Asian history Books

Book SynopsisAn important contribution Delving lucidly into the most significant ideological battles of the era, this book deftly outlines the thinking and dialogue that laid the foundations of the Republic and which remain deeply relevant and contentious today'Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious EmpireA history of Nehru that dives deep into the debates of his era to understand his ideology and that of his contemporaries and opponents, asking what India would look like had another bold young mind with fiercely held views led during the country's formative years of independence.Sixty years after the death of Jawaharal Nehru, the independence activist and first prime minister of India continues to be deified and vilified in equal measure. And still in contemporary political debate, the ideological spectrum remains defined by the degree of divergence from Nehru's ideas. With the Nehruvian ideals increasingly juxtaposed against the positions of Nehru's erstwhile contemporaries and questions asked aTrade Review‘Nehru: The Debates that Defined India is an important contribution to the continuing evaluation of Nehru’s role in the crafting of modern India. Examining four key debates between Nehru and the leading figures of his age on religion, foreign policy, and civil liberties, Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain allow Nehru and his interlocutors to express themselves in their own words. Delving lucidly into the most significant ideological battles of the era, this book deftly outlines the thinking and dialogue that laid the foundations of the Republic – and which remain deeply relevant and contentious today’Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious Empire ‘[A book that] Reminds us of an era when Indian politics thrummed with ideas and arguments, articulated with conviction and civility. There is much to learn from, and in turn to argue with, in this timely anthology of some of modern India's most contentious – and still continuing – debates’Sunil Khilnani, author of The Idea of India and Incarnations ‘This innovative book allows us to understand Nehru's legacy by focussing on some of the most important debates of his career. Putting together his correspondence and conversation with powerful rivals and colleagues, ranging from Jinnah to Sardar Patel, the authors have for the first time made available in a single volume the intense arguments that went into the making of modern India. The result is a nuanced exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of the country's first prime minister’Faisal Devji, Professor of History at the University of Oxford and author of Muslim Zion ‘Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain have brought to life the intellectual vibrancy and excitement that surrounded the debates. These were not mere political arguments but cerebral duels that enriched public life. Resurrecting these for today’s audiences is a public service’Swapan Dasgupta, Member of Parliament

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Book SynopsisBoth an official chronicle and the highly personal memoir of the emperor Babur (1483-1530), The Baburnama presents a vivid and extraordinarily detailed picture of life in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India during the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth centuries. Babur’s honest and intimate chronicle is the first autobiography in Islamic literature, written at a time when there was no historical precedent for a personal narrative—now in a sparkling new translation by Islamic scholar Wheeler Thackston.This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition includes notes, indices, maps, and illustrations.

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Book SynopsisIn this book the leading authority on Japanese art history sheds light on how Japan has nurtured distinctive aesthetics, prominent artists, and movements that have achieved global influence and popularity. The History of Art in Japan discusses works ranging from earthenware figurines in 13,000 BCE to manga, anime, and modern subcultures.Trade ReviewTsuji Nobuo’s encyclopedic, authoritative, and insightful survey of the history of Japanese art—informed by over six decades of groundbreaking research—is presented in a lively and eminently readable translation by Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, his trusted colleague and an expert on Japanese culture in her own right. -- John T. Carpenter, Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese Art, Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe appearance of Professor Tsuji Nobuo’s history of Japanese art in an English edition is a watershed moment both for the field and for the discipline of art history as a whole. The most important Japanese art historian of his generation, Tsuji weaves a narrative covering millennia of art in the archipelago by intertwining themes and concepts he has long championed, such as the roles of the decorative, playfulness, and eccentricity, all of which serve to liberate the arts of Japan from standard tropes of style, form, and iconography that have dominated western art historical discourse. Balanced, extensive attention devoted both to the prehistoric Jōmon, Yayoi, and Kofun periods as well as to the modern era take his book far beyond the parameters of previous survey texts, and highlights the dynamism, imagination, and visual spectacle of Japanese art. In this beautifully illustrated volume Professor Tsuji brings home the point that from wooden Buddhist sculptures to “Superflat,” it is in the startling visual impact of Japanese art that its greatest pleasures can be discovered. -- Matthew McKelway, Columbia UniversityTsuji has earned recognition for combining authority and accuracy with interesting and imaginative insights. In every chapter, History of Art in Japan provides a thorough and engaging account of individual works in their social context while maintaining an international frame of reference. It is an immense gift to readers of all levels. -- Chelsea Foxwell, University of ChicagoReaders will likely close this book satisfied and inspired to search out monographs on certain artists and periods. * Alexanderadamsart *Tsuji does this for Japanese art with ease, elegance, humor and consummate erudition in an attractive volume. * Asian Review of Books *Table of ContentsPreface to the English EditionTranslator’s PrefaceNengō Era ChartMap of Archaeological SitesTimelinesIntroduction1. Jōmon: The Force of Primal Imagination2. Yayoi and Kofun: Influences from the Continent3. Asuka and Hakuhō: The Sphere of East Asian Buddhist Arts4. Nara: The Spread of the Tang International Style5. Heian: Jōgan, Fujiwara, and Insei Art6. Kamakura Period: Aristocratic Aesthetics in Flux7. Nanbokuchō and Muromachi: Zen Buddhism and Chinese Art8. Azuchi-Momoyama: The Flowering of Kazari9. Edo: Townspeople and the Rise of Urban Culture10. Meiji to Heisei: Modern and Contemporary ArtNotesRecommended Reading for Further StudyImage CreditsIndex

