I am often skeptical of history books covering especially long stretches of time, but A History of Japan was not terrible.

That being said it was not perfect either. Though informative, the prose could be dry. As with many history books, the sections on archaeological history were lacking. Also missing was information on women and Japan's ethnic minorities. I would have been especially interested in Japanese interactions with the Ainu, specifically in reference to the country's acquisition of Hokkaido.

Still, it is important to remember this book was initially published in 1972. A further examination on how the "current events" of the 60s and 70s may have effected the way Japan's history was parsed and assessed throughout the book could be interesting (especially in regards to the focus on Japan's changing power dynamics and administrative styles).

Overall, it was not amazing, but I learned some things and can say it was at least okay.