History

China in the World

Laurel — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:49:23 +0000

China in the World (book and CD-ROM set) explores China’s captivating history through engrossing historical narrative and hundreds of primary sources. Unit overviews, introductory essays, and time lines provide the context for appreciating the events and implications of China’s complex history. A wealth of primary sources—imperial edicts, sea captains’ letters, short stories, poetry, essays, posters, photographs, and cartoons—allows students to explore events from multiple perspectives and through many genres. Primary source-based activities foster analytical thinking, hone verbal skills, and ask students to consider history as a complicated, messy, and fascinating subject.

Written by teachers for teachers and students, China in the World serves as a perfect companion to standard world history texts and courses in world literature. It is also ideal for courses on East Asian studies, the history of China, or Chinese language and culture at the high school and college level. The emphasis on document analysis makes it an especially valuable resource for AP* or IB® courses.

The dual-platform CD includes hundreds of full-length documents, full-color images, maps, a bibliography, a glossary, and more, for convenient reference in the classroom or at home.

*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Burma

chengtsu — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:07:03 +0000

The academic study of Burma, especially the study of its cultural history, has been unfortunately neglected over the last 50 years -- but the conference papers published here together form a major contribution towards the redress of that neglect. This volume presents papers from a two-day conference organized in London in 2000 by The British Museum and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Current research is included on the topics of prehistory, architecture (monastic and secular), the cult of the nats, lacquer, illustrated manuscripts, mural paintings, sculpture, textiles, and the Ferrars Archive of Burma photographs at the Royal Geographical Society.

Early Encounters with the United States and Japan

Jeremiah — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:04:47 +0000

The book consists of six essays on late 19th century Korean history. All of them were originally prepared and presented as conference papers or keynote speeches at major conferences held in Korea and the US. They deal with Korea's relations with the US and Japan mainly between 1882, when the Jeoson Kingdom signed its first modern treaty with the United States, and 1905 when the same kingdom called the Daehan (Great Han) Empire from 1987, degenerated into a protectorate of Japan.

Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven

Jeremiah — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:44:18 +0000

One of the classics of Korean literature, both in its own right and as the first book to have been written entirely in Hangul, the Korean alphabet promu1gated by King Sejong In 1446. This edition contains both the Korean version and a literary translation, with extensive commentary, bibliography, and glossary.

In This Earth & In That Wind

Jeremiah — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:37:23 +0000

A collection of 50 vignettes of commonplace Korean life allowing the reader to draw from the daily habits, customs and events his own picture of Korean society. The author often contrasts aspects of Korean culture with that of foreign nations and draws a variety of conclusions about Korean society from these contrasts.

Hamel's Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666

Jeremiah — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:23:11 +0000

The first Western account of Korea is the glory of a group of sailors shipwrecked on Cheju-do. Some thirteen years later, after escaping to Japan, Hamel gave the outside world a firsthand description of Korea, an almost unknown country until then. Dr. Jean-Paul, who is Dutch, has made the first translation based on the original manuscript.

Kimchi and IT

ginevra — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:18:37 +0000

Kimchi, a popular Korean food for several millenniums, symbolizes Korean ethnic identity and its endurance, and IT (information technology) epitomizes Korean cultural transformation in the global era. Written in English, this book delineates Korea old and new -- Korea's enduring tradition and recent transformation.

Despite Korea's recent visibility in the world community, heightened by its phenomenal economic growth and rapid industrialization, by and large, Korea has been obscure for so long, and often grossly misunderstood. Nevertheless, one can hardly find any comprehensive book that introduces Korea and Koreans. Despite the absence of such a guiding book, people around the world have expressed interest in the Koreans who are entering our lives as employers, business associates, and partners. Who are the Koreans that enroll in our colleges and universities? Who are the Koreans that make our ships, cars, and cell-phones? What makes Koreans different from the Chinese and Japanese? Where have they come from, and where are they going? Most importantly, what makes Korea tick?

To answer these questions, this book traces the racial and cultural origins of Koreans, reviews Korea's historical adversities under foreign intrusion, invasion, and colonization, and examines Korean political evolution and revolution toward democracy. In order to understand Korean societal and cultural changes, Korean social structure, organization, and rural development have been related. Regarding Korea's economic development, an anthropological interpretation has been presented. To understand the recent Korean accomplishment, Korean cultural roots, including mobility, education, religious beliefs and ethos, have been discussed. In the epilogue, the author's personal sentiments about the challenges Korea has faced are appended.

In a sense, this book is unique in that it has been written by a reflexive anthropologist who has done his research in two distinct worlds, America and Korea, alternating from one place to another for more than 42 years as an insider and outsider. In so doing, subjectivity in describing Korea and its culture may have been reduced. Nevertheless, the author has taken many advantages in understanding some inculture-relevant issues. Some of them are so sensitive that an outsider can hardly understand. In the course of this book, the author relates his own perception about Korea in gauging how far Korea has shifted from tradition to modernity through its transformation.