Rakuten Kobo

Fall of Civilizations

Stories of Greatness and Decline

by Paul Cooper ...

**"A treasure trove of myths and terror… Atmospheric as hell… Immersive."―**The TimesBased on the podcast with over one hundred million downloads, Fall of Civilizations brilliantly explores how a range of ancient societies rose to power and sophistication, and how they tipped over into collapse.Across the centuries, we journey from the great empires of Mesopotamia to those of Khmer and ... Read more

$20.49 USD

**"A treasure trove of myths and terror… Atmospheric as hell… Immersive."―**The TimesBased on the podcast with over one hundred million downloads, Fall of Civilizations brilliantly explores how a range of ancient societies rose to power and sophistication, and how they tipped over into collapse.Across the centuries, we journey from the great empires of Mesopotamia to those of Khmer and
... Read more
斷裂的海：金門、馬祖，從國共前線到台灣偶然的共同體

by 何欣潔、李易安 ...

Series series 眾聲
1949年遺留的戰爭，原來從未結束？探詢美中角力、區域衝突的第一線，思索台灣最熟悉的陌生人，經歷巨幅震盪的邊界。「如果台灣不要我們，我們又不想當中國人怎麼辦？」探索海與海之間複雜、糾纏的歷史，直面島嶼現況。上一次台澎與金馬被劃為同一國國土的時候，或許是出於戰亂中的偶然與意外；但自21世紀的20年始，這一由台澎金馬組成的共同體，已經在不同的思索、行動的路徑上，開展出「自願成為共同體」的可能。過去，我們談「身為台灣人，不可不知台灣事」；在新的世紀來臨之際，則是「生而為台灣人，不可不知金馬事」。──〈金門、馬祖，以及台灣的戰爭與和平〉2022年，金馬解除「戰地政務」30年，舊戰爭真的結束了嗎？新戰爭是否又將來臨？群島的樣... ... Read more

$8.99 USD

1949年遺留的戰爭，原來從未結束？探詢美中角力、區域衝突的第一線，思索台灣最熟悉的陌生人，經歷巨幅震盪的邊界。「如果台灣不要我們，我們又不想當中國人怎麼辦？」探索海與海之間複雜、糾纏的歷史，直面島嶼現況。上一次台澎與金馬被劃為同一國國土的時候，或許是出於戰亂中的偶然與意外；但自21世紀的20年始，這一由台澎金馬組成的共同體，已經在不同的思索、行動的路徑上，開展出「自願成為共同體」的可能。過去，我們談「身為台灣人，不可不知台灣事」；在新的世紀來臨之際，則是「生而為台灣人，不可不知金馬事」。──〈金門、馬祖，以及台灣的戰爭與和平〉2022年，金馬解除「戰地政務」30年，舊戰爭真的結束了嗎？新戰爭是否又將來臨？群島的樣...
... Read more
A Continent Erupts

Decolonization, Civil War, and Massacre in Postwar Asia, 1945-1955

by Ronald H. Spector ...

**A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2022A harrowing history of the conflicts that swept Asia during the decade following World War II—and determined the fate of the continent.**The end of World War II led to the United States’ emergence as a global superpower. For war-ravaged Western Europe it marked the beginning of decades of unprecedented cooperation and prosperity that one historian has labeled ... Read more

$15.09 USD

**A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2022A harrowing history of the conflicts that swept Asia during the decade following World War II—and determined the fate of the continent.**The end of World War II led to the United States’ emergence as a global superpower. For war-ravaged Western Europe it marked the beginning of decades of unprecedented cooperation and prosperity that one historian has labeled
... Read more
The Epic of Gilgamesh

Edited by Jason Colavito ...

This edition combines the 1901 translation by William Muss Arnolt and the 1920 An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic on the Basis of Recently Discovered Texts by Jastrow and Clay. According to Wikipedia: "The Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from Mesopotamia, is amongst the earliest surviving works of literature. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five independent Sumerian ... Read more

$0.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

This edition combines the 1901 translation by William Muss Arnolt and the 1920 An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic on the Basis of Recently Discovered Texts by Jastrow and Clay. According to Wikipedia: "The Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from Mesopotamia, is amongst the earliest surviving works of literature. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five independent Sumerian
... Read more
Medieval Chinese Warfare 300-900

by David Graff ...

