史亞洲評論》
在東亞歷史中，韓國的角色長期以來一直被忽視。賈格以精彩的分析與縝密的研究，揭示韓國的命運其實對於十九世紀的亞洲格局，以及一路延續至二戰的動盪區域政治具有關鍵性影響。這是東亞歷史與地緣政治讀者不可錯過的重要之作。
──《正義之戰：中日戰爭激發中國新民族主義》作者 芮納・米德（Rana Mitter）
精湛的敘事……無與倫比地呈現了朝鮮地緣戰略位置的歷史意涵。本書達成了興許只有敘事史才能完成的事：擁抱歷史瞬間的偶然與變數，為塑造東亞現代性與轉型的過程中，所有理應被納入的行動者發聲；同時深入探究個人、社會、政治與國際現實的情感與苦難，展現全景式的深度理解。
──美國大學韓國研究教授 Ji-Young Lee，《H-Diplo》
《東亞大競逐1860－1910》勾勒出從一八五○年代至一九一○年間朝鮮在亞洲所處位置的問題，這六十年間歷經多場戰爭與一連串規模較小的衝突與起義……本書細節豐富，出色地處理了不斷更替的談判與談判者，同時掌握住軍隊行動與戰略失誤。
──卡地夫大學東亞史高級講師 伊恩・拉普利（Ian Rapley），《亞洲書評》
雄心勃勃且視野廣闊……是一部描繪東北亞巨變時代、全面而發人深省的歷史著作。
──加拿大外交官 馬丁・拉弗拉姆（Martin Laflamme），《日本時報》
─2024年威靈頓公爵軍事史獎章得主─
宗主國大清 vs 維新的日本 vs 東擴的俄國
朝鮮半島的處境，牽動著整個東亞的命運！
吳政緯 中央研究院歷史語言研究所博士後研究員
周雪舫 輔仁大學歷史學系兼任教授
長谷川正人 國立臺灣大學歷史學系助理教授
曾寶滿 國立臺灣大學歷史學系助理教授
廖敏淑 國立政治大學歷史學系副教授兼人文中心主任
──專業推薦
外交攻防╳軍事分析╳敘事史，再探現代東亞與帝國爭霸的新視角
作者席拉・賈格以十九世紀中期至二十世紀初期的朝鮮半島為舞台，講述了一場規模不亞於英俄大博弈的「東亞大競逐」。其以敘事史筆法展開書寫，將各國對於朝鮮及自身利益的打算梳理得淺顯易懂，加上對歷史人物性格與動機的生動側寫，以及別具真實感的敘事方式，令人彷彿置身外交辭令齊發、勾心鬥角的談判桌上。而在軍事行動方面，則仔細考證了當時報章雜誌、記者與駐外人士之紀錄，致力於還原戰場前線，闡明每場戰役的發展都牽動著國際情勢變化，更從戰爭的角度看見各國面對東亞局勢時的軍事實力與策略運用。
彼時的大國衝突，延伸出一系列二十世紀初迄今的國際紛爭：美蘇冷戰、千島群島主權問題、釣魚台列嶼主權問題、中國與俄羅斯為了「重返榮耀」再度擴張的野心……透過本書，我們得以回溯這些議題的開端，從朝鮮半島跌宕起伏的命運，洞見當今東亞地緣政治的複雜糾葛究竟如何成形。
▎朝鮮半島的困境──內部主政者無力、派系分裂，外部面臨列強虎視眈眈
一八六三年，哲宗駕崩。由於其膝下無子，神貞王后趙氏便遴選王族中的幼子繼承王位，是為高宗。數度干政的父親興宣大院君，以及手段強硬的妻子閔妃，兩人互相掣肘，使得高宗難以掌握政事主導權，即便親政後一改先前父親的排外態度，轉而與列強來往，卻也接連簽下多項不平等條約。
朝鮮當局除了要面對國內的不滿聲浪與派系分裂，還有宗主國大清的反覆、日本的強勢叩門，以及俄國蠶食宮廷內部的企圖，內外問題接踵而至，令其進退維谷。
▎中國、日本、俄國有何盤算──介入內政、強推改革、滲透宮廷……無所不用其極
大清是朝鮮的宗主國。起初表示「兩國雖為宗藩關係，但朝鮮仍保有其自治權」，但這般態度卻為日本大開方便之門。雖曾在壬午兵變後試圖加強對朝鮮的控制，未料日後爆發東學黨之亂，中日聯合出兵鎮壓，隨之而來的衝突最終導致甲午戰爭。戰敗後於《馬關條約》中承認朝鮮完全獨立自主，就此喪失宗主權。
正值維新時期的日本，此時走在成為帝國的路上。起初推派使節前往朝鮮，望其承認明治新政權，然而當時朝鮮鄙夷日方「稱皇」的要求及穿著洋服的姿態，於是對朝鮮的態度便轉向「征韓論」。此後先以《江華島條約》實施經濟滲透，再藉《馬關條約》行主權干預，最後於一九一○年殖民朝鮮，將整個半島納入版圖。
