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A Brief History of Korea: Isolation, War, Despotism and Revival: The Fascinating Story of a Resilient But Divided People
Exploring Korean history from its ancient roots to the present day, A Brief History of Korea is the story of a people with a rich and united culture that has become two Koreas in modern times—one isolated and secretive and the other among the world's most successful economies. Korean culture developed on a 600-mile-long peninsula, bordered on the north by mountains and three sides by the sea, set apart from the Asian mainland.
Korea was one of the last countries in Asia to be visited by Westerners and its borders have remained largely unchanged since it was unified in the seventh century. Though it is one of the world's oldest and most ethnically homogeneous states, Korea was not born in a vacuum. Geographically isolated, the country was heavily influenced by powerful China and was often used as a bridge to the mainland by Japan.
Calling themselves as "a shrimp among whales," Koreans borrowed elements of government, culture and religion all the while fiercely fighting to maintain independence from powerful neighbors. This fascinating book tells the story of Korean domestic dynasties, empires and states, as well as foreign conquest, occupation and division. Today, the two Koreas are starkly different—North Korea a nation closed to the world and South Korea an economic powerhouse and center of Asian democracy.
Chronicling significant events right up through 2018's Singapore Summit, author Michael J. Seth presents a relevant, interesting and important history of Korea within a larger global context. Korea's history is a turbulent one, but ultimately the story of a resistant and resourceful people in search of lasting peace.
Korea was one of the last countries in Asia to be visited by Westerners and its borders have remained largely unchanged since it was unified in the seventh century. Though it is one of the world's oldest and most ethnically homogeneous states, Korea was not born in a vacuum. Geographically isolated, the country was heavily influenced by powerful China and was often used as a bridge to the mainland by Japan.
Calling themselves as "a shrimp among whales," Koreans borrowed elements of government, culture and religion all the while fiercely fighting to maintain independence from powerful neighbors. This fascinating book tells the story of Korean domestic dynasties, empires and states, as well as foreign conquest, occupation and division. Today, the two Koreas are starkly different—North Korea a nation closed to the world and South Korea an economic powerhouse and center of Asian democracy.
Chronicling significant events right up through 2018's Singapore Summit, author Michael J. Seth presents a relevant, interesting and important history of Korea within a larger global context. Korea's history is a turbulent one, but ultimately the story of a resistant and resourceful people in search of lasting peace.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 12, 2020
Alternative title: “shitty sparknotes for westerners who think they’d like to know a little more about Korea but don’t like to read.”
This book is so obviously written by a westerner to be consumed by other westerners. Of course, it being published by Tuttle, instead of a university press, so I wasn’t expecting a scholarly work, but the author’s opinions (which he does not qualify) have snuck in. It’s distinctly pro-Japanese at points and skips over some explanations, especially the points that cover Japanese occupation/formal annexation. I’m also not okay with the way North Korea is discussed. It plays into current international politics and makes the issues reductive.
I really really hope people don’t read this and take it seriously. It’s a cursory overview, “a brief history,” as described, but it’s not objective and offers some dangerously oversimplified information.
This book is so obviously written by a westerner to be consumed by other westerners. Of course, it being published by Tuttle, instead of a university press, so I wasn’t expecting a scholarly work, but the author’s opinions (which he does not qualify) have snuck in. It’s distinctly pro-Japanese at points and skips over some explanations, especially the points that cover Japanese occupation/formal annexation. I’m also not okay with the way North Korea is discussed. It plays into current international politics and makes the issues reductive.
I really really hope people don’t read this and take it seriously. It’s a cursory overview, “a brief history,” as described, but it’s not objective and offers some dangerously oversimplified information.
September 30, 2022
This book is exactly what the title states. A brief concise history of the Land of the Morning Calm. This was what I was looking for as I knew a little about the prehistory portion a bit more about the 3 states period and quite a bit more about the Korean war but I knew nothing about the stuff in between and after and this book gave it to me in an easily readable form
Recommended if you want a cliff note history of both Korea's.
Recommended if you want a cliff note history of both Korea's.
January 14, 2023
This is my third book on Korean history and I think it's exactly what Seth's said, a brief history. He's written it in a more narrative style than a classic, academic history book and I've used his interpretations to help me navigate three other Korean history books. If you want an easier approach to a massive history from ancient to 21st century, Seth's approach is a helpful guide.
