Sources of Korean Tradition, Vol. 1: From Early Times Through the 16th Century (Introduction to Asian Civilizations)

I gave a 5 star rating, because what I didn't like about the book is my fault NOT the sellers. Maybe I should have looked at the product description closer. Because this text is intended for someone who already knows at least the basics of Korean History and Culture. Luckily, I'm a fan of Korean Historic Dramas that at least attempt to stay as close to verifiable history as possible. At least that basic familiarity with Korean History helped me stay interested in the book.However, to give an example of what audience I believe this work is intended. From an academic level, I'd say this text is intended for either a Senior in College working on a BA, or a graduate student working on an MA.To truly enjoy and retain interest in this book, one should have at least an introductory exposure to Asian religions (Buddhism, Shamanism, Confucianism, and so on) and ideologies. This work throws out so many names, and advanced words and explanations that require at least a focused course in aspects of Korean culture to understand.To put it mildly, with the exception of historic chronology and notable rulers and such from watching Korean Historic Dramas, I was pretty much lost making it longer to read the book.

It’s very well written and has a lot of information. Great for those wanting more Korean history than Wikipedia has to offer. Also, if you’re into K-Dramas, especially if you enjoy historical dramas, this helps with understanding more of what is going on during whatever time period/reign the drama is set in.That being said, only four stars because of mu frustration with the romanization of Korean resulting in having to track down the actual Hangul to understand what is written. When I first started learning Korean, there was a different romanization being used, which adds to my frustration. An example of this is the romanization of 조선. The current romanization is Joseon. The book romanization is Choson, which was common twenty years ago. So, with Korean words, I’ve penciled in the Hangul. I would like to see an updated edition with either the modern romanization or with Hangul being included.Overall, a good resource.

I am not a scholar, nor do I pretend to be - I am an enthusiast of primary sources and history!This book, while scholarly in appearance, is very easy to read and meshes perfectly with my interest (and very probably yours as well if you are looking at this book on Amazon, teehee). The general layout of the sections flow together seamlessly. This is most notable in the separate fonts: one used for the author's description and one for the source. (It is a little frustrating that the font types are not included in the publishing information because the source-font is one I want to use! Guess I have to find it the old fashioned way: looking at all the fonts available in my Windows Word program, grr....) The descriptions of the sources themselves are informative and give context to each source as it pertains to the section it is located within."Sources of Korean Tradition Volume 1" gives readers a general knowledge and understanding of important Korean works that one who is not versed in Korean history or language would never have been exposed to otherwise. It certainly inspired me to delve deeper into the subject. It's bibliography can be used to provide an excellent list for further reading. I recommend "Sources of Korean Tradition Volume 1" most highly. I hope this review helps to sway you in a favorable way towards this text! Happy Reading Everyone :)

While it's not "the best" translation, this compilation is still well-written and well worth the read, since there's not much about Korean history before the 16th century available for those of us English readers who can't read the original Korean. Excellent for anybody interested in history or even in the historical dramas, whether a scholar or general reader.

excellent

If anyone in interested in the stories behind those great Korean Television epics this is the book.

EXCELLENT BOOK. IF THIS IS YOUR INTEREST, YOU WILL REALLY ENJOY THIS BOOK.NM WHAT ELSE TO SAY? NO MORE, I SAID IT.

great

Filled with articles written during the above era

He adquirido el volumen para preparar textos que ilustren la Historia de Corea antes del siglo XVI. Me ha parecido muy útil: si no existiese esta compilación, para quienes no entendemos coreano sería imposible disponer de textos originales.

Ottimo libro

All good