俄國亟欲東擴國界，因而意識到朝鮮的戰略地位之重。當日本的影響力日益增大，俄國也藉由商務與外交手段進入朝鮮，獲得宮廷人士的信任。一八九五年閔妃遇刺身亡，高宗逃往俄國公使館尋求保護，期間他任用俄國軍事顧問，並給予商業特權，俄國勢力逐漸掌控朝鮮宮廷，直到日俄戰爭再度翻轉局勢。
▎其他列強爭相出手──為維護自身在東亞的權益，英、美、法三國也加入戰局
由於興宣大院君下令鎮壓天主教勢力，並處決九名傳教士與數千名教徒，法國在一八六六年向朝鮮發起懲罰性遠征，卻吃了敗仗。
英國擔心朝鮮若受俄國控制，則俄國將入侵滿洲。為保障其在東亞的權益，遂於朝鮮南部的巨文島成立臨時據點以阻斷俄國海軍補給，日後又為此進一步形成英日同盟。
美國則與朝鮮簽訂《朝美修好通商條約》，將朝鮮拉進大國的權力遊戲之中。日俄戰爭時更出面調停，促使雙方簽下《樸茨茅斯條約》，削弱俄國在遠東的勢力。
★各界好評★
《東亞大競逐1860－1910》獲得最新一屆（2024年）威靈頓公爵獎章可謂實至名歸……將一個長期受忽視的研究領域，成功納入了塑造今日東亞格局的帝國歷史主流敘事之中。
──英國知名國防研究學者／威靈頓公爵軍事史獎章評審 麥可・克拉克（Michael Clarke）
席拉・賈格為現代東亞帝國競爭寫下了一段宏大的敘事，成功展現出朝鮮對該區域的重要性遠超過以往認知。
──美國漢學家 裴士鋒（Stephen R. Platt），《華爾街日報》
在時間跨度與多國視角的架構下，本書對無數政治辯論、外交談判與軍事衝突的細節掌握極為到位，是這些事件的重要資料庫。同時，將朝鮮的競爭重新置於俄國擴張，以及由此引發的利益衝突之中……無論以何種角度閱讀，賈格的敘事都是一部鉅作。
──德州大學亞洲研究與人類學教授 羅伯特・奧本海姆（Robert Oppenheim），《世界史亞洲評論》
在東亞歷史中，韓國的角色長期以來一直被忽視。賈格以精彩的分析與縝密的研究，揭示韓國的命運其實對於十九世紀的亞洲格局，以及一路延續至二戰的動盪區域政治具有關鍵性影響。這是東亞歷史與地緣政治讀者不可錯過的重要之作。
──《正義之戰：中日戰爭激發中國新民族主義》作者 芮納・米德（Rana Mitter）
精湛的敘事……無與倫比地呈現了朝鮮地緣戰略位置的歷史意涵。本書達成了興許只有敘事史才能完成的事：擁抱歷史瞬間的偶然與變數，為塑造東亞現代性與轉型的過程中，所有理應被納入的行動者發聲；同時深入探究個人、社會、政治與國際現實的情感與苦難，展現全景式的深度理解。
──美國大學韓國研究教授 Ji-Young Lee，《H-Diplo》
《東亞大競逐1860－1910》勾勒出從一八五○年代至一九一○年間朝鮮在亞洲所處位置的問題，這六十年間歷經多場戰爭與一連串規模較小的衝突與起義……本書細節豐富，出色地處理了不斷更替的談判與談判者，同時掌握住軍隊行動與戰略失誤。
──卡地夫大學東亞史高級講師 伊恩・拉普利（Ian Rapley），《亞洲書評》
雄心勃勃且視野廣闊……是一部描繪東北亞巨變時代、全面而發人深省的歷史著作。
──加拿大外交官 馬丁・拉弗拉姆（Martin Laflamme），《日本時報》
736 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2025
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About the author
Sheila Miyoshi Jager
9 books13 followersAmerican historian and Professor of East Asian Studies.
