Folio Society Published Works Number 2837
Totman, Conrad - A History of Japan
We buy and sell items like these, so please contact us if you have similar items for sale, and we will make you an offer if we are interested.
To check if we have this item, or similar items, in stock, please click the Check Stock link below. Alternatively, use the links on the left to search our large online database of items for sale, or to visit the rest of the site.
Check Stock
Totman, Conrad - A History of Japan (Published in by The Folio Society in 2013. Two volumes bound in blocked cloth. Set in Bembo. 976 pages in total. Frontispiece and 32 pages of colour and black & white plates in each volume. Book size: 9.75 x 6.75. From prehistory to the 20th century, this innovative history focuses on Japan's unique environment and how it has helped shape the nation. With over 60 illustrations including superb colour photographs. A History of Japan, Conrad Totman's acclaimed chronicle, offers a thought-provoking perspective on the evolution of this island nation. As a Times Higher Education review noted, 'crossing boundaries between economic, social, political, intellectual and cultural history requires knowledge and courage'. And, as the review concluded, Totman more than meets this challenge. Rather than pivoting upon political turning points - the approach favoured by most historians - his work is guided by Japan's changing relationship with the land. Totman considers four major ages: the formation of the archipelago and the life of early foragers; the dispersed agriculturalists who dominated until 1250; the age of intensive agriculture (c. 1250–1890) and the industrial era. He also added an epilogue to the second edition of the book, which looks at Japan's future with a focus on environmental and diplomatic issues. This edition includes 64 pages of paintings and historical photographs. They showcase the finest Japanese artworks, architecture and photography, many of them designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. Our research team worked with the national museums of Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Kyushu to source these images, as well as local education departments, Buddhist temples, archaeological sites and private archives. Alongside their cultural and aesthetic value, each was carefully chosen to illuminate an aspect of the text. The cloth bindings bear simple, powerful designs reflecting the content of each volume. The cover of Volume I, which considers the pre-industrial era, depicts Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms. In the design for Volume II a modern cityscape lies at the foot of the mountain. The volume numbers on the spines take the form of Japanese kanji numerals. )
