Mitford's Japan: Memories and Recollections, 1866-1906 (Japan Library Classic Paperbac) [Paperback]

Hugh Cortazzi (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1903350077 | ISBN-13: 978-1903350072 | Publication Date: January 8, 2003 | Edition: Revised

As the preface to this new edition points out, Mitford (Algernon Bertram, the first Lord Redesdale) was a gifted writer whose descriptions of Japan, during the critical time of transition from a feudal to a modern state in the late nineteenth century, are a testimony to his narrative skills, accuracy and objective reporting - qualities which are sometimes overshadowed by the higher profile given to his contemporary Ernest Satow. Accordingly, this new paperback edition, which makes the Mitford memoirs available to a much wider audience, includes a wide selection of extracts from Mitford's bestselling Tales of Old Japan (1871) - what Mitford, according to Carmen Blacker, perceived as the essence of the Japanese spirit: 'heroic, ruthless, devotedly loyal, bloody and chivalrous'.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'His detailed descriptions succeed in bringing the past to life. ... If you want to visit 19th century Japan - to witness civil war erupt in the streets of Kyoto, to accompany the first westerners to meet the Emperor or to simply stroll among the emerald green fields of Meguro village - you would be hard pressed to find a better travel companion than Algernon Mitford.' - The Japan Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; Revised edition (January 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903350077
• ISBN-13: 978-1903350072
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,883,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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