Jonathan Best received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1976; unusual for its time it was a joint degree from the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of East Asian Languages & Civilizations. Subsequently he has taught East Asian art history at the University of Virginia and Wesleyan University, but his research and publications-all focused on early Korea-have addressed religious history, diplomatic and political history, as well as art history. His current research centers on the critical historiographic analysis of the Samguk sagi, the oldest surviving history of Korea. Initiating what promises to be a long-term, multi-volume project is his monograph, A History of the Early Korean Kingdom of Paekche-together with an annotated translation of the Paekche Annals of the Samguk sagi (Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center Press, 2006).