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March 25, 2024I listened to the audiobook because my daughter had downloaded it. Korea? What did I know about Korea? Not much. In that, the book reassures me, I am pretty normal. Korea was rather late to being a player on the world stage. During the years that Korea was called “the Hermit Kingdom” not many people on earth knew much about Korea.
Korea is a peninsula, said to be shaped like a rabbit. The terrain is mountainous, and the coasts are challenging for ships, factors that promoted sticking together rather than exploring. In legend, the earliest rulers of Korea were hatched out of eggs. The earliest inhabitants were poor, farming small farms in the valleys, and foraging in the forests. The people looked to China as a source of learning and culture, but resisted being absorbed by China politically.
In one of my favorite stories, the Koreans resisted the Mongols longer than most. The Mongols were great at riding horses, not so great at sailing boats. So the Koreans moved their capital to an island, and stood on the shore taunting the Mongols, while the Mongols stood on the opposite shore and fumed, not able to figure out how to get there. Eventually they did, and they burned and pillaged a lot in the process.
One of the other things I remembered from the early days is that in the Buddhist period, men and women socialized together freely, playing polo and card games. During the Confusion period, the Koreans decided to make their society more Confucian than Confucius himself, and sharply restricted the movements of women. Even within families, some houses had a women’s wing and a men’s wing. Men and women had separate hours when they could go about on the streets. A bell would sound announcing “shift change.” Women carried little daggers on their person so they could commit suicide if they got dishonored.
The modern era begins with the period of Japanese rule. I knew that there was a time when Japan controlled Korea. I hadn’t know that it had lasted so long (40 years), nor been so oppressive and so bitterly resented.
When Japan surrendered at the end of WWII, the Korean people expected to become independent. They were completely surprised when Russia and the US divided the country up between them. No Koreans were involved in the decision. The Koreans felt strongly that they were one people, and should be one country.
According to the book, both Russia and America were unprepared for running the Koreas, but the Americans were more unprepared. The Americans are initially depicted as bumblers, without even interpreters. The Russians initially did one thing that pleased the people. They gave the peasants land. The peasants were so thrilled to have small farms, even if they were very small farms, that they supported the Communist government, and supported attempts to go down and “liberate” their countrymen in the south. The south, on the whole, wasn’t interested in being liberated. (Later that land would be taken away from the people in the north, but by then it was too late. State control didn’t leave them with any choices.)
The division of Korea takes place about the middle of the book, and the rest addresses what happened to the two Koreas. What really goes on in North Korea? They are one of the most militarized countries in the world, one of the most isolated, and one of the poorest. 30% of the people serve in the military. And at least that many suffer from malnutrition. One interesting thing is that people are divided up by how loyal to the state they are thought to be. Tomatoes are red all the way through. Apples are only red on the outside. And grapes are not red at all. Perks and opportunities are allocated based on one’s loyalty status. But that loyalty status is considered to be hereditary, and is very hard to change.
And how did the south go from a nation of poor rice farmers to an industrial powerhouse? The path of the south wasn’t smooth. They endured years of government corruption, and terrible working conditions (with female textile workers locked in their rooms at night, held as virtual prisoners). But they achieved prosperity and democracy. They achieved high levels of education. They hosted the Olympics, which was a source of great pride. And then they became a pop music sensation.
What lies ahead? Hard to say, but unification, once every Korean’s dream, doesn’t look likely. It sounds great in theory, but no one can see a practical path to it.
Korea is a peninsula, said to be shaped like a rabbit. The terrain is mountainous, and the coasts are challenging for ships, factors that promoted sticking together rather than exploring. In legend, the earliest rulers of Korea were hatched out of eggs. The earliest inhabitants were poor, farming small farms in the valleys, and foraging in the forests. The people looked to China as a source of learning and culture, but resisted being absorbed by China politically.
In one of my favorite stories, the Koreans resisted the Mongols longer than most. The Mongols were great at riding horses, not so great at sailing boats. So the Koreans moved their capital to an island, and stood on the shore taunting the Mongols, while the Mongols stood on the opposite shore and fumed, not able to figure out how to get there. Eventually they did, and they burned and pillaged a lot in the process.
One of the other things I remembered from the early days is that in the Buddhist period, men and women socialized together freely, playing polo and card games. During the Confusion period, the Koreans decided to make their society more Confucian than Confucius himself, and sharply restricted the movements of women. Even within families, some houses had a women’s wing and a men’s wing. Men and women had separate hours when they could go about on the streets. A bell would sound announcing “shift change.” Women carried little daggers on their person so they could commit suicide if they got dishonored.
