The Making of Modern Japan

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Thought-Provoking, yet Flawed
Review: I read this book as a textbook for a beginning course in Japanese history (this book was used for the Meiji period onward in Japan, we used Totman's "Japan Before Perry" for pre-Meiji Japan). Is is quite interesting in that it offers a reasonably good survey of the history of Modern Japan and does not read like a "this happened, then this happened" textbook that so many people hate. It tries to show how modern Japan was "made," and succeeds in this. The problem is that it focuses too much on this goal and is otherwise flawed. This book would be much better off if the order of chapters and the material covered in the book was presented in a more chronological, straightforward manner. One loses track of time and position in Japanese history in reading the various sections of this book, always a bad thing in a history book. The format of many chapters is questionable, and major historical events are often covered sparsely or glossed over- World War II in Japan begins and ends in a matter of pages. A good editor is needed to correct some embarassing flaws in the writing style, and the book overall could go through another draft. Also, post-1950 Japan is covered WAY too fast. HOWEVER, it certainly makes one think, portrays historical figures excellently, has a pretty good index, describes what it does describe in crisp, clear detail, and gives one a sense of why modern Japan is and was the way it became. Could do better, though.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Thought-Provoking, yet Flawed
Review: I read this book as a textbook for a beginning course in Japanese history (this book was used for the Meiji period onward in Japan, we used Totman's "Japan Before Perry" for pre-Meiji Japan). Is is quite interesting in that it offers a reasonably good survey of the history of Modern Japan and does not read like a "this happened, then this happened" textbook that so many people hate. It tries to show how modern Japan was "made," and succeeds in this. The problem is that it focuses too much on this goal and is otherwise flawed. This book would be much better off if the order of chapters and the material covered in the book was presented in a more chronological, straightforward manner. One loses track of time and position in Japanese history in reading the various sections of this book, always a bad thing in a history book. The format of many chapters is questionable, and major historical events are often covered sparsely or glossed over- World War II in Japan begins and ends in a matter of pages. A good editor is needed to correct some embarassing flaws in the writing style, and the book overall could go through another draft. Also, post-1950 Japan is covered WAY too fast. HOWEVER, it certainly makes one think, portrays historical figures excellently, has a pretty good index, describes what it does describe in crisp, clear detail, and gives one a sense of why modern Japan is and was the way it became. Could do better, though.

Rating:
Summary: Best book on Modern Japan
Review: This is easily the best book out there on modern Japan (and I have read quite a few). Professor Pyle is a professor that takes a long view on Japanese history, and he focuses on the "making" of modern Japan, because modern Japan is indeed a creation. He focuses on the trends of modern history, leaving out minor details in order to give the broader picture and context of the historical forces governing the making of modern japan. If you want to understand how modern Japan became the way it is, read this book. If you want to be bogged down in details, I would not recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Best book on Modern Japan
Review: This is easily the best book out there on modern Japan (and I have read quite a few). Professor Pyle is a professor that takes a long view on Japanese history, and he focuses on the "making" of modern Japan, because modern Japan is indeed a creation. He focuses on the trends of modern history, leaving out minor details in order to give the broader picture and context of the historical forces governing the making of modern japan. If you want to understand how modern Japan became the way it is, read this book. If you want to be bogged down in details, I would not recommend this book.