Charles Holcombe begins by asking the question 'what is East Asia?' In the modern age, many of the features that made the region - now defined as including China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam - distinct have been submerged by the effects of revolution, politics or globalization. Yet, as an ancient civilization, the region had both an historical and cultural coherence. This shared past is at the heart of this ambitious book, which traces the story of East Asia from the dawn of history to the twenty-first century. The second edition has been imaginatively revised and expanded to place emphasis on cross-cultural interactions and connections, both within East Asia and beyond, with new material on Vietnam and modern pop culture. The second edition also features a Chinese character list, additional maps and new illustrations. 'Holcombe’s book is a precious guide to the histories of East Asia. It is clear and incisive, as any textbook should be, but it also offers and alternative and specialist reading.' Noemi Lanna, University of Naples 'L'Orientale' Review of first edition: 'Treading a line between the emerging field of transnational history and a more traditional regional history, Holcombe has written a valuable and impressive guide to the histories of East Asia. The historical and regional scope, reaching from the ancient past to the ultra-modern present, is unprecedented in a volume of this size. Students of East Asia and of international history will find this book essential reading.' Chris Goto-Jones, University of Victoria, British Columia The second edition of Charles Holcombe's acclaimed introduction to East Asian history from the dawn of history to the twenty-first century. Charles Holcombe is Professor of History at the University of Northern Iowa. His publications include The Genesis of East Asia, 221 BC–AD 907 (2001) and In the Shadow of the Han: Literati Thought and Society at the Start of the Southern Dynasties (1994).