The Light of Asia

A History of Western Fascination with the East

By: Christopher Harding

Narrated by: Christopher Harding

Brought to you by Penguin.

This rich and enjoyable book by the acclaimed author of Japan Story explores the many ways in which Asia has influenced Europe and North America over centuries of tangled, dynamic encounters

From the time of the ancient Greeks onwards the West's relationship with Asia consisted for the most part of outrageous tales of strange beasts and monsters, of silk and spices shipped over vast distances and an uneasy sense of unknowable empires fantastically far away. By the twentieth century much of Asia might have come under Western rule after centuries of warfare, but its intellectual, artistic and spiritual influence was fighting back.

The Light of Asia is a wonderfully varied and entertaining history of the many ways in which Asia has shaped European and North American culture over centuries of tangled, dynamic encounters, and the central importance of this vexed, often confused relationship. From Marco Polo onwards Asia has been both a source of genuine fascination and equally genuine failures of comprehension. China, India and Japan were all acknowledged to be both great civilizations and in crude ways seen as superseded by the West. From Chicago to Calcutta, and from antiquity to the new millennium, this is a rich, involving story of misunderstandings and sincere connection, of inspiration and falsehood, of geniuses, adventurers and con-men.

Christopher Harding's captivating gallery of people and places celebrates Asia's impact on the West in all its variety.

'A rich history… Harding writes with energy and insight, wearing a tremendous amount of learning lightly' - Rana Mitter, Financial Times

©2024 Christopher Harding (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

This beautifully written, deeply absorbing and revelatory account … offers a fresh perspective … a judicious, far-reaching exploration of how the discovery of Eastern beliefs, customs and mores helped to shape Western ideas as much as Western advancements were in turn being taken up in the East … fascinating … makes an elegant and entertaining progress from the Ancient Greeks to the “raga rock” of the Beatles’ Norwegian Wood (Mick Brown)

A rich history … Harding writes with energy and insight, wearing a tremendous amount of learning lightly (Rana Mitter)

A work of remarkable breadth and erudition, that is immensely readable and filled with brilliant insights into 'the intense, even salvific allure of Asian philosophy and spirituality' (PD Smith)

A very interesting book … I found his history fascinating. The book is a fine complement to Edward Said’s Orientalism, as Harding fills many of the gaps in Said’s famous thesis (Ian Buruma)

Well-researched, well-written (Craig Clunas)

‘This beautifully written, deeply absorbing and revelatory account … offers a fresh perspective … a judicious, far-reaching exploration of how the discovery of Eastern beliefs, customs and mores helped to shape Western ideas as much as Western advancements were in turn being taken up in the East … fascinating … makes an elegant and entertaining progress from the Ancient Greeks to the “raga rock” of the Beatles’ Norwegian Wood’ (Mick Brown)

‘A rich history … Harding writes with energy and insight, wearing a tremendous amount of learning lightly’ (Rana Mitter)

‘A very interesting book … I found his history fascinating. The book is a fine complement to Edward Said’s Orientalism, as Harding fills many of the gaps in Said’s famous thesis’ (Ian Buruma)

‘Well-researched, well-written’ (Craig Clunas)

A MUST READ

This is the second book I have listened to by Christopher Harding and it is as good as his first book.
It is an excellent overview of Asia in general and the religions originated in Asia.
The history of the different Westerners who became involved in Hinduism and Buddhism, whose names are undoubtedly familiar to those, studying these religions.
I absolutely enjoyed both books, expertly narrated by the author himself.
I hope that Audible will get more books by mr. Harding.
My thanks to all involved, JK.

Unputdownable and precious

Just finished listening to this mesmerizing and absolutely magnificent book. He is the only English narrator with authentic Japanese pronunciation, so this sounds perfectly natural. The author is getting better and better with each book. I hope his books are swiftly translated into Japanese and audiobooks are made available in the Japanese language, too. Then, they will be invaluable resources for people studying about Japan or the Japanese language. On the other hand, Japanese people may use them as resources for studying the English language. This book is well-researched and the narrative is fascinating. I was up all night listening to this on the day it was released. Thank you, Audible, for this great audiobook.