A Short History of Japan

'A history that somehow manages to be at once succinct and sweeping: essential reading for anyone interested in this most fascinating of countries' Tom HollandIn this enormously enjoyable introduction to a remarkable country, Christopher Harding traces Japan's rich history over several millennia. Beginning with its earliest coastal communities through to the spread of Buddhism, the rise of the warlords, the promise and menace of the West and Japan's own empire-building, Harding explores how a distinctly Japanese society and culture was forged.