The modern era begins with the period of Japanese rule. I knew that there was a time when Japan controlled Korea. I hadn’t know that it had lasted so long (40 years), nor been so oppressive and so bitterly resented.
When Japan surrendered at the end of WWII, the Korean people expected to become independent. They were completely surprised when Russia and the US divided the country up between them. No Koreans were involved in the decision. The Koreans felt strongly that they were one people, and should be one country.
According to the book, both Russia and America were unprepared for running the Koreas, but the Americans were more unprepared. The Americans are initially depicted as bumblers, without even interpreters. The Russians initially did one thing that pleased the people. They gave the peasants land. The peasants were so thrilled to have small farms, even if they were very small farms, that they supported the Communist government, and supported attempts to go down and “liberate” their countrymen in the south. The south, on the whole, wasn’t interested in being liberated. (Later that land would be taken away from the people in the north, but by then it was too late. State control didn’t leave them with any choices.)
The division of Korea takes place about the middle of the book, and the rest addresses what happened to the two Koreas. What really goes on in North Korea? They are one of the most militarized countries in the world, one of the most isolated, and one of the poorest. 30% of the people serve in the military. And at least that many suffer from malnutrition. One interesting thing is that people are divided up by how loyal to the state they are thought to be. Tomatoes are red all the way through. Apples are only red on the outside. And grapes are not red at all. Perks and opportunities are allocated based on one’s loyalty status. But that loyalty status is considered to be hereditary, and is very hard to change.
And how did the south go from a nation of poor rice farmers to an industrial powerhouse? The path of the south wasn’t smooth. They endured years of government corruption, and terrible working conditions (with female textile workers locked in their rooms at night, held as virtual prisoners). But they achieved prosperity and democracy. They achieved high levels of education. They hosted the Olympics, which was a source of great pride. And then they became a pop music sensation.
What lies ahead? Hard to say, but unification, once every Korean’s dream, doesn’t look likely. It sounds great in theory, but no one can see a practical path to it.
February 26, 2025
A "brief" but nevertheless satisfyingly deep and thorough book about Korea's fascinating history, almost all of which I was completely ignorant. Being a teacher who interacts with many Korean children, I was initially surprised at their insistent response to my saying "Oh, you're South Korean". "No, I'm just Korean" or some variant form was almost always the response, and it left me suspecting I was betraying an offensive lack of sensitivity for what obviously seems to be a strong national identity, bypassing the modern distinction between the prosperous and democratic South and the isolated, totalitarian North.
Technically, I was correct. The two nations are very different and are officially recognised as separate, with already an quite extensive history unique to each one. This is primary level geography stuff. But the rich backstory of these two estranged nations, their shared and often traumatic memories of the past, make for a frayed tapestry that I found absolutely delightful and interesting to learn about.
But it wasn't just these countries' histories that made the book. Seth, an established authority on Korea (he also wrote the Very Short Introduction entry for it) has perfected the art of delivering a fun, accessible but also richly detailed and compelling narrative of a nation(s)s' history. I will have to look out for more books in the series to which this belongs. Highly recommended for those who are already interested the two Koreas, and anyone (like me) with just more of a casual interest.
I actually went to South Korean, but briefly, back in 2004. I thought it was beautiful and, having gone nowhere else in Northeast Asia, I have never seen another place like it. Plus, it was right in the middle December, so it was absolutely freezing. I'd love to go there again and experience it properly.
Technically, I was correct. The two nations are very different and are officially recognised as separate, with already an quite extensive history unique to each one. This is primary level geography stuff. But the rich backstory of these two estranged nations, their shared and often traumatic memories of the past, make for a frayed tapestry that I found absolutely delightful and interesting to learn about.
But it wasn't just these countries' histories that made the book. Seth, an established authority on Korea (he also wrote the Very Short Introduction entry for it) has perfected the art of delivering a fun, accessible but also richly detailed and compelling narrative of a nation(s)s' history. I will have to look out for more books in the series to which this belongs. Highly recommended for those who are already interested the two Koreas, and anyone (like me) with just more of a casual interest.
I actually went to South Korean, but briefly, back in 2004. I thought it was beautiful and, having gone nowhere else in Northeast Asia, I have never seen another place like it. Plus, it was right in the middle December, so it was absolutely freezing. I'd love to go there again and experience it properly.