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Book SynopsisLet There Be Light is a groundbreaking history of electrification in Hong Kong. Mark L. Clifford traces how a power company and its visionary founder jumpstarted the British colony’s postwar economic rise and set in motion far-reaching political and social change.Trade ReviewLet There Be Light is a cultural, business, and political history of the world’s single most indispensable technology—electricity generation—in a great city that it helped create. This elegantly written, deeply researched, and thoughtful book offers, in microcosm, a global vision of development, finance, and state engagement with the economy. -- Thomas W. Laqueur, author of The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal RemainsAn insightful and vivid history. Mark Clifford challenges the conventional view of Hong Kong as a laissez-faire state. He shows instead the complex and successful collaboration between its government and its most important industry—electricity. At the center stands Lawrence Kadoorie—a colonial British capitalist at the door of communist China, a Jewish entrepreneur in a city riven with antisemitism. This is a valuable history of business and of technology—and of Hong Kong’s and China’s rise. -- Jonathan Kaufman, author of The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern ChinaBeautifully written and rich in fascinating detail, Let There Be Light tells the history of China Light & Power—a company that shaped modern Hong Kong. With scholarly rigor and a journalist’s flair for storytelling, Clifford chronicles the central role a company and its people played in building one of the world’s great cities. An impressive achievement and essential reading for anyone interested in electricity markets, Hong Kong history, or the relationship between businesses and governments more broadly. -- David Sandalow, author of Guide to Chinese Climate PolicyTable of Contents1. Private Light and Colonial Power2. In the Beginning: China Light & Power, 1900–19403. War, Occupation, and New Possibilities, 1941–19464. “The Problem of People,” 1947–19585. Electricity as a Political Project, 1959–19646. “Die-Hard Reactionary” in the Expanding Colonial State, 1964–19737. “Intelligent Anticipation” for “1997 and All That,” 1974–19828. Sing the City ElectricAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisOnce sidelined from public memory, World War II is now a historical touchstone in China. Rana Mitter links reassessment of the war to China’s rising nationalism. At home, Chinese use the war to shape conflicted identities; abroad the war with Japan is now treated as a Chinese victory, a founding myth for a people destined to shape the global order.Trade ReviewOne of Britain’s foremost historians of modern China…A detailed and fascinating account of how the Chinese leadership’s strategy has evolved across eras—and how its recent overtures to regional and international audiences have corresponded to shifts in domestic education and internal propaganda about World War II…China’s Good War is at its most interesting when probing Beijing’s motives for undertaking such an ambitious retooling of its past in the first place. -- Howard W. French * Wall Street Journal *Excellent…[By] one of the world’s leading Sinologists…Allow[s] the reader—and the next US administration—to prepare for what China may do next. -- James Kynge * Financial Times *A timely insight into how memories and ideas about the second world war play a hugely important role in conceptualizations about the past and the present in contemporary China. -- Peter Frankopan * The Spectator *The range of evidence that Mitter marshals is impressive. The argument he makes about war, memory, and the international order is…original. * The Economist *Fascinating…An excellent guide to Chinese historiography…Mitter has written an important book that should serve to counter some of the cruder ways in which China is being misrepresented in the United States. -- Michael Burleigh * Literary Review *Illuminates the fraught and complex manner in which historical memory functions in modern China. -- Jonathan Chatwin * Los Angeles Review of Books *Insightful…Mitter opens a window into the legacy of China’s experience of World War II, showing how historical memory lives on in the present and contributes to the constant evolution of Chinese nationalism. In this deft, textured work of intellectual history, he introduces readers to the scholars, filmmakers, and propagandists who have sought to redefine China’s experience of the war…Yet Mitter does not shy away from exposing some of the political fictions that the CCP imposes on China’s past—to the detriment of its attempt to craft a persuasive narrative about China’s future. -- Jessica Chen Weiss * Foreign Affairs *Mitter’s most penetrating observations relate to how ordinary people have used contested memories of China’s good war to implicitly critique the Communist Party’s attacks on Chinese people…Shows how conversations about one proud part of China’s history are in fact conversations about more recent traumas. -- Jeremy Brown * Times Literary Supplement *A fascinating read that examines China’s growing nationalism with a longer lens than most. -- Alec Ash * The Wire China *Explains how Beijing once underplayed the war, but it has now become a keystone of its claims to legitimacy and to regional hegemony. -- James Palmer * Foreign Policy *Mitter chronicles the changing tides of official wartime narrative in China…China’s Good War is clear that national narratives are rarely based on historical scholarship, but rather on external politics. -- Paul French * South China Morning Post *An understanding of China today requires a grasp of its history through its own eyes, including the unfolding national narrative on the Second World War. Mitter confirms his status as one of the world’s leading sinologists in this lucid work as he explores fresh intellectual terrain, awakening us to China’s radically different perspectives on critical wartime events. This book will unsettle much received wisdom in the West on the war whose outcome determined much of the current global order. -- Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and President of the Asia Society Policy InstituteRana Mitter has been researching and teaching about China’s Second World War for well over two decades now…[He] writes extremely well, and the book is a pleasure to read…A good place to start for those who wish to better understand 21st-century China. -- Peter Gries * China Quarterly *A brilliant and profoundly researched work. Mitter demonstrates that alone among major combatant nations, China’s official historical narrative of World War II has undergone radical swings not just on the basic facts, but also on how memory serves (or not) to validate China’s governments. He provides timely and nuanced insights into how war memory today is deployed by both the Chinese government and the Chinese people. -- Richard B. Frank, author of Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific WarA breathtaking study of the relationship between history, nationalism, and collective memory by a China eager to assert its new moral and international standing in the world. In a sweeping yet detailed chronicle of the ways in which China is refashioning a new wartime narrative, Mitter provides extraordinary insights into the inner workings of its rise as a global power. For anyone interested in understanding how Chinese leaders are laying the groundwork for their claim as guarantor of the international order, this brilliant book is an absolute must-read. -- Sheila Miyoshi Jager, author of Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in KoreaWritten with the flair we have come to expect from esteemed China historian Rana Mitter, China’s Good War provides indispensable and timely context for the upsurge in Chinese nationalism now remaking Sino–foreign relations. -- Karl Gerth, author of Unending Capitalism: How Consumerism Negated China’s Communist RevolutionMitter shows movingly what Chinese people sing about and weep about when they turn their minds to the devastating contours of the Second World War. Equally at home in provincial museums, internet chat rooms, and China’s foreign ministry, he is a sure guide to China’s ongoing reassessment of the war and postwar. His brilliant account shows how nation has replaced class in the moral narrative China has constructed to frame its national project. -- Jay Winter, author of War beyond Words: Languages of Remembrance from the Great War to the PresentAs China grows more powerful, the meaning of the war is changing. Rana Mitter argues that China’s reassessment of the World War II years is central to its newfound confidence abroad and to mounting nationalism at home. * Hindustan Times *Shows that the history of wartime China has been largely shaped by just one of its outcomes: the ascendancy of the Chinese Communist Party and the creation of a state that depends heavily on a certain sort of history for its legitimacy. -- Antonia Finnane * Inside Story *So timely and valuable. -- John Darwin Van Fleet * Asian Review of Books *His informative analysis of China’s reinterpretations of World War II offers an insight for different audiences to acquaint with China’s domestic dynamics and international ambition…We all need to keep Mitter’s message in mind: China’s revisionist interpretation of World War II is shaping its new national identity and internationalism. -- Catherine Chang * Chinese Historical Studies *Will appeal to many in the general public, as well as to scholars of contemporary China and international relations. -- Norton Wheeler * China Information *The first full-length history of China’s changing memory of World War II and its impact on the construction of China’s domestic and international identity…Provides an important starting point for both popular interest in and future research on China’s emerging reconceptualization of World War II and its domestic and international implications. -- Edward A. McCord * Journal of Chinese Military History *A great starting point to get to know the alternative narratives taking hold in China’s revisionist efforts regarding the nation’s history. Readers will find the information Mitter provides crucial in navigating interactions with the increasingly nationalistic country. -- Jiarui Wu * Journal of Chinese Political Science *

