Finally there is an excellent source book on Pan-Asianism, an ideology that has played an important role in Japan's regional interactions since the late 19th century.

Pan-Asianism promoted a unified Asian identity and response to western imperialism. Certainly it inspired Asian nationalists as they coped with western subjugation, but it also served as a fig leaf for Japanese imperialism.

One can only imagine the difficulties the editors overcame in compiling this opus involving 35 contributors from four continents. They and the publisher merit praise and gratitude for this massive undertaking. Having taught an undergraduate course on this subject for some 20 years, I only wish they had completed this project years sooner. These two volumes are essential for any university or research library as they cover modern Asian history from the mid-19th century until the present.