October 18, 2021
I'm conflicted on this book because I enjoyed reading about the subject matter, and the book is "well" written in that it tells an engaging story covering an almost impossible breadth. I'd still recommend it because there are so few other English-language books available on Korea: bookshops often have whole shelves or even sections on each of China and Japan; it's slim pickings for Korea.
My problems with this book:
1. Basic historical errors. I'm not a historian but when I wanted to research some points further, it turned out some of those details in the book were incorrect. These were mostly dates but also one major military event was attributed to a completely different historical figure, who had nothing to do with it (kind of similar name though). If I could catch those, I expect somebody with a better knowledge of Korean history would catch a lot more. One king was said to reign for a hundred years which anybody could spot was an obvious mistake.
2. Bizarrely, there were constant grammatical or spelling errors. A few mistakes I could understand, but I genuinely can't imagine how the author, typesetter, proofreaders, and editors all missed the huge number of minor but obvious errors.
3. Romanisation of Korean names is inconsistent, which is irritating but a minor thing.
4. The sections on North Korea were hard to read, as they were so flippant and sarcastic. It was clear the author didn't take the material seriously. For years after the partition, North Korea was economically more successful than the south and sent development aid to neighbouring countries - the economics and politics of what happened are worth exploring seriously. But instead these sections were smirking and cursory.
5. Sections on the Japanese occupation are a bit timid for something that significantly informed modern Korean society. The whole period is essentially treated as having been good for Korea's development, with one or two comments to the effect of "yes, yes it was brutal and horrific but no need to talk about that". I know it's a sensitive topic but we don't do history any services by minimising it. The post-occupation Japanese/collaborationist elements are hardly mentioned either.
However. The other sections of the book were a great read and I really enjoyed the book overall. Seth did generally draw a few strands from each section to connect to the last, which helped tell a coherent story through an almost impossible time span.
Shame about the issues above. These could easily be addressed in a second edition, which would really take the book to 4 or 5 stars.
My problems with this book:
1. Basic historical errors. I'm not a historian but when I wanted to research some points further, it turned out some of those details in the book were incorrect. These were mostly dates but also one major military event was attributed to a completely different historical figure, who had nothing to do with it (kind of similar name though). If I could catch those, I expect somebody with a better knowledge of Korean history would catch a lot more. One king was said to reign for a hundred years which anybody could spot was an obvious mistake.
2. Bizarrely, there were constant grammatical or spelling errors. A few mistakes I could understand, but I genuinely can't imagine how the author, typesetter, proofreaders, and editors all missed the huge number of minor but obvious errors.
3. Romanisation of Korean names is inconsistent, which is irritating but a minor thing.
4. The sections on North Korea were hard to read, as they were so flippant and sarcastic. It was clear the author didn't take the material seriously. For years after the partition, North Korea was economically more successful than the south and sent development aid to neighbouring countries - the economics and politics of what happened are worth exploring seriously. But instead these sections were smirking and cursory.
5. Sections on the Japanese occupation are a bit timid for something that significantly informed modern Korean society. The whole period is essentially treated as having been good for Korea's development, with one or two comments to the effect of "yes, yes it was brutal and horrific but no need to talk about that". I know it's a sensitive topic but we don't do history any services by minimising it. The post-occupation Japanese/collaborationist elements are hardly mentioned either.
However. The other sections of the book were a great read and I really enjoyed the book overall. Seth did generally draw a few strands from each section to connect to the last, which helped tell a coherent story through an almost impossible time span.
Shame about the issues above. These could easily be addressed in a second edition, which would really take the book to 4 or 5 stars.
January 2, 2020
I purchased the book to equip myself with some basic knowledge on Korea for my Jeju trip. True to its title, it gives the reader a brief, yet succinct introduction on the history of Korea from the period of the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Silla and Baekje) to its current modern state. Important names, dates and events were introduced, but never to the point of overwhelming. The coverage on ancient Korea was especially intriguing, and it has helped to familiarise myself with the origins of Korea that my trip to Jeju National Museum didn't feel awkward and pointless. More books were recommended by the writer if readers find themselves wanting to learn more about Korea, and I've ordered a new one following his guidance. All in all, this book manages to stir interest and bring light on a country that often finds itself in the shadow of its two powerful neighboring countries, China and Japan.
