A History of Japan to 1334

In my opinion, George Sansom's three-volume "A History of Japan" series is an essential component of the library of anyone interested in Japanese culture. I personally have had a long-time interest in Japanese video games, anime, music, literature, and art. Even so, I found that I didn't actually know much about Japan's historical background beyond the limited information I had encountered in World History textbooks. Thus, I began with George Sansom's "A History of Japan to 1334", in order to learn more. Some readers may have contemplated reading only one of the volumes ("to 1334", "1334-1615", or "1615-1867") instead of the entire set, depending on what time period they are most interested in. However, in order to gain a greater perspective, I recommend starting with the first volume and working your way through. I am usually not one to enjoy non-fiction, historical texts, but I read the whole three-volume series with enjoyment for mostly due to George Sansom's style of writing, which flows smoothly and clearly. Instead of being bogged down with minor incidents and diversions, Sansom carefully selected the major occurrences in Japan's history (as well as the points that would be of the greatest interest), then he zooms in closer to examine the essential events, facts, social movements, and personages that most greatly shaped Japan as a whole. Though they are physically separate, the three-volumes are unified in style and in their pursuit of telling the story of Japan, from its origins through the rule of the last shogun. Even if the prospective buyer doesn't intend to read this book or the other two volumes in their entirety, they make an incredible reference series. If you desire to know about a particular aspect of Japanese culture (such as Shinto) or a particular sequence of events (such as the Mongol invasions), you'll have plenty of information at your disposal. "A History of Japan to 1334" starts with the natural subjects for consideration; the land (climate and terrain) and the people (origins, customs, religion, and government). Then, the earliest known historical events of Japan are discussed, such as the early rulers of the country, the influence of China on Japan, and Buddhism's integration in Japanese culture. The book is structured in a primarily chronological order, sometimes devoting a chapter to a particular figure or social movement which deserves attention, such as the growth of feudalism. Though I had previously read about many of the aforementioned topics elsewhere, I found that I had learned and retained much more about them by reading Sansom's book because of the closeness with which these topics are observed. The military and political aspects seem to be the most frequently detailed subjects within each of Sansom's volumes, but this is to be expected, as it is these two fields which most greatly determine how a country is moving forward or backward in relation to other countries and within itself. Aspects of culture ar

George Bailey Sansom's "A History of Japan to 1334" provides a very interesting look into Japanese mythology as well as the early political, military and economic occurences that began to shape Japan into the superpower it would one day become. It outlines the first major movements towards the centralization of government and the rising to power of the Shogunate. The book is intended to be a textbook (used at Stanford University), but it does not need to be read as such. Sansom has written the history of Japan almost like a story. He tells tales which are very interesting, and most of them could be turned into a very good novel. Sansom also has the ability to look deep into Japan's past to uncover what is truly important. He wont discuss every rebellion or every reform. Only what really matters. This book is excellent for those studying the time period and also for those witha casual interest. This work is, however, very name and date heavy, but this is unavoidable when compiling thousands of years of history to keep everything straight in the readers mind. I really cant recommend this book highly enough. The late George Sansom devoted his entire life to studying Japan, and it shows in this work. Also of interest are his follow-ups, which chronicle from 1334-1615 and 1615-1867. While it is not essential to read this section first, it is helpful for the general understanding of the later works.

This book and the two volumes which follow it are absolute minimums for an understanding of any depth regarding Japanese History. None in English are better.

The dilema for me, as an undergraduate History student, has been finding books that are factual and historically accurate and yet readable enough to hold my interest and not so incredibly dry or overburdened with place names and characters. Often the books that are most readable are based primarily upon anecdote, rather than real historical evidence, even if the author has clearly done his/her homework.Sansom manages to stay comfortably within these two extremes. His writing style is quite enjoyableyet his representation of the facts rarely wavers. Another essential element, in my opinion, is that the ootnotes be within the text itself, and not collected at the end of each chapter or at the back of the book. Sansom does an excellent job of this as well, citing sources on the spot.Overall a wonderful work, especially in a field so poorly represented in scholarly works--in English, at least.