Series series Warfare and History
Shortly after 300 AD, barbarian invaders from Inner Asia toppled China's Western Jin dynasty, leaving the country divided and at war for several centuries. Despite this, the empire gradually formed a unified imperial order. Medieval Chinese Warfare, 300-900 explores the military strategies, institutions and wars that reconstructed the Chinese empire that has survived into modern times.Drawing on ... Read more

$62.99 USD

Shortly after 300 AD, barbarian invaders from Inner Asia toppled China's Western Jin dynasty, leaving the country divided and at war for several centuries. Despite this, the empire gradually formed a unified imperial order. Medieval Chinese Warfare, 300-900 explores the military strategies, institutions and wars that reconstructed the Chinese empire that has survived into modern times.Drawing on
... Read more
Coerced Liberation

Muslim Women in Soviet Tajikistan

by Zamira Abman ...

In 1924, the Bolshevik regime began an unprecedented campaign to forcibly emancipate the Muslim women of Tajikistan. The emancipatory reforms included unveiling women, passing progressive family code laws, and educating women. By the 1950s, the Soviet regime largely succeeded in putting an end to veiling, child marriage, polygamy, and bride payments. Yet today there is a resurgence in these ... Read more

$38.99 USD

In 1924, the Bolshevik regime began an unprecedented campaign to forcibly emancipate the Muslim women of Tajikistan. The emancipatory reforms included unveiling women, passing progressive family code laws, and educating women. By the 1950s, the Soviet regime largely succeeded in putting an end to veiling, child marriage, polygamy, and bride payments. Yet today there is a resurgence in these
... Read more
The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia

Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia

by Andrei Lankov ...

Andrei Lankov has gone where few outsiders have ever been. A native of the former Soviet Union, he lived as an exchange student in North Korea in the 1980s. He has studied it for his entire career, using his fluency in Korean and personal contacts to build a rich, nuanced understanding. In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this ... Read more

$14.29 USD

Andrei Lankov has gone where few outsiders have ever been. A native of the former Soviet Union, he lived as an exchange student in North Korea in the 1980s. He has studied it for his entire career, using his fluency in Korean and personal contacts to build a rich, nuanced understanding. In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this
... Read more
Confucius

And the World He Created

by Michael Schuman ...

Confucius is perhaps the most important philosopher in history. Today, his teachings shape the daily lives of more than 1.6 billion people. Throughout East Asia, Confucius's influence can be seen in everything from business practices and family relationships to educational standards and government policies. Even as western ideas from Christianity to Communism have bombarded the region, Confucius's ... Read more

Was $19.99 USD Now $1.99 USD

Confucius is perhaps the most important philosopher in history. Today, his teachings shape the daily lives of more than 1.6 billion people. Throughout East Asia, Confucius's influence can be seen in everything from business practices and family relationships to educational standards and government policies. Even as western ideas from Christianity to Communism have bombarded the region, Confucius's
... Read more
The Anarchy

The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire

by William Dalrymple ...

Finalist for the Cundill History PrizeONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEARNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY The Wall Street Journal and NPR“Superb … A vivid and richly detailed story … worth reading by everyone.” -The New York Times Book ReviewFrom the bestselling author of Return of a King<... ... Read more

$14.99 USD

Finalist for the Cundill History PrizeONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEARNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY The Wall Street Journal and NPR“Superb … A vivid and richly detailed story … worth reading by everyone.” -The New York Times Book ReviewFrom the bestselling author of Return of a King<...
... Read more
Lost Enlightenment

Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane

by S. Frederick Starr ...

The forgotten story of Central Asia's enlightenment—its rise, fall, and enduring legacyIn this sweeping and richly illustrated history, S. Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia's medieval enlightenment through the eventful lives and astonishing accomplishments of its greatest minds—remarkable figures who built a bridge to the modern world. Because nearly ... Read more

$17.99 USD

The forgotten story of Central Asia's enlightenment—its rise, fall, and enduring legacyIn this sweeping and richly illustrated history, S. Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia's medieval enlightenment through the eventful lives and astonishing accomplishments of its greatest minds—remarkable figures who built a bridge to the modern world. Because nearly
... Read more
Mysteries of the Gobi

Searching for Wild Camels and Lost Cities in the Heart of Asia

by John Hare ...

John Hare is a star author and one of the most well-known explorers of his generation. The Gobi is a perennially fascinating part of the world - a desert that people love to read about. China, the environment/natural world, exploration and discovery: broad and topical appeal.The Gobi is the largest, coldest and driest desert in Asia. Its shifting sands conceal ancient cities, 3,000-year-old ... Read more

$31.99 USD

John Hare is a star author and one of the most well-known explorers of his generation. The Gobi is a perennially fascinating part of the world - a desert that people love to read about. China, the environment/natural world, exploration and discovery: broad and topical appeal.The Gobi is the largest, coldest and driest desert in Asia. Its shifting sands conceal ancient cities, 3,000-year-old
... Read more
Religion and the Making of Modern East Asia

by Thomas David DuBois ...

