Book excerpt: This book examines the invasion of Korea by Japanese troops in May of 1592. Japanese overlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi envisioned conquering Korea, Ming China, and eventually all of Asia; but Korea's appeal to China's Emperor Wanli for assistance triggered a six-year war involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers and encompassing the whole region. For Japan, the war was "a dragon's head followed by a serpent's tail" : an impressive beginning with no real ending. The author depicts Wanli not as the self-indulgent ruler of received interpretations but rather one actively engaged in military affairs--and concerned especially with rescuing China's client state of Korea. He details Chinese siege warfare, the development and deployment of innovative military technologies, and the naval battles that marked the climax of the war. He also explains the war's repercussions outside the military sphere--particularly the dynamics of intraregional diplomacy within the shadow of the Chinese tributary system.