She is the author of two books on Korea and the co-editor of a third book on Asian nations in the post-Cold War era. She is a well-known historian of Korea and East Asia.
In the 1980s, she lived with the later American president Barack Obama.
She is the author of two books on Korea and the co-editor of a third book on Asian nations in the post-Cold War era. She is a well-known historian of Korea and East Asia.
In the 1980s, she lived with the later American president Barack Obama.
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January 8, 2024
Sheila Miyoshi Jager's The Other Great Game focuses on the colonial rivalry over Korea at the turn of the 19th and 20th Century. Jager notes that traditional histories of this era treat the "Hermit Kingdom" of Korea as a hapless pawn of its ambitious neighbors, showing that while there's truth in that statement it also overlooks Korea's own agency, and efforts to drag itself into the modern era. From the 1870s onward King Gojong made efforts to open Korea to outside trade while modernizing its industry, also attempting to assert his country's independence from China. This led to resistance from conservative elements of Korean society, along with resentment from the Chinese who viewed Korea as its own fiefdom. As Korea became rent with political dissent and occasional violence, the three neighboring empires - China, Japan and Russia - came to view the Peninsula either as a useful tool or desirable territory for their own designs. Thus these powers intervened in Korea's internal politics, whether backing rebellions or engineering assassinations of recalcitrant leaders (notably, Queen Min's gruesome 1895 murder by Japanese agents). This put these countries on a collision course which resulted in a series of violent conflicts: the Sino-Japanese War, which established Japan's imperial bona fides; the Boxer Rebellion, which besides the dramatic events in Peking caused Russia to occupy much of Northern China; and the Russo-Japanese War, the largest conflict in history up to that point, which focused around control of Korea. Jager does a good job capturing the conflicting motives and machinations of the different imperial powers, showing how Korean political, military and ethnic leaders responded - sometimes shrewdly manipulating the Great Powers for their own ends, often victimized, coerced or slaughtered. This "Great Game" did not end happily for Korea; Japan's victory over Russia gave them paramount position in East Asia, which reduced Korea to a vassal state - eventually, becoming annexed to Japan's empire in 1910. A century later, after two world wars, a forced Cold War partition and a destructive conflict, modern Korea remains divided between a communist North and capitalist South, acting as a proxy state in rivalries between the United States and China. Jager finds but does not over-emphasize parallels between the period she covers and the modern day; ultimately, some states are cursed by geography and the rapaciousness of rivals to serve as the locus of conflict.
November 12, 2024
There is lots of good context for A) why Japan thought it could win a war against the USA in World War 2. It actually doesn’t seem that crazy considering that they were able to defeat the Qing dynasty, which keep in mind was the absolute main political & cultural power in Asia for 1000’s of years since the beginning of recorded history. Then able to defeat the Russian Empire, a “modernized” nation. Both of these wars were fought and won relatively quickly. The USA could be seen as just the next large empire to be brought down.
B) The origins of the North/South Korean split. The ports were in the south. The Japanese, along with American/Euro countries wanted those ports. Most Christian missionaries arrived in the South. In the North, the Qing and Russian empires were more or less contiguous with Korea, and anti-Japanese forces could easily slip in and out of Korea there.
B) The origins of the North/South Korean split. The ports were in the south. The Japanese, along with American/Euro countries wanted those ports. Most Christian missionaries arrived in the South. In the North, the Qing and Russian empires were more or less contiguous with Korea, and anti-Japanese forces could easily slip in and out of Korea there.
December 30, 2024
*4.44 Stars
Notes: I had previously read a few historical fiction novels and some nonfiction books about history, before finding a hardcover copy of this book. It was indeed worth it for me to own a copy, since I eventually reread a few chapters in it, so I could understand them more.
