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A History of East Asia: from the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century . By Charles Holcombe . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press , 2011. Pp. 456. ISBN 10: 052173164X ; ISBN 13: 978-0521731645 .
Book Reviews
This is a solid and ambitious historical guide to a currently important region of the world, East Asia. Inevitably, Charles Holcombe begins his book by asking the question "What is East Asia?", and investigates the ways the peoples and civilizations living here have identified themselves, introducing concepts such as the Chinese Zhongguo ... (Central Country, or Middle Kingdom) and Huaxia è¯å¤ (consciousness of being Chinese). In the modern age, many of the distinctive features that made the region - now defined as including China, Japan, and Korea - have been submerged by the effects of revolution, politics (often, like Communism, brought in from elsewhere), or globalization. Yet, as the site of ancient civilizations, the region had both an historical and cultural coherence. It shared a Confucian heritage, some common approaches to Buddhism, a writing system that is deeply imbued with ideas and meaning, and many political and institutional traditions. This shared past and the interconnections among three distinct, yet related societies are at the heart of this book, which traces the story of East Asia from the dawn of history to the twenty-first century in twelve substantial chapters.
Reviewers have complimented Holcombe on having "a good eye and ear for what is historically important", for the coherence of his narrative text, and yet the freshness of his selection, bringing out new insights and connections. I like the author's attempt at not just names-dropping, but also introducing a key idea or turn-of-phrase from literary giants (see his section on Mencius, Confucius et al.). It is a pity that he could not do the same for Li Po/Li Bai æ... on page 95, whose poem "Quiet Night Thought" is a classic text in Chinese schools today. Just one verse would give readers an idea of the poetic sentiment involved. I also...