This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion.First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end ...

'A compelling roadmap to a financial and personal life well lived' —William J. Bernstein, bestselling author, The Four Pillars of Investing'A****n honest guide to both financial success and how to live a meaningful life' —Nick Maggiulli, bestselling author, Just Keep Buying and The Wealth Ladder************It's called personal finance for a reason.H...

'Clements has a knack for writing suspenseful sure-footed conflict scenes: His recounting of the Korean invasion led by samurai and daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi reads like a thriller. If you're looking for a samurai primer, Clements' guide will keep you on the hook' Japan Times, reviewed as part of an Essential Reading for Japanophiles seriesFrom a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Sa...

The gripping story of Taiwan, from the flood myths of ancient legend to its ‘Asian Tiger’ economic miracle — and the looming threat of invasion by China.Once dismissed by the Kangxi Emperor as nothing but a ‘ball of mud’, Taiwan has a modern GDP larger than that of Sweden, in a land area smaller than Indiana. It is the last surviving enclave of the Republic of China, a lost colony of Japan, and claimed by Beijing as a rogue province — merely the latest chapters in ...

Tokyo, which in Japanese means the “Eastern Capital,” has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the city that is now Tokyo was a sprawling fishing town by the bay named Edo. Earlier still, in the Middle Ages, it was Edojuku, an outpost overlooking farmlands. And thousands of years ago, its mudflats and marshes were home to elephants, deer, and marine life.In this compact history, Jonathan Clements traces Tokyo’s fascinating sto...

"A lucid history of the rise and fall of militarism in Japan…" —New York Journal of BooksJapan at War in the Pacific recounts the dramatic story of Japan's transformation from a Samurai-led feudal society to a modern military-industrial empire in the space of a few decades—and the many wars it fought along the way. These culminated in an attempt by Japan's military leaders to create an Asia-Pacific empire which at its greatest extent rivaled the B...

Japanese animation is at the nexus of an international multimedia industry worth over $23.6 billion a year, linked to everything from manga to computer games, Pokémon and plushies. In this comprehensive guide, Jonathan Clements chronicles the production and reception history of the entire medium, from a handful of hobbyists in the 1910s to the Oscar-winning Spirited Away and beyond.Exploring the cultural and technological developments of the past century, Clements addresse...

**"Impressive, exhaustive, labyrinthine, and obsessive—The Anime Encyclopedia is an astonishing piece of work." —Neil GaimanWith over 10,000 entries nothing comes close . . . from classics to hidden gems, all the anime you love is finally at your fingertips.This 3rd edition of The Anime Encyclopedia brings the landmark reference work up to date with six additional years of information on Japanese animation, its practition...

A comprehensive, yet entertaining look at China's history through a modern lens.For millennia, China was the largest and richest nation on earth. Two centuries ago, however, its economy sank into a depression from which it had not fully recovered—until now. China's modern resurgence as the world's largest nation in terms of population and its second-largest economy—where 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the space of a few decades—is the greates...

Getting to financial independence can seem like an impossible journey. What path should you take? How do you get started? What about bumps in the road?The good news is there are proven routes to freedom and wealth – and they're nearer and simpler than you think.To help you make your own way to true and lasting financial independence, acclaimed personal finance writer Jonathan Clements has brought together the inspiring financial life stories of 30 people, all told in their ...

'A galloping journey through thousands of years of Chinese culinary history . . . a timely reminder that the country's modern cuisine is the delicious fruit of a rich, ancient and perhaps surprisingly multicultural tradition' FUCHSIA DUNLOP, SPECTATOR 'A tasty portrait of a nation' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A splendid introduction to the complex history of China**'** GUARDIAN 'A t...

A fascinating history of Finland from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century.The modern nation of Finland is the heir to centuries of history, as a wilderness at the edge of early Europe, a borderland of the Swedish empire, and a Grand Duchy of tsarist Russia. And, as Jonathan Clements’s vivid, concise volume shows, it is a tale paved with oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric reindeer herders to medieval barons, Christian martyrs to Viking queen...