While I had found enjoyment from this book, please understand that a lengthy attention span is required to entirely complete it. It is entirely possible to read through it in its entirety without too much past research, since the historical content gets explained extraordinarily well. Don’t miss out on this novel if someone is looking for historical content related to earlier historical topics on Asia especially.
I had been researching Korea’s history sometimes earlier in the year in-depth. I was glad to get to know much more about Korea, as well as Japan, and other countries that had been included that weren’t related to the US. I honestly read through as many sentences as there were probably in existence in the main portion of nonfiction historical content, that had been typed up and edited extremely to no end.
This book had been recommended to me by someone I knew and had communicated with (thank you), since it was known I had major interests in longer historical content related to Japan and Korea. The reading experience was quite worth it and I honestly would have read through this in its entirety, no matter what I had read for other historical nonfiction in 2024. I had previously read some of this book earlier than July 10th, however I had marked it as read beginning specifically on July 10th, since that was when I began reading it for multiple chapters. If my schedule had gone as planned, this book 100% would have been marked as read in sometime later in 2025 (as it was supposed to be). Unexpectedly, there was a change in plans, so I read it all the way through this year, from more of an interest in historical nonfiction that I have had - especially recently. It was my own decision to read through the entirety of this book closer to the end of the year. I was unable to stop reading sections of this novel for a while, since I was glad that it had longer, well-edited paragraphs.
Japan and Korea are frequently mentioned for detailed explanations of their histories, which go back centuries. I wouldn’t want to mention too many spoilers, other than that if someone already has an interest in past Asian history, this book is going to seem totally distracting. Everything was formatted to where I could easily read several chapters in less than an hour. I never really couldn’t concentrate on a chapter, since there were in-depth explanations that were found quite frequently. Black and white smaller photograph images also were included in several chapters, so I also (Really) liked getting to see additional related content that was about the subject of what the current historical topics were in a chapter.
For the first few chapters of the book, I would recommend to have a slight attention span to begin reading it. When events start to get described, things just keep getting explained. Events that really happened are continuously explained. This isn’t difficult reading if someone can pay attention for half an hour in the first few chapters. I could read several paragraphs under stress with minimal concentration due to very good editing, that was in the novel.
I had been reading enough in June that I knew to have marked this as originally mostly read through in July. My reading progress in some other books had declined slightly, so I was glad that this novel had interested me more than enough, as well as captivated me into learning more. It was because of this book that I could also understand other books more - since it really helped me that much, from how well everything was simply given longer descriptions.
I would recommend this to those interested in the novel from the description. Even though this book may contain longer paragraphs, the reading experience is worth it, should someone be interested in the detailed historical topics it includes.
Notes: I had previously read a few historical fiction novels and some nonfiction books about history, before finding a hardcover copy of this book. It was indeed worth it for me to own a copy, since I eventually reread a few chapters in it, so I could understand them more.
While I had found enjoyment from this book, please understand that a lengthy attention span is required to entirely complete it. It is entirely possible to read through it in its entirety without too much past research, since the historical content gets explained extraordinarily well. Don’t miss out on this novel if someone is looking for historical content related to earlier historical topics on Asia especially.
I had been researching Korea’s history sometimes earlier in the year in-depth. I was glad to get to know much more about Korea, as well as Japan, and other countries that had been included that weren’t related to the US. I honestly read through as many sentences as there were probably in existence in the main portion of nonfiction historical content, that had been typed up and edited extremely to no end.
This book had been recommended to me by someone I knew and had communicated with (thank you), since it was known I had major interests in longer historical content related to Japan and Korea. The reading experience was quite worth it and I honestly would have read through this in its entirety, no matter what I had read for other historical nonfiction in 2024. I had previously read some of this book earlier than July 10th, however I had marked it as read beginning specifically on July 10th, since that was when I began reading it for multiple chapters. If my schedule had gone as planned, this book 100% would have been marked as read in sometime later in 2025 (as it was supposed to be). Unexpectedly, there was a change in plans, so I read it all the way through this year, from more of an interest in historical nonfiction that I have had - especially recently. It was my own decision to read through the entirety of this book closer to the end of the year. I was unable to stop reading sections of this novel for a while, since I was glad that it had longer, well-edited paragraphs.
