
Recommended read
A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower
Mikiso Hane & Louis Perez
A clear textbook-style history covering emperors, shoguns, and Japan's modern transformation.

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

Elizabeth I of Russia
Russia
1741–1762

Frederick II of Prussia
Prussia
1740–1786

Louis XV of France
France
1715–1774

Qianlong Emperor
China
1735–1796

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1745–1765

George II of Great Britain
Great Britain
1727–1760

Ferdinand VI of Spain
Spain
1746–1759

George III of Great Britain
Great Britain
1760–1801

Joseph I of Portugal
Portugal
1750–1777

Tokugawa Ieshige
Japan (Shogunate)
1745–1760

Pope Benedict XIV
Papacy
1740–1758

Adolf Fredrik of Sweden
Sweden
1751–1771

Mahmud I
Ottoman Empire
1730–1754

Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Mughal Empire
1748–1754

Alamgir II
Mughal Empire
1754–1759

Mustafa III
Ottoman Empire
1757–1774

Charles III of Spain
Spain
1759–1788

Osman III
Ottoman Empire
1754–1757

Pope Clement XIII
Papacy
1758–1769

Shah Alam II
Mughal Empire
1760–1788; 1788–1806

Frederick I of Sweden
Sweden
1720–1751

Muhammad Shah
Mughal Empire
1719–1748

Tokugawa Ieharu
Japan (Shogunate)
1760–1786

John V of Portugal
Portugal
1706–1750

Shah Jahan III
Mughal Empire
1759–1760
One “meanwhile in history” story each week: who ruled where, and what was happening on thrones across the world.
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From the library
Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Recommended read
Mikiso Hane & Louis Perez
A clear textbook-style history covering emperors, shoguns, and Japan's modern transformation.
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