The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 1: Ancient Japan (Volume 1) [Hardcover]

Delmer M. Brown (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0521223520 | ISBN-13: 978-0521223522

Japan's ancient age was a period of radical and political change during which a Chinese-style empire emerged. This volume of The Cambridge History of Japan spans the beginnings of human existence to the end of the eighth century, focusing on the thousand years between 300 B.C. and 784, the end of the fabulous Nara period. The volume explores this period in four stages: (1) The Yayoi period (to about 250 A.D.) when small kingdoms and kingdom federations accumulated enough power to dispatch diplomatic missions to Korea and China; (2) the Yamato period (to 587) when priestly rulers, having gained economic and military power, conquered most of Japan; (3) the Century of Reform (to 710) when Japanese leaders, pressed by China's expanding T'ang empire, set out to build a strong Chinese-style empire of their own; (4) the Nara period (to 784) when spectacular literary, artistic, architectural, and religious advances were made.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the book contains much valuable information..." Journal of Japanese Studies

"The editor is to be congratulated on having made available in English essays on a wide spectrum of important aspects of Japan's ancient past. Students of Japanese history and culture will find much to learn from these most informative essays, which represent the latest western and Japanese scholarship." Canadian Journal of History

"This is an important and useful contribution to the generalizing literature on early Japan...a solid, well-executed reference volume on Japanese history from earliest times to the late eighth century. Specialists in Japanese history or scholars of any field of study who focus on the ancient period will certainly want to add it to their shelves, but I warmly recommend it as a high-level introduction to the period for non-Japan specialists, as well." Karl F. Friday, JESHO

"In the final analysis, Ancient Japan has opened up the early history of the archipelago in unprecedented fashion, and we now have a stable base from which to launch further research. For that, the editor, the contributors, the translators, and the staff of the Cambridge University Press who worked to make this book plausible deserve our hearty thanks." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

Book Description

Japan's ancient age was a period of radical and political change during which a Chinese-style empire emerged. Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of Japan spans the beginnings of human existence to the end of the eighth century, focusing on the thousand years between 300 BC and 784, the end of the fabulous Nara period when spectacular literary, artistic, architectural and religious advances were made.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 650 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521223520
• ISBN-13: 978-0521223522
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,609,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The First 99,000 Years, February 10, 2002

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 1: Ancient Japan (Volume 1) (Hardcover)

'Ancient Japan' is the initial volume in 'The Cambridge History of Japan.' As such it is a stunning effort to collect and organize the results of recent discovery about of Japan's early history. What surprised me from the beginning of the book was how much of Japan's early history has only been discovered in the last half of the 20th Century. In that period of time archeology and scholarship has added vast amounts of information to the story, dispelling some myths and affirming others.

The format is the classical form of a series of chapters written by experts in the field. Delmer M. Brown, who is Professor Emeritus at the Center for Japanese Studies (UC Berkeley) has done an excellent job of bringing the work together and making this first volume work as a whole, including writing a good piece of the text himself. Eight other writers contribute, with sections on the Jomon, Yayoi, Yamato, Asuka (century of reform) and Nara periods, ending with 784 CE. Collateral chapters on Japan's relations with the continent, Kami worship and Buddhism, Nara economic and social institutions, and culture are also included to fill out the overall picture. The religious and cultural studies I found particularly informative.

When a book attempts to cover this much material, the pace of exposition is often overwhelming. Brown manages to keep this from being extreme, but it would be dishonest to describe 'Ancient Japan' as a leisurely armchair read. On the other hand, it is the perfect vehicle for forming a mental picture of the periods under study, and identifying additional sources for further reading. As such, the footnotes, citations, and index/glossary are invaluable. In addition, the writing is all in a competent academic style that never bores, even when it fails to excite. Despite the steep price this volume is an important addition to a scholarly library. I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

4 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The definative English language history of Japan, October 26, 1999

By 

John A. Roberts (Camarillo, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 1: Ancient Japan (Volume 1) (Hardcover)

This book brings post war scholarship on the history of Japan up date. Excellent index and glossary. Too expensive for the general reader of college text but an excellent addition to any library.