The samurai radicals who overthrew the last shōgun in 1868 promised to restore ancient and pure Japanese ways. Foreign observers were terrified that Japan would lapse into violent xenophobia. But the new Meiji government took an opposite course. It copied "best practice" from around the world, building a powerful and modern Japanese nation with the help of European and American...(展开全部)

When Commodore Perry arrived in Japan to open the country to Western trade in 1853, he found a medieval amalgam of sword-bearing samurai, castle towns, Confucian academies, peasant villages, rice paddies, upstart merchants, bath houses, and Kabuki. Fifteen years later, Japan was on its way to becoming the only non-Western nation in the nineteenth century with a modern centraliz...(展开全部)

J.M. Roberts's renowned History of the World is widely considered the finest available one-volume survey of the major events, developments, and personalities of the known past, offering generations of readers a tour of the vast landscape of human history. In this new edition, Bancroft Prize-winning historian Odd Arne Westad has completely revised this landmark work to bring the...(展开全部)

From the author of The History of the World in 100 Animals , a BBC Radio Four Book of the Week, comes an inspirational new book that looks at the 100 plants that have had the greatest impact on humanity, stunningly illustrated throughout.As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of ours hands. But we still consume the energy of the sun in the form of food. The sun is available...(展开全部)

From the author of The History of the World in 100 Animals , a BBC Radio Four Book of the Week, comes an inspirational new book that looks at the 100 plants that have had the greatest impact on humanity, stunningly illustrated throughout.As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of ours hands. But we still consume the energy of the sun in the form of food. The sun is available...(展开全部)

Simon Barnes was the Chief Sports Writer for The Times until 2014, having worked for the paper for 30 years. He is the author of many wild volumes, including the bestselling Bad Birdwatcher trilogy, Rewild Yourself and On The Marsh. He is a council member of World Land Trust, trustee of Conservation South Luangwa and patron of Save the Rhino. In 2014, he was awarded the Rothsch...(展开全部)

An exquisite edition of The History of the World in 100 Animals by author and journalist Simon Barnes, adapted and abridged for younger readers, with superb illustrations by award-winning artist, Frann Preston-Gannon, illustrator of I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree. This outstanding gift book proposes the 100 animals who have had the greatest impact on humans and the way we vie...(展开全部)

J.M.罗伯茨（1928—2003），英国著名公众史学家，牛津大学历史学教授，著有数十部具有广泛影响力的历史学作品，并曾为BBC《西方的胜利》《人民的世纪》等多个深受欢迎的历史节目系列担任主创、解说或历史顾问。他因“在教育与历史领域的贡献”荣获大英帝国勋章，还曾获得意大利荣誉骑士勋章。他还是《企鹅欧洲史》和《企鹅20世纪世界史》的作者。 O.A.维斯塔德，生于挪威， 1998年起担任伦敦经济学院国际关系史教授。他已出版15部关于现当代国际关系史的著作，其中包括荣获班克罗夫特奖的《全球冷战史》和《决定性的相遇》。他还担任了《剑桥冷战史》的联合主编，以及《冷战史》期刊的编辑。他的最新著作为《不安的帝国：1750年以来的中国与世界》。

瓦伦丁娜·德菲里波是一名涉足多领域的设计师，喜欢创造、喜欢革新——通晓所有格式及媒体。她在意大利学习工业设计，毕业后便搬到了伦敦，并在那里取得了平面设计硕士学位。自那以后，她对视觉传达和数字媒体的热情就变成了数据视觉、美术设计及交互设计的形式。她曾为许多机构合作，为许多全球汽车、石油、啤酒品牌进行了推广，备受赞誉。2011年，瓦伦蒂娜创立了总部设于伦敦的意大利嘉设计公司。 詹姆斯·鲍尔是一名数据记者，任职于《卫报》调查组，曾获多个奖项。他曾是该报几次数据调查的核心记者，进入《卫报》之前，他曾效力于第四频道和独立电视新闻频道，与新闻调查局共事，在美国250000份外交文件被公开期间，曾是维基解密的自由记者。现今，詹姆斯居住在伦敦，是伦敦城市大学的一名讲师，教授交互与新闻调查课程。