Almost nowhere in eastern Asia did the end of World War II bring peace. Within days, the fragile wartime truce between Nationalists and Communists in China began to fray. Even before Japan's formal surrender, nationalist revolutions were sweeping through much of the region, most notably in Vietnam and Indonesia, seeking to forestall the return of the old colonial order. And for a brief moment, Koreans stood united and on the verge of independence. At the same time in Japan, there was shock and despair at the ruination of empire.

The results were momentous. In the short, 100-day period between the incineration of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and the following November when the first frosts of the Cold War began to be felt, important political and military foundations were laid not least the rise of Communist China, the division of Korea, the end of European colonial power, the birth of new, independent nation-states, and the emergence of a new democratic order in Japan.

These developments have profoundly influenced the history not just of Asia but also the world. Imparting some of the chaotic uncertainty of the period, this innovative study presents a kaleidoscope of over 300 events, illuminated with expert commentary, photographs, maps and personal accounts.

David P. Chandler is emeritus professor of history at Monash University as well as an adjunct professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University. Regarded as one of the foremost western scholars of Cambodia's modern history, his publications include A History of Cambodia and Brother Number One.

Robert Cribb grew up in Brisbane, Australia, and spent much time as a child wandering the bush and the Barrier Reef with his botanist parents. A keen appreciation of the environmental and geographical dimensions of history still informs much of his research and writings.