James Hoare – författare

Don't just see the sights get to know the people.Divided along the 38th parallel, modern Korea is the subject of two very different political, social, and economic experiments. Today the military might of the Marxist-Leninist North confronts the soft power and prosperity of the uber-capitalist South. Yet family and cultural ties bind the peoples of both Koreas, and reunification remains a cherished goal.Culture Smart! Korea helps you to navigate your way through the complexities of life in these non-identical twin societies, where, even in the affluent westernized South, sensitive issues can cause misunderstanding. By introducing visitors to the Koreans at home and at work, their customs, attitudes and values, this book paves the way for an incomparably more engaging experience, whatever your reason for traveling.Have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Host country to the 1988 Olympic Games, the Republic of Korea (‘South Korea’) became prominent in world affairs but surprisingly little was known about the general public. First published in 1988, Korea provides a complete picture of the country and its people. The authors reveal the continuing importance of the country’s economic development, which enabled it to develop almost overnight from a starvation economy into an international force and offer an insight into the distinct and under-appreciated cultural tradition of the Republic of Korea. They set the Korean peninsula in its Asian context and give a fascinating description of the Korean people—their society, language, customs, and religions (both old and new), the role of the family and of women, and the aspirations of ordinary Koreans as their country emerged into the international limelight. This book is a must read for students of Asian studies and history, and general readers interested in the topic.

Host country to the 1988 Olympic Games, the Republic of Korea (‘South Korea’) became prominent in world affairs but surprisingly little was known about the general public. First published in 1988, Korea provides a complete picture of the country and its people. The authors reveal the continuing importance of the country’s economic development, which enabled it to develop almost overnight from a starvation economy into an international force and offer an insight into the distinct and under-appreciated cultural tradition of the Republic of Korea. They set the Korean peninsula in its Asian context and give a fascinating description of the Korean people—their society, language, customs, and religions (both old and new), the role of the family and of women, and the aspirations of ordinary Koreans as their country emerged into the international limelight. This book is a must read for students of Asian studies and history, and general readers interested in the topic.

This collection brings together themes in East Asian history, diplomacy, culture and politics written by J.E. Hoare since the early 1970s. His writings derive from his training as a historian, from his time as a Research Analyst in the British Foreign Office from 1969-2003, and from his experiences as a diplomat in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the People’s Republic of China, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). The writings selected for this volume include academic papers, book reviews and some quasi-journalistic articles which reflect both historical research and analysis of current events and issues. The wide-ranging content speaks to the author’s specialist fields of interest including diplomacy, biography, extraterritoriality and architecture on which he has published extensively.

This two–volume collection, supported by an in-depth introduction that addresses origins, actuality, endgame and afterlife, brings together for the first time contemporary documentation and more recent scholarship to give a broad picture of Japan’s Treaty Ports and their inhabitants at work and play in the second half of the nineteenth century. The material selected, shows how the ports’ existence and the Japanese struggle to end their special status, impacted on many aspects of modern Japan beyond their primary role as trading stations. Compared with their counterparts in China, the Japanese treaty ports cast a small shadow. They were far fewer – only four really mattered – and lasted for just under fifty years, while the Chinese ports made their centenary. Yet the Japanese ports were important. The thriving modern cities of Yokohama and Kobe had their origins as treaty ports. Nagasaki, a major centre of foreign trade since at least the sixteenth century, may not have owed so much to its treaty-port status, but it was a factor in its modern development.