Korea was one of the last countries in Asia to be visited by Westerners and its borders have remained largely unchanged since it was unified in the seventh century. Though it is one of the world's oldest and most ethnically homogeneous states, Korea was not born in a vacuum. Geographically isolated, the country was heavily influenced by powerful China and was often used as a bridge to the mainl…
This fascinating book tells the story of Indonesia as a narrative of kings, traders, missionaries, soldiers and revolutionaries--featuring stormy sea crossings, fiery volcanoes, and the occasional tiger. It recounts colorful visits by foreign travelers who passed through these shores for centuries--from Chinese Buddhist pilgrims and Dutch adventurers to English sea captains and American movie s…
Bali is a perennially popular tourist destination. It is also home to a fascinating people with a long and dramatic history of interactions with foreigners, particularly after the arrival of the first Dutch fleet in 1597. In this history, Willard Hanna chronicles Bali through the centuries as well as the islanders' current struggle to preserve their unique identity amidst the financially necess…
Explores "the development of a rich and complex civilization where the use of paper, writing, money, and gunpowder were widespread in ancient times and where silk, ceramics, tea, metal implements, and other products were produced and exported around the globe. [The book] examines the special conditions that allowed a single culture to unify an entire continent spanning 10 billion square kilomet…
This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion