• Is there any context that I should know before reading through these books?

• From what I know, "histories" up to a certain period cared less about accuracy and more about communicating a message about the people they talked about, is that correct, and does that apply to these books?

Thanks!

I understand the reasons that drove them to do it, like the embargo, need for expansion, cultural drive of superiority, and resources. The attack on Pearl Harbor was planned extraordinarily well, except for the fact that they forgot to hit our oil and that 3 carriers were gone. But an attack like Pearl Harbor would only set us back a few months. I feel like they had to know that

Did Japan really think it was capable of invading the US? Were they hoping for a few land grabs and then a peace treaty? I'm trying to grasp what their end game was in the war. Didn't it turn into defensive war relatively quickly (battle of midway)?

I hear both, they seem to be confounded. Or I am confounded.

Just to bound the question in time and place, let's say a Saxon in England c. 500 AD or so -- not long after the Roman period, but probably long enough they're making their own mail shirts.

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Learning about Hitler in school and when they said he got elected just wanted to know

thanks,

• Daniel

Hello askhistorians, I've recently taken an interest in japanese history and would like to expand my reading beyond the Wikipedia and Samurai Archives Wiki articles I've read so far. So, what are some good beginner-friendly books about this subject that you would recommend? My main area of interest is pre-Edo japan, especially the Heian and Muromachi periods, but I would gladly read anything about earlier periods as well. I am also very interested in cultural history, so anything focusing on religion, philosophy or art and literature throughout the periods would be nice too. Thanks in advance!

PS: I've done some researching and found some titles like: A History of Japan to 1334 and A History of Japan, 1334-1615 by George Sansom; Japan in the Muromachi Age by John W. Hall and Takeshi Toyoda; and A Companion to Japanese History edited by William M. Tsutsui. Are those any good? Are there better or more up-to-date books out there?

I'm referring to works like the Star Trek series, or the Cthulhu Mythos, where consistency within a fictional universe is considered important.

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Or does this practice date back to Vedic times?

If you were an emperor in the late imperial period, what could you have done better? Could a string of gifted emperors restored the empire to its height or was it destined for failure no matter what the emperors did?

By graphic novel, I refer to illustrated texts supported by images and visual representation, not necessarily a comic book but rather one which relies on its imagery as much as it's text to convey itself. Also, what would be an example of a prominent comic book, that gained mainstream attention during the time when comic books were relatively unknown or unheard of?

I've read that the Qing Empire was so short of money towards the end that they had to pawn the Guang Xhu Emperor's robes and the Imperial Collection for funds. Did this shortage of funds manifested in the food of the Imperial family and their servants? What other methods did they try to raise money?

I've been watching the TV series Vikings recently, and one thing that struck me was the apparent pointlessness of massacring - if the series is accurate - monks who did not put up a fight.

What was the Viking rationale behind this? Did they believe in the honour of killing even non-combatants? Or was it to intimidate the Kingdoms they raided?

Was the US planning on playing a role as a potential mediator between the other warring nations? I only see declarations of war for Austria-Hungary and Germany.

Germany wasn't even half a century old in 1918. You could argue that its creation was one of the factors leading to the Great War. Breaking up Germany (and of course Prussia in different parts, like Brandenburg, Silesia, Posen, etc.) would return the equilibrium in Europe to the pre-1871 state. This would have benefited France, the UK and Russia a lot in my opinion.

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