Series Book 8 - New Approaches to Asian History
Religious ideas and actors have shaped Asian cultural practices for millennia and have played a decisive role in charting the course of its history. In this engaging and informative book, Thomas David DuBois sets out to explain how religion has influenced the political, social, and economic transformation of Asia from the fourteenth century to the present. Crossing a broad terrain from Tokyo to ... Read more

$31.99 USD

Religious ideas and actors have shaped Asian cultural practices for millennia and have played a decisive role in charting the course of its history. In this engaging and informative book, Thomas David DuBois sets out to explain how religion has influenced the political, social, and economic transformation of Asia from the fourteenth century to the present. Crossing a broad terrain from Tokyo to
... Read more
Tsushima 1905

Death of a Russian Fleet

by Mark Lardas, Paul Kime, Bounford.com ...

Series Book 330 - Campaign
A highly illustrated study of the naval campaign of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, focusing on the decisive battle of Tsushima.Japan was closed to the world until 1854 and its technology then was literally medieval. Great Britain, France and Russia divided the globe in the nineteenth century, but Japan was catching up. Its army and navy were retrained by Western powers and equipped with the ... Read more

$18.99 USD

A highly illustrated study of the naval campaign of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, focusing on the decisive battle of Tsushima.Japan was closed to the world until 1854 and its technology then was literally medieval. Great Britain, France and Russia divided the globe in the nineteenth century, but Japan was catching up. Its army and navy were retrained by Western powers and equipped with the
... Read more
Kyoto's Gion Festival

A Social History

by Mark Teeuwen ...

Series series Bloomsbury Shinto Studies
This book focuses on the long history of what is arguably the most prestigious and influential festival in Japan – Kyoto's Gion festival. It explores this history from the festival's origins in the late 10th century to its post-war revival, drawing on Japanese historical studies and archival materials as well as the author's participant observation fieldwork.Exploring the social and political ... Read more

$33.99 USD

This book focuses on the long history of what is arguably the most prestigious and influential festival in Japan – Kyoto's Gion festival. It explores this history from the festival's origins in the late 10th century to its post-war revival, drawing on Japanese historical studies and archival materials as well as the author's participant observation fieldwork.Exploring the social and political
... Read more
終戰那一天：臺灣戰爭世代的故事【終戰八十週年紀念版】

by 蘇碩斌, 江昺崙, 吳嘉浤, 馬翊航, 楊美紅, 蔡旻軒, 張琬琳, 周聖凱, 蕭智帆, 盛浩偉 ...

Series series Belong
戰爭結束了，考驗才正要開始。國籍身分轉換的時刻，臺灣人心中有著怎樣的徬徨與想望？結合真人實事與文學感性，貼近大時代下的動盪心靈，以情感與力度兼具的文字，留住紛亂時局裡的堅毅身影。尋回常民二戰經驗、還原失落生命記憶的里程碑之作一九四五年八月十五日，昭和天皇宣讀《終戰詔書》的錄音，從帝國平民百姓家中的收音機流瀉而出，這是普通人首次聽見天皇的聲音，也是日本正式承認戰敗的重大時刻，史稱「玉音放送」。臺灣人作為帝國的殖民地子民，親臨了同樣的歷史瞬間。在此之前，他們經歷了什麼？他們如何看待這件事，並做出各自的選擇？《終戰那一天》透過九則以真實人物與情節構成的故事，分別從前線、後方、外圍三個視角，訴說臺灣戰爭世代身處二戰陰影下的遭遇，描繪其獨特的生命情狀與艱難考驗。各篇都將帶我們回到天皇宣告無條件投降的當下時空，從渺小個人的角度刻劃戰爭導致的苦痛與離散、動盪世局下的掙扎與信念 ... Read more

