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Title: First-rate!
Review: Impressively comprehensive, Mr. Cobbing's book integrates specific theories, personalities, and events relating to the Japanese island of Kyushu against the broader sweep of Japanese history. Different regions are highlighted where appropriate, and the text throughout is clear and enjoyable. The book is further bolstered by a series of useful maps and a collection of sixty-four color plates that will go a long way to helping readers visualize the highlights of Kyushu if they've never seen them before. If I have a quibble about the book, it's that Mr. Cobbing demonstrates a Kyushu-centric preference whenever competing theories abound (e.g., the name of Fukuoka City may have had its origins outside Kyushu, not locally.) Still, to a Kyushu partisan like myself, that is a very minor weakness indeed. Kyushu: Gateway to Japan is that rare book good for either the serious tourist or the Japan academic who needs a useful volume detailing the history of Japan's key link with the outside world.
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