Japan and Korea are frequently mentioned for detailed explanations of their histories, which go back centuries. I wouldn’t want to mention too many spoilers, other than that if someone already has an interest in past Asian history, this book is going to seem totally distracting. Everything was formatted to where I could easily read several chapters in less than an hour. I never really couldn’t concentrate on a chapter, since there were in-depth explanations that were found quite frequently. Black and white smaller photograph images also were included in several chapters, so I also (Really) liked getting to see additional related content that was about the subject of what the current historical topics were in a chapter.
For the first few chapters of the book, I would recommend to have a slight attention span to begin reading it. When events start to get described, things just keep getting explained. Events that really happened are continuously explained. This isn’t difficult reading if someone can pay attention for half an hour in the first few chapters. I could read several paragraphs under stress with minimal concentration due to very good editing, that was in the novel.
I had been reading enough in June that I knew to have marked this as originally mostly read through in July. My reading progress in some other books had declined slightly, so I was glad that this novel had interested me more than enough, as well as captivated me into learning more. It was because of this book that I could also understand other books more - since it really helped me that much, from how well everything was simply given longer descriptions.
I would recommend this to those interested in the novel from the description. Even though this book may contain longer paragraphs, the reading experience is worth it, should someone be interested in the detailed historical topics it includes.
January 26, 2024
The Other Great Game is a sweeping history of Korea’s place in the crush zone of Eastern empires. Sheila Miyoshi Jager, Professor of East Asian Studies at Oberlin College, likens this great power conflict to the Great Game, the rivalry between England and Russia in Central Asia during the nineteenth century. To Jager, Korea represented a fulcrum of jockeying powers, a crucible where clashing empires rubbed up against each other in often violent episodes. Jager covers the competing ambition of all the regional powers – Japan, mired in its own national insecurity, as an emergent regional power after the Meiji Restoration; China, a lumbering giant buffeted internally by political incoherence and externally by repeated invasion and exploitation; Russia, an aspiring imperial power shifting its might towards the Far East; and Korea, the once-secluded peninsula at the center. Jager admirably covers Korea’s emergence as the axis of Eastern politics, but also its influence in wider power struggles, including Russian occupation of Manchuria, Japanese military campaigns against China and Russia, and Western trading concessions on the Chinese mainland. Jager weaves all of these threads together to produce a masterful work on an often-overlooked regional rivalry.
January 31, 2024
While I've had a good bit of exposure to the issues that the author is dealing with, this is the best overall examination I've ever read of the whole process by which Meiji Japan became a continental empire, with the Kingdom of Korea ultimately losing its independence. Besides that, Jager considers the whole period of peak imperialism in East Asia, with special focus given to the Russo-Japanese competition, and bringing together as a system events and trends that are usually dealt with separately. Ultimately, Jager concludes that the struggle for empire has never ended, and ties the events of a century ago into current trends of rising hegemonic conflict.
About the only thing that I'm marking Jager down for a bit is that Jager writes much better about social and diplomatic conflict than she does about the military aspects of this era; though not badly.
Rounding up from 4.5.
About the only thing that I'm marking Jager down for a bit is that Jager writes much better about social and diplomatic conflict than she does about the military aspects of this era; though not badly.
Rounding up from 4.5.
September 22, 2025
Why I keep doing this to myself I'll never know.
Very detailed account of Korea and its role at the crossroads of imperial interests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jager wrote this I think as clearly as she could and it's incredibly researched, but by the nature of the subject it can only come across as confusing. Whereas Eri Hotta's Japan 1941 was able to capture all the nitty-gritty and personality of diplomacy and Japan's fateful cabinet decisions, Jager is essentially trying to capture that nuance on a scale of Korea, Japan, China, Russia, and the West over 50+ years.
Keeping track of each empire's interests and reasoning for their actions was pretty brutal. The array of personalities got reduced in my mind for convenience sake (every imperial Russian official was batshit delusional), which is a shame but was still worth it as a primer to Korean history in this age.
Random points that will stick with me
-the Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese war are in some ways carbon copies of each other, and fought primarily in, around, because of and over Korean sovereignty.