$9.43 USD

戰爭結束了，考驗才正要開始。國籍身分轉換的時刻，臺灣人心中有著怎樣的徬徨與想望？結合真人實事與文學感性，貼近大時代下的動盪心靈，以情感與力度兼具的文字，留住紛亂時局裡的堅毅身影。尋回常民二戰經驗、還原失落生命記憶的里程碑之作一九四五年八月十五日，昭和天皇宣讀《終戰詔書》的錄音，從帝國平民百姓家中的收音機流瀉而出，這是普通人首次聽見天皇的聲音，也是日本正式承認戰敗的重大時刻，史稱「玉音放送」。臺灣人作為帝國的殖民地子民，親臨了同樣的歷史瞬間。在此之前，他們經歷了什麼？他們如何看待這件事，並做出各自的選擇？《終戰那一天》透過九則以真實人物與情節構成的故事，分別從前線、後方、外圍三個視角，訴說臺灣戰爭世代身處二戰陰影下的遭遇，描繪其獨特的生命情狀與艱難考驗。各篇都將帶我們回到天皇宣告無條件投降的當下時空，從渺小個人的角度刻劃戰爭導致的苦痛與離散、動盪世局下的掙扎與信念
... Read more
The Central Asian Economies in the Twenty-First Century

Paving a New Silk Road

by Richard Pomfret ...

This book analyzes the Central Asian economies of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, from their buffeting by the commodity boom of the early 2000s to its collapse in 2014. Richard Pomfret examines the countries’ relations with external powers and the possibilities for development offered by infrastructure projects as well as rail links between China and ... Read more

$39.59 USD

This book analyzes the Central Asian economies of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, from their buffeting by the commodity boom of the early 2000s to its collapse in 2014. Richard Pomfret examines the countries’ relations with external powers and the possibilities for development offered by infrastructure projects as well as rail links between China and
... Read more
回家是一趟沒有線性終點的旅程：白色恐怖與我的左派阿公

by 范容瑛 ...

Series Book 65 - 春山之聲
天然獨世代　×　信仰社會主義的左派阿公　×　政治冷感又政治敏感的媽媽思考白色恐怖的家族痕跡迢迢迂迴路，終點仍是回家本書為白色恐怖受難者蔡再修的孫女范容瑛，對阿公的「左派生涯」所做的紀錄，以及自己在面對家族史及世代衝突時，如何思考及重新理解世代間的生命際遇。第一部分記載阿公蔡再修的生平：嘉義鄉下貧窮的佃農之子，感受到饑餓與階級差異，對於土地分配及勞動所得深感不公；努力讀書上高中後，受老師及同學影響，接觸左翼讀書會並得到思想上的啟蒙；白色恐怖時期大逮捕，被送往軍法處綠島軍人監獄，歷劫十年後才返回家鄉；「小牢到大牢」的命運是工作處處受阻，靠著獄中老同學的幫忙，相互扶持勤勉生活；婚後經濟困頓，夫妻關係分崩離析；晚年領到政府補償金，卻意外掀起家庭風暴──儘管「紅色思想」使其一路跌跌撞撞，蔡再修仍堅持：「我一生信仰社會主義。」第二部分是孫女范容瑛的「告白」，她從小被母親叮囑當個不惹是生非的平凡人 ... Read more

$10.99 USD

天然獨世代　×　信仰社會主義的左派阿公　×　政治冷感又政治敏感的媽媽思考白色恐怖的家族痕跡迢迢迂迴路，終點仍是回家本書為白色恐怖受難者蔡再修的孫女范容瑛，對阿公的「左派生涯」所做的紀錄，以及自己在面對家族史及世代衝突時，如何思考及重新理解世代間的生命際遇。第一部分記載阿公蔡再修的生平：嘉義鄉下貧窮的佃農之子，感受到饑餓與階級差異，對於土地分配及勞動所得深感不公；努力讀書上高中後，受老師及同學影響，接觸左翼讀書會並得到思想上的啟蒙；白色恐怖時期大逮捕，被送往軍法處綠島軍人監獄，歷劫十年後才返回家鄉；「小牢到大牢」的命運是工作處處受阻，靠著獄中老同學的幫忙，相互扶持勤勉生活；婚後經濟困頓，夫妻關係分崩離析；晚年領到政府補償金，卻意外掀起家庭風暴──儘管「紅色思想」使其一路跌跌撞撞，蔡再修仍堅持：「我一生信仰社會主義。」第二部分是孫女范容瑛的「告白」，她從小被母親叮囑當個不惹是生非的平凡人
... Read more
A History of Japan

by Hisho Saito ...

Translated by Elizabeth Lee ...

