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£14.99
Published
10 September 2024Hardback
978-1-913083-63-2Ebook
978-1-913083-64-9Press Release
By Lesley Downer:
Japan is a country of islands, strung like a necklace around the Asian mainland…
Ever since US Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders in 1853, the culture of this remarkable and distant archipelago has enriched western life. At the same time the country has embraced foreign institutions from baseball to barber shops. Yet for centuries under the rule of the shoguns, the islands were largely sealed off from the outside world. In charting a course between openness and insularity, Japan has found a way to become ultra-modern while breathing new life into its own unique traditions.
In The Shortest History of Japan, Lesley Downer brings an expert storyteller’s eye to the sweep of Japanese history. Here are the emperors and warlords, the samurai and women warriors, the merchants and geisha who shaped this extraordinary modern society.
From the hunter-gatherers who fashioned the world’s first pots to the novel-writing ladies of the eleventh-century Heian court, from the devastation of Hiroshima to today’s economic and cultural powerhouse, this is an indispensable, riveting history of the land of the rising sun.
‘A terrific overview of Japan’s long and rich history… covers an astonishing amount of ground.’
—Peter Frankopan
- ‘Brisk, brilliant and compulsively readable… Downer takes us from the ancient archipelago to the vexed present day, via shamans, shoguns, ‘modern girls’ and Super Mario. Highly recommended’
—Christopher Harding - ‘Lesley Downer has a novelist’s flair for bringing the past to life in all its variety, evoking fashion, art, religions, vivid incidents and astonishing personalities, with a welcome emphasis on the importance of women’
—John Man - 'Sharp, pacey, but clear and informative… What could have been a dry recital of names and dates becomes a parade of colourful characters, remarkable achievements and innovations. Weaving a narrative that does it justice, while digressing into matters such as literature, food, religion, high politics, gender roles, aesthetics and war, all in a mere 50,000 words, would seem an impossible task. Yet the author pulls it off with panache.'
—Peter Tasker in Nikkei Asia - ‘An enlightening and pacy primer for anyone interested in Asia… A stunning piece of writing’
—Humphrey Hawksley, author of Asian Waters - ‘Downer has a deft touch and wonderful eye for vivid and revealing human detail’
—Bill Emmott, chair of The Japan Society - ‘A delightful and illuminating read… Downer’s book covers prehistoric times through the present-day… Essential reading for both general audiences and scholars’
—Library Journal - ‘A lively and stylish introduction to Japanese history’
—Amy Stanley, author of Stranger in the Shogun’s City - 'For anyone who wants to read a clear and concise history of Japan this book is a must! Ms Downer tells us about this fascinating country from the dawn of time until the present, giving us all the pertinent facts in a most enjoyable and accessible way. From emperors and empresses to samurai and shoguns, everything you ever wanted to know about how the Land of the Rising Sun evolved is here and more.'
—Christina Courtenay, author of The Scarlet Kimono
Lesley Downer
Lesley Downer is an author, journalist and Japan specialist. She has written four historical novels set in Japan and several bestselling works of non-fiction, including Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World and The Brothers: The Saga of the Richest Family in Japan, a New York Times Book of the Year. She lives between London, Tokyo and New York.