-The whole experience is extremely traumatic for Korea, who is inevitably going to end up being a colony or protectorate of one of the empires surrounding it
-the Gojong Emperor is so bad at his job. Every time there's an opening for Korea to carve out some extra space for itself he bets on the wrong empire and pays the price. For like 60 years. and given his dad is fucking around behind the scenes as a chameleon reformer or Japanese advisor or backing whoever gets him a ticket into the royal court, I see why Gojong played a poor hand poorly
Very detailed account of Korea and its role at the crossroads of imperial interests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jager wrote this I think as clearly as she could and it's incredibly researched, but by the nature of the subject it can only come across as confusing. Whereas Eri Hotta's Japan 1941 was able to capture all the nitty-gritty and personality of diplomacy and Japan's fateful cabinet decisions, Jager is essentially trying to capture that nuance on a scale of Korea, Japan, China, Russia, and the West over 50+ years.
Keeping track of each empire's interests and reasoning for their actions was pretty brutal. The array of personalities got reduced in my mind for convenience sake (every imperial Russian official was batshit delusional), which is a shame but was still worth it as a primer to Korean history in this age.
Random points that will stick with me
-the Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese war are in some ways carbon copies of each other, and fought primarily in, around, because of and over Korean sovereignty.
-The whole experience is extremely traumatic for Korea, who is inevitably going to end up being a colony or protectorate of one of the empires surrounding it
-the Gojong Emperor is so bad at his job. Every time there's an opening for Korea to carve out some extra space for itself he bets on the wrong empire and pays the price. For like 60 years. and given his dad is fucking around behind the scenes as a chameleon reformer or Japanese advisor or backing whoever gets him a ticket into the royal court, I see why Gojong played a poor hand poorly
November 24, 2023
This is the Review I first posted on Audible
Excellent History, Superbly Read
I am only on Chapter Six of Jager's history, listening at 1.7 as I take long walks in lovely cold Montreal, but I have already been whipped around China, Korea, Japan, Russia, and met incredible characters from those nations, as well as Germany, France, Britain and the USA. The dates and events are described at molecular level, which I love as I know almost nothing of Korean history. The descriptions of people, from feuding royalty, graceful diplomats, to bungling commanders, give each person a reality and clearly defined role. The incredibly complex politics of the region are explained well, where China, Russia, Japan, in particular as they share a border with Korea, all get involved in trying to dominate it, and one another. As well, China and Korea must act to protect themselves from the rapacious colonizers, Britain, Germany, and Russia. In the middle of all this is a bone-headed Royalty in Korea, in the 1880s, who fight amongst themselves, and can't get Confucian morons to back industrialization, so face better armed, more determined, and certainly more intelligent adversaries, and thereby are set to lose their country to the biggest thug of the nations around them.
I want to praise to high heavens the writing of Sheila Miyoshi Jager. Her erudition is great, and molecular well describes how deeply she uses this knowledge to make history so clear. I particularly like how she gives the issues, while describing the men and, one queen, who implement those decisions. There is NOTHING dry in this detailed history. It is rich, without being confusing, and colourful enough to allow understanding of the swirl of motivations of each participant.
I am listening to this history, but I alerted a Korean friend about this history and she was eager to read the book. I sent her the book yesterday and I am so happy to share this knowledge with someone from Korea! I can't wait to discuss various issues with her!
I am listening to this book at 1.7 and it is a tribute to the narrator, Kathleen Li, who reads so clearly. I am an English tutor of Chinese kids and I pride myself on knowing when someone is speaking North American English well. Li is simply excellent. Her diction, her pronunciation of names of all the nations involved, and her tone, are MAGISTERIAL!
This history of Korea is a gift to anyone who seeks to know exactly what went on there from the late 19th century.
Thank you Sheila Miyoshi Jager for such a well written, researched, and HUMAN history of a region most of us know little about. WE SURE WILL NOW. Wow... I am in awe....
Excellent History, Superbly Read
I am only on Chapter Six of Jager's history, listening at 1.7 as I take long walks in lovely cold Montreal, but I have already been whipped around China, Korea, Japan, Russia, and met incredible characters from those nations, as well as Germany, France, Britain and the USA. The dates and events are described at molecular level, which I love as I know almost nothing of Korean history. The descriptions of people, from feuding royalty, graceful diplomats, to bungling commanders, give each person a reality and clearly defined role. The incredibly complex politics of the region are explained well, where China, Russia, Japan, in particular as they share a border with Korea, all get involved in trying to dominate it, and one another. As well, China and Korea must act to protect themselves from the rapacious colonizers, Britain, Germany, and Russia. In the middle of all this is a bone-headed Royalty in Korea, in the 1880s, who fight amongst themselves, and can't get Confucian morons to back industrialization, so face better armed, more determined, and certainly more intelligent adversaries, and thereby are set to lose their country to the biggest thug of the nations around them.
