Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: East Asia: Common ground and regional differences -- Prehistory, beginnings in China, and the Shang Dynasty -- The Chou, its decline and the age of philosophers -- Ch'in and Han: The Making of empire -- Buddihism, barbarians and the T'ang dynasty -- Achievement and Disaster: The Sung and the Yuan Dynasties 960-1355 -- New imperial splendor in China: The Ming Dynasty -- The Ch'ing in prosperity and decline -- Premodern Vietnam and Korea -- Beginnings in Japan: Patterns and origins -- Warriors, monks and conflict: Medieval Japan -- The West arrives in Asia -- Tokugawa Japan -- Humiliation and response in nineteenth century China -- Japan's response to new challenges -- Imperialism in Korea, Vietnam and Southeast Asia -- China in tatters, 1896-1925 -- China and Japan: The Road to war -- The Second World War in Asia -- China since 1945 -- Japan and Korea since 1945 -- Southeast Asia, Vietnam and the U.S. in East Asia.