A History of Korea (Macmillan Essential Histories, 42)

This accessible and engaging new edition continues to be one of the leading introductory textbooks on Korean history. Fully revised throughout, the author takes a thematic and chronological approach to guide readers from early state formation and the dynastic eras to the modern experience. Episodic accounts in each chapter are discussed in context with extensive examination of how the events and themes under consideration have been viewed up to the present day. By discussing recurring themes such as collective identity, external influence, social hierarchy, and 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.