The World of Asia

The World of Asia is an ambitious book that attempts to tell the history of Asia in roughly four hundred pages. In discrete sections of three to four chapters each, the text covers China, India, Japan, Korea, and the ten countries of Southeast Asia. Through a rich mix of political, economic, and social history, the text manages to present an amazingly complete overview without overwhelming the reader with detail, conveying an appreciation of the complex differences among the many "worlds" of Asia. From the revised introductory essay by Akira Iriye on "Asia and America," through updated narratives, glossaries, maps, and illustrations for all sections--as well as a completely new and much expanded section on Southeast Asia--the updated second edition succeeds in presenting an accessible, digestible, and essential body of information about a massive geographic area that is as diverse as it is fascinating.