September 6, 2021
Seems like a good overview and jumping off point. I'm not an expert so I'm assuming everything is accurate. (there are certainly references at least)
I'm not sure if the library copy was an arc or what, but there were a few editing issues. Typos, missing words, grammar issues, etc. Not a ton, but enough that I noticed
I'm not sure if the library copy was an arc or what, but there were a few editing issues. Typos, missing words, grammar issues, etc. Not a ton, but enough that I noticed
Read
December 28, 2024Wanted to learn more about the region and its history because of its emergence as a cultural super-power (K-pop, K-drama). Also wanted to learn more about the region in general to better understand society there. Heard the book, will read more on Korean history.
Interesting fact I learned from the book:
Tycoo is what Koreans called the Japanese emperor because Koreans could not call the Japanese emperor an emperor because only the Chinese emperor was the true emperor. So the Japanese came up with tycoo. Tycoo means the great prince. It is the origin for the western word "Tycoon".
No rating because I heard the book a long time ago.
Interesting fact I learned from the book:
Tycoo is what Koreans called the Japanese emperor because Koreans could not call the Japanese emperor an emperor because only the Chinese emperor was the true emperor. So the Japanese came up with tycoo. Tycoo means the great prince. It is the origin for the western word "Tycoon".
No rating because I heard the book a long time ago.
October 1, 2022
Great overview of Korean history from prehistoric era to modern society! Very readable and engaging. Recommend!
November 28, 2023
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this account about Korea. It gave a good overview of the country’s history as well as on both Koreas after the division. I learned a lot! Cannot recommend this book enough to anyone interested in the country and culture. How much this small place on Earth has gone through is really something. And how drastically it has changed as well. I definitely am a lot more educated now.
I really enjoyed this account about Korea. It gave a good overview of the country’s history as well as on both Koreas after the division. I learned a lot! Cannot recommend this book enough to anyone interested in the country and culture. How much this small place on Earth has gone through is really something. And how drastically it has changed as well. I definitely am a lot more educated now.
January 17, 2020
Very interesting and readable history of Korea. It takes a look at the traditions of the past and how these have shaped the current totally opposite societies of North and South Korea. This common heritage may someday lead to reunification.
April 22, 2024
As someone with a degree in Korean Studies, this book had little news to offer me, as it is indeed a brief history. The beginning especially feels glossed over, missing some essential details in my opinion (no mention of the development of paper - which was whisked off by the Manchurian invasions - and lithography, for example, though mention of the Tripitaka is made).
The modern history was much more satisfying to read. It included details I wasn't well aware of and things I learned but think I had forgotten.
Lastly I kept thinking the book was written by someone who speaks Korean as their first language. Many Korean friends I know make mistakes with adding or omitting 'the' in certain places, mainly in combination with country names. So, this book also frequently talked about 'the Korea' and 'the China', 'United Nations', 'United States' and so on. The author, however, doesn't have a Korean name.
Nonetheless, the editor should have been able to correct this before having it be published...
The modern history was much more satisfying to read. It included details I wasn't well aware of and things I learned but think I had forgotten.
Lastly I kept thinking the book was written by someone who speaks Korean as their first language. Many Korean friends I know make mistakes with adding or omitting 'the' in certain places, mainly in combination with country names. So, this book also frequently talked about 'the Korea' and 'the China', 'United Nations', 'United States' and so on. The author, however, doesn't have a Korean name.
Nonetheless, the editor should have been able to correct this before having it be published...
August 2, 2024
My favorite installment in Tuttle's Brief History of Asia series so far. Almost 2/3 of the book deals with the modern (20-21st century) divided Koreas, so if your interest is ancient/pre-modern Korea (Gogoryeo, Silla, Joseon period, etc) this isn't the best source although they are covered here in earlier chapters. The book does have a more historical bent than Daniel Tudor's excellent Korea: The Impossible Country (also by Tuttle), which has a more cultural focus and makes excellent complementary reading.
June 25, 2024
Although I gave this book a 3.0, I’m not sure I can recommend it because of the errors that I and others have noticed. If you are planing a trip to S.K. and you just want to briefly learn about Korea and its history, but that is the extent of your interest, then sure, read the book. If you have a friend/family member/significant other that has shown interest in S.K. and you want to quickly learn about the history to be able to understand their fascination better and that is the extent of your research, sure read the book.
