A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from  ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation  that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two  centuries in self-imposed seclusion.

First revealed to  Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary  faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine  sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of  the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists,  and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has  become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a  harbinger of post-industrial decline.

With intelligence and  wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles  to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet  detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped  in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a  famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most  active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced  country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.