A History of Korea

by Kyung Moon Hwang

Overview

Dynamic and meticulously researched, A History of Korea continues to be one of the leading introductory textbooks on Korean history. Assuming no prior knowledge, Hwang guides readers from early state formation and the dynastic eras to the modern experience in both North and South Korea. Structured around episodic accounts, each chapter begins by discussing a defining moment in Korean history in context, with an extensive examination of how the events and themes under consideration have been viewed up to the present day. By engaging with recurring themes such as collective identity, external influence, social hierarchy, family and gender, the author introduces the major historical events, patterns and debates that have shaped both North and South Korea over the past 1500 years.

This textbook is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Korean or Asian history. The first half of the book covers pre-20th century history, and the second half the modern era, making it ideal for survey courses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781352012590
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	11/30/2021
Series:	Bloomsbury Essential Histories
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	310
Sales rank:	477,746
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Kyung Moon Hwang is Professor of Korean Studies at The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. A graduate of Oberlin College and Harvard University, his research covers the modern transformation of Korea, with a focus on state and society in the early 20th century and history disputes in the late 20th century.
Kyung Moon Hwang is Professor of Korean Studies at The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Table of Contents

List of Chronologies and Maps
Brief Chronology
Maps
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Note on Romanization
1. Goguryeo and Ancient Korea
2. Queen Seondeok and Silla's Unification of Korea
3. The Unified Silla Kingdom
4. Founding of the Goryeo Dynasty
5. Religion and Regionalism in the Goryeo Order
6. The Mongol Overlord Period
7. Goryeo-Joseon Transition
8. Confucianism and the Family in the Early Joseon Era
9. The Great Invasions, 1592-1636
10. Ideology, Family, and Nationhood in the Mid-Joseon Era
11. Intellectual Opening in the Late Eighteenth Century
12. Popular Culture in the Late Joseon Era
13. Nineteenth-Century Unrest
14. 1894, A Fateful Year
15. The Great Korean Empire
16. The Japanese Takeover, 1904-1918
17. The Long 1920s
18. Nation, Culture, and Everyday Life in the Late Colonial Period
19. Wartime Mobilization, 1938-45
20. The Liberation Period, 1945-50
21. The Korean War rth Korea
23. 1960s South Korea
24. Culture and Politics in 1970s South Korea
25. Monumental Life in North Korea
26. South Korean Democratization
27. South Korea in the 21st Century
28. Epilogue: Historical Reckoning in the Two Koreas, 2010-2020.- Further Readings
Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

‘Hwang raises questions at every turn and challenges the reader to engage with issues that animated past generations, issues that concern us today, and issues that impinge on our collective future in a world where Korea and Koreans matter.’ – James B. Lewis, University of Oxford, UK

‘Hwang has packed this concise book with pertinent facts and illustrative examples, as well as useful presentations about the interpretive debates that animate the historiography of Korea. Written in lucid and engaging prose, A History of Korea provides a superb introduction to the sweep of Korea’s past, from ancient to recent times.’ – Charles Kim, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Editorial Reviews

Unique in its discussion of women and marginalized groups, it gives readers a much fuller understanding of Korean society throughout history. It offers historical depth and accuracy for university use while engaging readers with its episodic narrative. I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about Korea, past and present.” —Jennifer Jung-Kim, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

“Full of eye-catching episodes and illustrations, this is probably the most readable guide for anyone interested in learning Korean history from ancient to contemporary times.” —Deokhyo Choi, The University of Sheffield, UK

“Kyung Moon Hwang's A History of Korea is the most reader-friendly guide for anyone who is interested in the historical changes of the Korean Peninsula. Hwang's masterful selections of historical themes and episodes on Korean history from antiquity to the present are well organized in this book. An indispensable work for helping students and general readers understand one of the most dynamic countries in the world.” —Seok-Won Lee, Rhodes College, USA

From the Publisher