However, if you are serious about learning Korean Language, Korean culture, and history, then skip the book. If anything, you can read the book, but take everything with a grain of salt and supplement your learning with many other books on the topic. Why do I say this? First lets start with the audiobook.
The author of the book and the narrator are two different people. It appears that the narrator is just a professional book narrator that has no connection to Korean culture or the language. This shows in the way words were pronounced. The introduction of the book has a section where the author is explaining the different systems that are used to romanize Korean words. When the narrator started pronouncing those words and vowels, it felt like nails on a chalkboard. I literally paused the book to wonder why I was listening to the author badly pronounce vowels and words. That is when I noticed the difference in the author and speaker. Throughout the book he pronounced most words so badly, that I had to search online to figure out what he was actually trying to say. There is a part where he talked about the North Korean leader as “fatherly leader”. The way he pronounced father sounded like a new word and I had to look it up. NO!! Turns out he was just saying it wrong. Most of the time his inflections were off. The interesting part is that he was decent when it came to saying Chinese names. I suspect that he was using Chinese pronunciation to say Korean words. But if you know anything about Korean, it is that one of the main reasons why Hangul was created is that the Chinese language doesn’t have the same sounds as Korean. They had to make their own system to capture sounds that can not be said using Hanja (Chinese letters). Why is this a problem? Because I was trying to take notes while I listened. If I can’t understand the names that are said, how can I write them down? Even the review section in Audible complains about the pronunciation (I should have checked that before getting the book, but I blame the Audible site-wide sale 🙂).
I considered getting the ebook. I checked the reviews for the ebook and apparently there are complaints that it has lots of typos. So I continued listening to the book while trying to take notes. That is until I reached the part where he talked about the disgraced King/Prince Yeonsangun, which he did not pronounce correctly. He pronounced the name as ‘Yeongsanchung’. The audiobook states that he reigned from 1492-1592; 100 years!! Again, I had to search online to see if it was true and found out it was only until 1506. At that point I stopped taking notes and just consumed the book as a form of entertainment and background noise. I was trying to look past the bad pronunciation (I think I subtracted a year from my life enduring the pain), but if the facts are wrong, then I can’t think of this as a creditable source of information.
However, if you are serious about learning Korean Language, Korean culture, and history, then skip the book. If anything, you can read the book, but take everything with a grain of salt and supplement your learning with many other books on the topic. Why do I say this? First lets start with the audiobook.
The author of the book and the narrator are two different people. It appears that the narrator is just a professional book narrator that has no connection to Korean culture or the language. This shows in the way words were pronounced. The introduction of the book has a section where the author is explaining the different systems that are used to romanize Korean words. When the narrator started pronouncing those words and vowels, it felt like nails on a chalkboard. I literally paused the book to wonder why I was listening to the author badly pronounce vowels and words. That is when I noticed the difference in the author and speaker. Throughout the book he pronounced most words so badly, that I had to search online to figure out what he was actually trying to say. There is a part where he talked about the North Korean leader as “fatherly leader”. The way he pronounced father sounded like a new word and I had to look it up. NO!! Turns out he was just saying it wrong. Most of the time his inflections were off. The interesting part is that he was decent when it came to saying Chinese names. I suspect that he was using Chinese pronunciation to say Korean words. But if you know anything about Korean, it is that one of the main reasons why Hangul was created is that the Chinese language doesn’t have the same sounds as Korean. They had to make their own system to capture sounds that can not be said using Hanja (Chinese letters). Why is this a problem? Because I was trying to take notes while I listened. If I can’t understand the names that are said, how can I write them down? Even the review section in Audible complains about the pronunciation (I should have checked that before getting the book, but I blame the Audible site-wide sale 🙂).
I considered getting the ebook. I checked the reviews for the ebook and apparently there are complaints that it has lots of typos. So I continued listening to the book while trying to take notes. That is until I reached the part where he talked about the disgraced King/Prince Yeonsangun, which he did not pronounce correctly. He pronounced the name as ‘Yeongsanchung’. The audiobook states that he reigned from 1492-1592; 100 years!! Again, I had to search online to see if it was true and found out it was only until 1506. At that point I stopped taking notes and just consumed the book as a form of entertainment and background noise. I was trying to look past the bad pronunciation (I think I subtracted a year from my life enduring the pain), but if the facts are wrong, then I can’t think of this as a creditable source of information.
