Concise History of Korea - 3rd Edition,Annotated by Michael J Seth (Paperback)

About the Book

Now in a fully revised and updated edition, this comprehensive text surveys Korean history from Neolithic times to the present. All readers looking for a balanced, knowledgeable history will be richly rewarded with this clear and concise book.

Book Synopsis

Now in a fully revised and updated edition, this comprehensive text surveys Korean history from Neolithic times to the present. All readers looking for a balanced, knowledgeable history will be richly rewarded with this clear and concise book.

Review Quotes

For Seth (James Madison Univ.) new scholarship warranted a third edition of this volume. . . Each chapter is devoted to political and economic history with "asides" on social or cultural impacts, making the book useful for a general understanding of the region within concise parameters. . . Chapter essays on global perspectives are very well done, and the author's clear writing style provides an excellent means of examining Korea's history without being overburdened by excessive detail. The text is further supported by the inclusion of numerous primary sources and chapter notes as well as an annotated bibliography. Chapter 3 on the kingdom of Late Silla demonstrates Seth's ability to write a strong historical analysis of the era, introducing historians' sources and questions. Unfortunately, his later chapters do not reach the same level. . . Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates.

Michael Seth's text remains the most accessible overview of Korean history. Going beyond the platitudes about the 'land of the morning calm' or the 'hermit kingdom, ' it is a useful and clear guide to the Korean peninsula's turbulent past.

Michael Seth's A Concise History of Korea remains the best overview of Korean history in the English language. Both thorough and readable, it is the ideal book to use in undergraduate-level Korean history courses. It is also great for anybody who wants to know more about almost any aspect of Korean history.

Whenever I'm asked to recommend a textbook on Korean history, I always put Michael Seth's A Concise History of Korea at the top of my list. Now in its third edition, the book provides the most up-to-date survey of Korean history, introducing fresh research and interpretations. Seth places Korea clearly within the East Asian world and highlights the unique aspects of Korea's past. As with the previous edition, Michael Seth succeeds in this history in every way.

About the Author

Michael J. Seth is professor of history at James Madison University.