How to read this book
A few tools will make everything that follows easier to follow.
The fastest way in
If you only have a little time:
- For East Asia, read The East Asian world first. It explains the shared culture (writing, Confucianism, Buddhism) that links China, Japan, and Taiwan, so the country chapters make sense.
- For Europe, read How Europe was shaped and then the era chapters in order. The country chapters assume that backbone.
Use the search box
mdBook has a search box at the top left (or press the S key). It indexes every page. Type a name (Napoleon, Mao), a place (Kyoto, Berlin), a war (Hundred Years' War), or a term (feudalism, communism) to jump straight to it.
Boxes and signs to watch for
Don't be confused: ... These boxes untangle two things people often mix up, like China and Taiwan, or a "Roman" and a "Byzantine," or socialism and communism.
Tables summarise rulers, wars, and dates so you can scan them quickly. A "👉" at the end of each chapter points to the natural next read.
A short cheat-sheet of ideas you will meet often
Full entries are in the glossary.
| Term | One-line meaning |
|---|---|
| Dynasty | A line of rulers from one family; Chinese and European history are often told by dynasty. |
| Confucianism | A Chinese ethical and social philosophy, hugely influential across East Asia. |
| Feudalism | A medieval system of land held in exchange for service and loyalty, found in both Europe and Japan. |
| Empire | A state ruling many peoples and territories; Rome, the British Empire, and others. |
| Nationalism | The 19th-century idea that each "nation" should have its own state, which redrew Europe. |
| Communism | A political and economic system aiming at collective ownership; central to the USSR, China, and the Cold War. |
| The Cold War | The 1945 to 1991 standoff between the US-led West and the Soviet-led East. |
| Cross-strait | Shorthand for relations between mainland China and the island of Taiwan. |
A word on names and spellings
Chinese, Japanese, and many European names reach English through different systems, so you will see Beijing and Peking, or Tokyo written various ways. This book uses one common spelling for each (for Chinese, the modern pinyin system: Beijing, Mao Zedong). Where a place has more than one name for political reasons, both are given.
With those tools in hand, let us start in East Asia. 👉