January 8, 2020
Part of Tuttle Publishing's "Brief History" series which is not usually written by academics but seem to be more "general audience histories". A Brief History of Korea is a highly readable and lucidly written broad-strokes general history of Korea actually written by a specialist scholar, so you are in good hands for an introduction.
Whilst not as in-depth as some may hope (and Seth does provide recommendations for going further including his own longer Concise history) that is not the point here with this one-volume history which does a fantastic job with providing a narrative overview of Korean history (and indeed what is now the two Koreas) right up to the present. Obvious emphasis on Twentieth Century History and I admit I would've liked a bit more on the creeping colonialism of Japan on Korea during the late 19th C/early 20th but what is there is serviceable. Lot of interesting stuff about the Silla and "Late Three Kingdoms" eras and the postwar content is succinct but illuminating.
It does what all good one-volume histories should do in my opinion, provide a solid foundation and framework for you to get to grips with things and perhaps read further and Seth really does a brilliant job in highlighting the contours of a peninsula caught between powers.
Whilst not as in-depth as some may hope (and Seth does provide recommendations for going further including his own longer Concise history) that is not the point here with this one-volume history which does a fantastic job with providing a narrative overview of Korean history (and indeed what is now the two Koreas) right up to the present. Obvious emphasis on Twentieth Century History and I admit I would've liked a bit more on the creeping colonialism of Japan on Korea during the late 19th C/early 20th but what is there is serviceable. Lot of interesting stuff about the Silla and "Late Three Kingdoms" eras and the postwar content is succinct but illuminating.
It does what all good one-volume histories should do in my opinion, provide a solid foundation and framework for you to get to grips with things and perhaps read further and Seth really does a brilliant job in highlighting the contours of a peninsula caught between powers.
August 14, 2023
Wow, this was a very informative, comprehensive, yet still super interesting dive into the history of Korea!
And can you believe I finally finished it?? I barely can, I had to renew it like 20 times. But even though it took me a while to get through, I was never bored, every little bit was soo interesting, and there wasn't any filler material. It was all relevant and helped provide me with more insight into Korean history and heritage. Just really fascinating stuff! In school, all we were required to take was European and US history, so I didn't know much going in but I feel like I having a much bettet grasp of it coming out, which I love.
All in all, it was just so well written and detailed while still not diving too deeply so that we have time to fit the entire history into one book without making it over 1000 pages long. It really was a brief history, but it was a thorough one as well, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
And can you believe I finally finished it?? I barely can, I had to renew it like 20 times. But even though it took me a while to get through, I was never bored, every little bit was soo interesting, and there wasn't any filler material. It was all relevant and helped provide me with more insight into Korean history and heritage. Just really fascinating stuff! In school, all we were required to take was European and US history, so I didn't know much going in but I feel like I having a much bettet grasp of it coming out, which I love.
All in all, it was just so well written and detailed while still not diving too deeply so that we have time to fit the entire history into one book without making it over 1000 pages long. It really was a brief history, but it was a thorough one as well, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 25, 2025
As the title suggests, this is a brief history of Korea, from Dangun to the modern day, though the emphasis is on the latter. About half the book takes us all the way up to the end of the 19th Century, and the rest deals with colonisation, war, and the divergence between North and South.
It's perfectly readable and does as good a job as can be expected of a book that tries to cram 2000 years of history into 200 pages. You are kind of left with the impression that for most of Korea's history nothing really happened -- occasionally they would get invaded, but mainly they just sat there, waiting for someone to invent Starcraft. Perhaps so, but even so it was fascinating reading about how the nation tried to subsequently build Buddhist, Confucian, and Jucheist utopias, and getting a glimpse of what North East Asia might have looked like before it got carved up between China and Russia.
It's perfectly readable and does as good a job as can be expected of a book that tries to cram 2000 years of history into 200 pages. You are kind of left with the impression that for most of Korea's history nothing really happened -- occasionally they would get invaded, but mainly they just sat there, waiting for someone to invent Starcraft. Perhaps so, but even so it was fascinating reading about how the nation tried to subsequently build Buddhist, Confucian, and Jucheist utopias, and getting a glimpse of what North East Asia might have looked like before it got carved up between China and Russia.
November 18, 2020
Absolutely riddled with syntax and grammatical errors, it's clear this text was the recipient of a great deal of editing, revisions and tweaks. It's a shame it didn't get one more pass-over to remove them, as they're noticeable on at least every other page, but only in a couple of cases do these unnoticed omissions require a sentence or paragraph to be re-read.
I found this a highly fulfilling introduction to Korean history and to the recent story of South Korea, which I knew little about, as well as a read of North Korea that provided more modern insights to a tale I'm already quite familiar with.
I found this a highly fulfilling introduction to Korean history and to the recent story of South Korea, which I knew little about, as well as a read of North Korea that provided more modern insights to a tale I'm already quite familiar with.
June 3, 2021
It was okay. It was (as its name implies) a very brief history. I found myself placing dozens of sticky notes on passages and people I wanted to research more. I would love to study Korean history and the language in a university setting but I don’t have that option right now so... Any book recommendations are appreciated. Or online university recommendations. 😉
The thing that bothered me most were the errors. This book needed a better editor.
Also, the author’s sarcastic comments weren’t needed or always appropriate.
The thing that bothered me most were the errors. This book needed a better editor.
Also, the author’s sarcastic comments weren’t needed or always appropriate.
October 21, 2024
The story of Korea seems to write itself. It's fascinating how it had to content with the much larger powers around it (Japan, China, Russia) for all of its existence, and incredible how it nevertheless stayed mostly independent and its people so homogenous. "Resilient People" is a a most apt description in the title considering what they had to endure and how far they've come since.
The book is well written albeit not as engaging as the "brief history of Japan", and dense with interesting facts of an incredible history.
The book is well written albeit not as engaging as the "brief history of Japan", and dense with interesting facts of an incredible history.
January 11, 2024
This took me some time despite being a "brief" history of Korea. Not because it was hard to read but because there a so much informations on every page. Diving into the history of Korea from the first humans hunting on the peninsula to the two states of today. There a so many fascinating new things I've learned. For everyone who wants to get a starter to knowing about Korea this is the place to go.
May 10, 2024
I wanted to read this book as a prelude to taking a trip to Korea. I liked this book because it gave me the short overview of what I needed to understand. I believe I can go to Korea with a bit more confidence by knowing some of their cultural heritage. I hope at least this will help since I am not Korean or even of any Korean descent. However, my dentist is Korean and he highly recommended my visit. Lol.
July 25, 2024
If you’re looking for a good place to start learning Korean history, this book is not it. It is riddled with usage errors and repeats a lot of information. The author also fails to mention anything about the massive exodus of Korean babies through foreign-placed adoptions facilitated by the Catholic Church. I only gave it a second star because I learned a few things, but it wasn’t useful beyond that.
January 26, 2025
For a guy living in Japan, South Korea has always been this close neighbor and entertainment powerhouse that I knew almost nothing about, so I picked this book. It didn't disappoint. This was an excellent introduction to the history of Korea. I knew almost nothing besides the Korean War and its tense relationship with Japan, but after finishing the book, I got to empathize with the country and grasp its current challenges.
My incoming trip to Seoul feels different now.
My incoming trip to Seoul feels different now.
February 19, 2025
Useful distillation of Korean history, with most of the focus placed on the events of the past century. A little too much pontificating about various cultural issues for my taste; it took space away from a more detailed dive into various events. For example, very surface-level treatment of how the Sino-Japanese wars/treaties of the late 19th century served to pry Korea from the Chinese sphere of influence.
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January 8, 2020Totally fine. A breezy introduction to Korean history from the past to present day. However, it's rife with typographical errors and one glaring factual error that makes me wary of everything else presented here (it claims that one king reigned -- reigned, not lived -- for a hundred years. Fact-checking this quickly online showed that this was patently false). Not sure if I can recommend.
November 4, 2020
I love learning about other places in the world, and this book was no exception. With the Korean wave sweeping the world, it only made sense to dive deeper into this phenomenon's history and culture. This book goes way back to the beginning focusing on the heritage and folklore of the beginnings of the two Koreas we know today, how they split, and what steps are being taken to reunify.
February 2, 2022
Going into this book, I knew nothing of Korea’s history before its time as a Japanese colony. It seems like a great place to start to get a general overview of the history of Korea, but don’t expect it to get super deep into any one subject save for North and South Korea’s recent history. I liked that at the end the book provides more reading material for further study.
February 15, 2022
Despite some typos and other odd copy edit errors, this was an excellent primer on Korean history from ancient times through today. It certainly picked up for me in chapter five and beyond, but I enjoyed the history and story even before then. Great as a jumping off point into more learning about Korea!
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