I want to praise to high heavens the writing of Sheila Miyoshi Jager. Her erudition is great, and molecular well describes how deeply she uses this knowledge to make history so clear. I particularly like how she gives the issues, while describing the men and, one queen, who implement those decisions. There is NOTHING dry in this detailed history. It is rich, without being confusing, and colourful enough to allow understanding of the swirl of motivations of each participant.
I am listening to this history, but I alerted a Korean friend about this history and she was eager to read the book. I sent her the book yesterday and I am so happy to share this knowledge with someone from Korea! I can't wait to discuss various issues with her!
I am listening to this book at 1.7 and it is a tribute to the narrator, Kathleen Li, who reads so clearly. I am an English tutor of Chinese kids and I pride myself on knowing when someone is speaking North American English well. Li is simply excellent. Her diction, her pronunciation of names of all the nations involved, and her tone, are MAGISTERIAL!
This history of Korea is a gift to anyone who seeks to know exactly what went on there from the late 19th century.
Thank you Sheila Miyoshi Jager for such a well written, researched, and HUMAN history of a region most of us know little about. WE SURE WILL NOW. Wow... I am in awe....
November 13, 2023
Excellent and informative
An excellent and informative history of a part of the world and a time in this part, that is all too frequently glossed over.
An excellent and informative history of a part of the world and a time in this part, that is all too frequently glossed over.
November 20, 2023
I had to skip many pages in order to finish this book .. Too many detailed conversations and negotiations were included in this book and I found them really dry. I was expecting more mentions of Korean people's lives and cultures, apparently the author has decided to spend more chapters on royal family's politics instead.
August 7, 2024
This was a rather long and intricate book, and I don’t remember all of its contents. However, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that the author stated she read the entirety of Peter Hopkirk’s doorstopper tome ‘The Great Game’ all in one sitting.
November 4, 2024
I found this harder than most books to get into. Describes an interesting period in history, but often vague about what the influence of states means in practical terms and perhaps a smidge too focused on personalities.
November 25, 2024
I quite enjoyed this book! I think it was really interesting and provides a lot of good context both about the specific countries involved and about a cohesive theory about geopolitics and the imperial era more broadly. That being said, I think this book could have used more focus on the naval development of Japan, especially during the Russo-Japanese war. That all being said, I feel like this is a 3 star book because it requires a bit too much pre-knowledge and expects the reader to fill in gaps that I feel like are not as easy to fill purely via inference or critical engagement with the text. This, I feel, is especially prominent when it comes to how certain developments are still centered on Korea, the Korean perspective seems absent for many of the sections focusing on China even if it makes sense with a broader context or preexisting knowledge of certain timelines. The conclusion also felt rushed, I feel like a whole section could have been devoted to what I feel are genuinely interesting conclusions. Still, despite the fact that I think it was only baseline successful I enjoyed this book quite a bit and would recommend it with the caveat that you may need to engage more with external reference material than you would with some peer works.
May 8, 2024
A book that helps us understand the evolution of politics in East Asia. The period from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century is marked by Russian expansion into the Pacific, the Sino-Japanese War, which led to China's loss of the island of Taiwan, international interventions in China following the Boxer revolt , the Russo-Chinese war and finally the Russo-Japanese war.
The nation that is always at the epicenter is Korea, a tributary country of Imperial China, which in 1905 became a Japanese protectorate, only to be annexed in 1910.
The book shows that although Japan and the United States of America are followers of Alfred Mahan's theories, Japan ends up following the path of a continental power, with the conquest of territories, which will end with its defeat in the Second World War. .
Interestingly, in 1896, the Japanese and Russians spoke of two zones of influence in Korea divided by the 38th parallel.
The nation that is always at the epicenter is Korea, a tributary country of Imperial China, which in 1905 became a Japanese protectorate, only to be annexed in 1910.
The book shows that although Japan and the United States of America are followers of Alfred Mahan's theories, Japan ends up following the path of a continental power, with the conquest of territories, which will end with its defeat in the Second World War. .
