History of Japan in Manga
Samurai, Shoguns and World War II
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- USD 18.99
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- USD 18.99
Descripción editorial
The entire fascinating story of Japan told in one exciting manga-style volume!
A History of Japan in Manga tells the action-packed saga of Japan from its misty origins up to the present day. Epic battles, noble Samurai and duplicitous leaders are all portrayed in modern manga fashion! The lively stories in this book include:
The Dawn of Japan: The Birth of Buddhism and the transition from hunters—gatherers to agricultural societies of ancient timesThe Genpei Wars: Davage battles between the Taira and Minamoto clans that led to the powerful warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo naming himself Japan's first ShogunThe Onin Wars: A decade-long struggle for domination of Japan in which thousands of Samurai fought and tragically lost their livesThe 47 Ronin: Loyal Samurai who vowed to avenge the death of their master, choosing honor over surrender and being forced to commit mass ritual suicide as a resultThe Satsuma Rebellion: A dramatic last stand by Samurai loyal to the Shogun who revolted against the new Meiji government and its plans to finally modernize JapanAnd many more!
This ebook edition is a larger file size than most as it is full of dozens of indelible portraits, manga stories, maps and info-sidebars bring the full sweep of Japanese history to life in one easy-to-read book!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Comics are a fantastic way to learn about history" promises the introduction to this hybrid comics/prose textbook, which packs a vast sweep of time into a single volume. Through text sections and breezy manga dramatizations (famed samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi: "Hey! I see a hot chick in the castle!") interspersed with maps, charts, and family trees, the work covers roughly 2,000 years of Japanese history, starting with the first written reference to Japan as a country ruled by a queen. The manga segments depict civil wars, conflicts between Shinto and Buddhism, key historical figures such as the semi-legendary Prince Shotoku and Tale of Genji author Murasaki Shikibu, and plenty of feudal court intrigue. The 20th century gets the shortest shrift, glossing over the grim realities of WWII and covering the entire postwar era in a couple of text pages. The workmanlike art features well-researched costumes and cultural details, but is less generous with the detail of historical settings in backgrounds. It's a friendly introduction to the subject matter, however, covering material that's familiar to schoolchildren in Japan but not well-known to Westerners. This solid primer offers a launching pad to read further.