How many times have you heard of the terms "Central Asia", "South-East Asia", "East Asia" or even "the Far East" and wondered what reality they actually do cover, only to realize that the image that they evocked was fuzzy at best, and that it tended to differ from one individual to another? Genesis of East Asia proposes its own take on what East Asia is. As this work focuses mostly on the history and culture of that region which, as it is defined here, includes China, Korea, Japan an Vietnam, I imagine an economist, for instance, would tend to propose another one entirely, but Holcombe's demonstration is solid

Besides, defining "East Asia" is only really the starting point of this detailed look at the region's development over the span of some 11 centuries, from the foundation of the Chinese Empire (221 BC) to the end of the Tang dynasty (907 AD), alterning between looks at inner politics and international relations and interactions, both within the region and between East Asia and India (in particular through the spread of Buddhism), as well as between China and its nomadic, and often turbulent, neighbours. Probably my favorite aspect of Holcombe's work, however, is his in-depth exploration of Chinese cultural influence over the whole of East Asia, and how this influence at the same time tied these regions to China and, seemingly paradoxically (but really logical once you take the time to reflect about it), became a decisive factor in the development of "national identities" (even if the term "national" cannot truly apply before the 19th century) in Vietnam, Korea and, maybe even more so than anywhere else, in Japan. To my knowledge, his take on this is completely novel and therefore all the more laudable, even if it is likely to ruffle some feathers, in particular of those sensitive to the nationalist issues in either Vietnam, Korea and/or Japan

Although it cannot be mistaken for a textbook, I found this book very readable. The style is pretty fluid for one, and, although I am not very familiar with the history of Vietnam or Korea during this period, it didn't impair my understanding and enjoyment of this work in any way. As a whole, I didn't feel like any knowledge of the history of the area was a prerequisite to read this work (although some idea about the outlines of China's early history might make things even easier). Definitely a keeper for anyone interested in the area's history and culture

Holcombe, Charles, "Genesis of East Asia, 221 BC - 907 AD", Univesity of Hawai'i Press, 2001, Honolulu

Content: ***** (in-depth research, new take on subject)
Style: **** (easy to read, if a little conventional)
Accessibility: ****1/2 (no prerequisite, as accessible as this kind of book can get)

Bought from: Amazon, UH Press Recommended to: anyone with an interest in the area

Note: this book is part of the "Asian Interactions and Comparisons" Series, published jointly by the Association of Asian Studies and the University of Hawai'i Press