Interestingly, in 1896, the Japanese and Russians spoke of two zones of influence in Korea divided by the 38th parallel.
March 29, 2024
Took me a while to get through this one. It's fine. Interesting topic, helpful overview for total non-experts, but prose is a bit dry and there's a lot of ink spilled on minute military details that weren't that interesting to me. Admittedly, the detailed military maneuvers and logistical stuff may prove super interesting to others! That's just my personal experience of it.
February 18, 2025
Ambitious in scope, but accessible and engagingly written. The book successfully explains how the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century East Asian conflicts were interconnected, what caused them, and how the aftermath still affects us today. Although lengthy, it was never dry or overly detailed. A fascinating and enjoyable read even for casual students of history like myself.
April 26, 2024
that was a wildly fascinating piece of history i had no idea about.
December 25, 2025
Book felt bloated and overlying ambitious in scope. Found myself wishing I was reading a book specifically on the various topics discussed (Later Qing, Russo-Japanese war, etc.). Not bad
May 10, 2025
The Other Great Game by Sheila Miyoshi Jager provides a comprehensive, 500-page overview of East Asian history starting in the 1860s, through the Sino-Japanese War, onto the Russo-Japanese War, and concluding with the Japanese annexation of Korea in the 1910s. As China continues its seemingly unstoppable rise into the future, understanding the history of the Far East has become increasingly important in modern times. Much of the current cultural and geopolitical dynamics of the region have their roots in the period covered in the book, whether it be the division of the Korean Peninsula (The author provides a particularly interesting observation in this regard), the antagonistic relationship between Korea and Japan, or the vengeful attitude of the Chinese nation.
Despite the positives, The Other Great Game misses the mark in several categories, resulting in a disappointing product. The book is excessively large, consistently repeats itself, and has numerous typos and printing errors. Despite its voluminous length, Jager somehow manages to miss several important and interesting subjects that probably should have been included in the work, including Taiwan and the Kuril Islands. The book becomes wholly absorbed in Japan’s conflicts with essentially its entire neighbourhood and misses many other fascinating topics.
This ties into the book’s most prominent flaw—The Other Great Game is marketed as a book on the history of Korea as it relates to the wider region, yet the Peninsula ultimately ends up being a sideshow in the main story of the book, which is Japan’s rise. Most of the pages are dedicated to discussing Japan’s wars with China and Russia, or their plans for Asian domination, or their interactions with other Great Powers. Occasionally, Ms Jager attempts to remind her readers of the supposed purpose of the book by dedicating a few pages to discussing Korean court politics (which quickly becomes dull and repetitive), but it ends up feeling like a tangential point. Even the reviewers on the back of the book agree—only one of the three reviews even mentions the word ‘Korea’.
Had The Other Great Game been marketed as an East Asian history book, and had it been shorter and polished up, perhaps it would have earned a higher rating. Unfortunately, its copious length, misleading marketing, and strange choice of events to focus on have produced an underwhelming at somewhat disappointing read.
Despite the positives, The Other Great Game misses the mark in several categories, resulting in a disappointing product. The book is excessively large, consistently repeats itself, and has numerous typos and printing errors. Despite its voluminous length, Jager somehow manages to miss several important and interesting subjects that probably should have been included in the work, including Taiwan and the Kuril Islands. The book becomes wholly absorbed in Japan’s conflicts with essentially its entire neighbourhood and misses many other fascinating topics.
This ties into the book’s most prominent flaw—The Other Great Game is marketed as a book on the history of Korea as it relates to the wider region, yet the Peninsula ultimately ends up being a sideshow in the main story of the book, which is Japan’s rise. Most of the pages are dedicated to discussing Japan’s wars with China and Russia, or their plans for Asian domination, or their interactions with other Great Powers. Occasionally, Ms Jager attempts to remind her readers of the supposed purpose of the book by dedicating a few pages to discussing Korean court politics (which quickly becomes dull and repetitive), but it ends up feeling like a tangential point. Even the reviewers on the back of the book agree—only one of the three reviews even mentions the word ‘Korea’.
Had The Other Great Game been marketed as an East Asian history book, and had it been shorter and polished up, perhaps it would have earned a higher rating. Unfortunately, its copious length, misleading marketing, and strange choice of events to focus on have produced an underwhelming at somewhat disappointing read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews