New Titles from “Key Issues in Asian Studies”

In addition to its two periodicals, the Journal of Asian Studies and Education About Asia, the Association for Asian Studies publishes several book series, including “Key Issues in Asian Studies.” Edited by Lucien Ellington (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga), the “Key Issues in Asian Studies” series produces short texts intended for advanced high-school and undergraduate classroom use. We now have two new titles, as well as two revised and updated books, available for purchase:

 

NEW Chinese Literature: An Introduction, by Ihor Pidhainy


In this brief yet thorough introduction to the key features and important names of Chinese literature, Ihor Pidhainy covers Chinese writings from oracle bones to the internet. Contextualizing the literature within political, historical and cultural frames, Prof. Pidhainy also provides a smorgasbord of examples from the authors noted. Written with a college freshman (or senior in high school) in mind, the book combines an introduction to the key features of Chinese literature, the names of outstanding writers and movements, and some interesting anecdotes that will leave students amused and curious for more. Grounded in historical and cultural contexts, the book also includes sufficient excerpts that will allow instructors freedom from supplementing the text. It may thus be used as a standalone text in a literature class or a supplementary text in a history course.


Read Ihor Pidhainy’s Education About Asia essay about Chinese Literature: An Introduction.


NEW The Mongol Empire in World History, by Helen Hundley


“An accessible, succinct, and interesting account of both the historical, and particularly, in the case of Central Asia, the contemporary legacies of Mongol rule that continue to influence human life and action. Students and instructors who read this book will understand that the emergence of what we think of as the modern world cannot be fully comprehended without consideration of the role played by the Mongol empire. This volume is a welcome augmentation for college, university, and high school World History courses.” (From the Editor’s Introduction)

Read Helen Hundley’s Education About Asia essay about The Mongol Empire in World History. 


 

REVISED AND EXPANDED Gender, Sexuality, and Body Politics in Modern Asia, by Michael Peletz


Gender, Sexuality, and Body Politics in Modern Asia addresses topics of importance for students and scholars of multiple disciplines—including anthropology, sociology, gender studies, Asian studies, religion, geography, political science, and history. This engagingly written booklet—designed for use in undergraduate humanities and social science courses—has great potential for use in the classroom. It will also appeal to specialists in the field owing to Peletz’s ability to present sophisticated yet accessible discussions of a broad range of topics.

 




REVISED AND EXPANDED Japan and Imperialism, 1853-1945, by James L. Huffman


This lively narrative tells the story of Japan’s experience with imperialism and colonialism, looking first at Japan’s responses to Western threats in the nineteenth century, then at Japan’s activities as Asia’s only imperialist power. Using a series of human vignettes as lenses, Japan and Imperialism examines the motivations—strategic, nationalist, economic—that led to imperial expansion and the impact expansion had on both national policies and personal lives. The work demonstrates that Japanese imperial policies fit fully into the era’s worldwide imperialist framework, even as they displayed certain distinctive traits. Japanese expansive actions, the booklet argues, were inspired by concrete historical contingencies rather than by some national propensity or overarching design.