A History of Modern East Asia: c.1800 to the Present

From Mongolia to Indonesia, Myanmar to Japan, eastern Asia is a diverse and dynamic region at the leading edge of the global economy. For centuries before the rise of the modern West, East Asia, with China at its center, had been at the forefront of the world’s technological innovation, economic production and cultural development. The “rise” of East Asia in recent decades is less a radical departure than a return to a historical condition of global prominence after nearly two centuries of colonization, imperial collapse, war and economic dependency. A History of Modern East Asia illuminates the history of this vast and crucial region over the last two hundred years, exploring the many cultures, societies, states and economies that have interacted, co-operated, and sometimes fought one another over the course of this tumultuous period. As Armstrong outlines, knowledge of the history of East Asia is essential for understanding how the region came to its current place in the world and where this region may be going next. This book offers a concise and imaginative introduction to East Asia presenting the first major work on the modern history of the region as a whole.