Series series Routledge Library Editions: Japan
This volume presents the Japanese version of the history of Japan from its origins, through the subjection of Korea, the introduction of Chinese culture, rebellion in Korea, Buddhism, Taika reforms, Ainu insurrection, the founding of Kyoto as the capital, the power of Fujiwara, the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hojo family, Ashikaga Shogunate, Oda & Toyotomi families, Tokugawa Shogunate, the ... Read more

$33.99 USD

This volume presents the Japanese version of the history of Japan from its origins, through the subjection of Korea, the introduction of Chinese culture, rebellion in Korea, Buddhism, Taika reforms, Ainu insurrection, the founding of Kyoto as the capital, the power of Fujiwara, the founding of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hojo family, Ashikaga Shogunate, Oda & Toyotomi families, Tokugawa Shogunate, the
... Read more
Women in Tang China

by Bret Hinsch ...

Series series Asian Voices
This important book provides the first comprehensive survey of women in China during the Sui and Tang dynasties from the sixth through tenth centuries CE. Bret Hinsch provides rich insight into female life in the medieval era, ranging from political power, wealth, and work to family, religious roles, and virtues. He explores women’s lived experiences but also delves into the subjective side of ... Read more

$32.99 USD

This important book provides the first comprehensive survey of women in China during the Sui and Tang dynasties from the sixth through tenth centuries CE. Bret Hinsch provides rich insight into female life in the medieval era, ranging from political power, wealth, and work to family, religious roles, and virtues. He explores women’s lived experiences but also delves into the subjective side of
... Read more
Public Zen, Personal Zen

A Buddhist Introduction

by Peter D. Hershock ...

Among Buddhist traditions, Zen has been remarkably successful in garnering and sustaining interest outside the Buddhist homelands of Asia, and “zen” is now part of the global cultural lexicon. This deeply informed book explores the history of this enduring Japanese tradition-from its beginnings as a form of Buddhist thought and practice imported from China to its reinvention in medieval Japan as a ... Read more

$48.99 USD

Among Buddhist traditions, Zen has been remarkably successful in garnering and sustaining interest outside the Buddhist homelands of Asia, and “zen” is now part of the global cultural lexicon. This deeply informed book explores the history of this enduring Japanese tradition-from its beginnings as a form of Buddhist thought and practice imported from China to its reinvention in medieval Japan as a
... Read more
Understanding Iraq

The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History, from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation

by William R. Polk ...

$14.99 USD
Kwaidan, Stories and Studies of Strange Things

by Lafcadio Hearn ...

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, by Lafcadio Hearn, features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief study on insects. Hearn declares in his introduction, that most of these stories were translated from old Japanese texts (probably with the help of his wife, Setsu Koizumi). He also states that one of the stories - Yuki-onna - was told to him by a farmer in Musashi Province, and ... Read more

$1.99 USD

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, by Lafcadio Hearn, features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief study on insects. Hearn declares in his introduction, that most of these stories were translated from old Japanese texts (probably with the help of his wife, Setsu Koizumi). He also states that one of the stories - Yuki-onna - was told to him by a farmer in Musashi Province, and
... Read more
Middle Imperial China, 900–1350

A New History

by Linda Walton ...

Series series New Approaches to Asian History
In this highly readable and engaging work, Linda Walton presents a dynamic survey of China's history from the tenth through the mid-fourteenth centuries from the founding of the Song dynasty through the Mongol conquest when Song China became part of the Mongol Empire and Marco Polo made his famous journey to the court of the Great Khan. Adopting a thematic approach, she highlights the political, ... Read more

$30.99 USD

In this highly readable and engaging work, Linda Walton presents a dynamic survey of China's history from the tenth through the mid-fourteenth centuries from the founding of the Song dynasty through the Mongol conquest when Song China became part of the Mongol Empire and Marco Polo made his famous journey to the court of the Great Khan. Adopting a thematic approach, she highlights the political,
... Read more
Alwan-E-Nemat

A journey through Jahangir's kitchen

by Salma Husain ...

That the Mughals were fond of the good life is well known, especially their penchant for exquisite food and divine drinks. But what was the food in the imperial kitchen actually like? This book offers some answers. Alwan-e-Nemat (Colours of the Table), the sixteenth-century Persian manuscript offers a rare taste and glimpse into Mughal Emperor Jehangir and queen Nur Jehan's kitchen. Meticulously ... Read more

$13.99 USD

That the Mughals were fond of the good life is well known, especially their penchant for exquisite food and divine drinks. But what was the food in the imperial kitchen actually like? This book offers some answers. Alwan-e-Nemat (Colours of the Table), the sixteenth-century Persian manuscript offers a rare taste and glimpse into Mughal Emperor Jehangir and queen Nur Jehan's kitchen. Meticulously
... Read more

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