East Asia is an increasingly important player on the global scene, but for most people in the West, China, Japan, and Korea remain incredibly distant and unknowable. In this new integrated history, the development of these cultures is discussed from the dawn of the modern age in the sixteenth century to the present, bringing together the common threads that tie these neighbours together and charting a clear course of how they have arrived where they are on the world stage. Organized in distinct historical periods, each chapter covers the parallel political, social, economic and cultural developments in China, Japan and Korea. By placing the three histories in parallel  rather than separating each national narrative  this book revolutionizes the way East Asian history is taught, providing a clear vision of the common bonds and distinct characters of these three great cultures. The discussion is brought to life with 24 maps specially commissioned for this book, as well as over 155 illustrations providing a gallery of the people and places making the history.