Synopsis Edward Conze, one of the most distinguished writers on Buddhism, provides a compact summary of the development of Buddhism from the time of the Buddha to the present day. With skill, sympathy and insight, Conze briefly traces all the key aspects of 2500 years of Buddhist history -Hinayana, Mahayana, Tantra, Zen -and discusses each of the countries where it had and continuous to have a major influence. Conze's classic introduction has come to be recognized as 'must' reading for all those interest in Buddhism.