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Book SynopsisModern Japan is not only responding to threats from North Korea and China but is also reevaluating its dependence on the United States, Sheila Smith shows. No longer convinced they can rely on Americans to defend their country, Tokyo's political leaders are now confronting the possibility that they may need to prepare the nation's military for war.Trade ReviewTimely and useful…Japan’s armed forces remain limited in size and in the operations that they can conduct, and have never, since 1945, engaged in combat. Nor has the country seriously debated equipping them with nuclear weapons. Now, however, North Korean and Chinese military initiatives, along with uncertain American attitudes toward the alliance with Japan, threaten to change all this. -- Michael Mandelbaum * American Interest *Washington’s relationship with Tokyo is generally considered the most important of the United States’ 70-odd alliances. In this intimately knowledgeable book, Smith shows how that alliance looks to the Japanese: increasingly unreliable. -- Andrew J. Nathan * Foreign Affairs *The must-read book for anyone who seeks foundational knowledge of what is arguably the most important military alliance in the world…A highly readable and richly detailed account of Japan’s rearmament and the politics surrounding it…Likely to grow even timelier as tensions in East Asia ratchet up. -- Jason Morgan * Journal of American–East Asian Relations *A well-written and comprehensive overview of postwar Japan’s security evolution…Deserves to be read by policy makers interested in Japanese security and to be added to the syllabi of undergraduate and postgraduate programs on East Asian security and Japanese international relations. -- Giulio Pugliese * Monumenta Nipponica *Smith masterfully traces the interplay of Japan’s military heritage, politics, national sentiment, threats, and alliance with the United States in the formation and development of the Self-Defense Force. Even experts will find new information and insights in her account. As she makes clear, the SDF is a work in progress, and this book provides a welcome guide to its possible future path. -- Admiral Dennis Blair, U.S. Navy (Ret.), former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific CommandAt a time when the East Asian security environment is becoming ever more dangerous and unpredictable, Sheila Smith offers a timely guide to the choices facing Japan. This is an insightful and indispensable look at the evolution of Japan’s approach to national security and the consequential decisions it will face in the future. -- James Steinberg, Syracuse UniversityAfter fighting a series of aggressive wars in the early twentieth century, Japan retreated from power politics and has remained reluctant to develop a military capability that matches its economic power. Will this change? The paradoxical transition from militarist aggression to pacifism and isolationism has been discussed before, but never with the clarity Sheila Smith displays in this important book. She shows that Japan will have some critical choices to make to maintain its security in the challenging geopolitics of the twenty-first century. -- Kiichi Fujiwara, University of TokyoWith keen insight and scholarly precision, Smith tells us why the Japanese public’s evolving attitude toward the use of military force is important to American security and the peace of northeast Asia. A must-read for U.S. policymakers responsible for Asia. -- J. Thomas Schieffer, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan

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Book SynopsisTraces the roots of the Chinese empire's exceptional longevity and unparalleled political durability, and shows how lessons from the imperial past are relevant for China today. This book demonstrates that the empire survived and adjusted to a variety of domestic and external challenges through a peculiar combination of rigid ideological premises.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2012 "A unique perspective, well presented in accessible language and backed up with extensive notes and bibliography, the work represents high-quality scholarship from broad-based social science at its best. It belongs in all college and university libraries."--Choice "Pines is successful in pointing out many critical characteristics of Chinese imperial system and political culture, not only the ideological but also the institutional and the practical, which are indeed highly relevant to the system's sustainability."--Hsiao-wen Cheng, Insight Turkey "[T]here is enough in this book to make it a valuable contribution to the study of empire and its legacies."--Brian Moloughney, Asian Studies Review "Moving between ideology and the real world, the author has gone far to deepen our understanding of the practical impact of traditional Chinese political culture on the empire. In so doing, he debunks various myths and stereotypes prevalent in both China and the West. This book is a good starting point for those who wish to provide a more comprehensive answer. It should be of interest to both students and scholars."--Jingbin Wang, H-Net Reviews "Professor Pines writes with the benefit of wide and deep reading that enables him to survey the intellectual, political, and social background against which kingdoms and then empires were founded, maintained, declined, and closed from the time of the Warring States until the modern age."--Michael Loewe, Journal of Chinese StudiesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vi i Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Ideal of "Great Unity" 11 Chapter 2: The Monarch 44 Chapter 3: The Literati 76 Chapter 4: Local Elite 104 Chapter 5: The People 134 Chapter 6: Imperial Political Culture in the Modern Age 162 Notes 185 Bibliography 209 Index 233

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Book SynopsisPresenting a host of in-depth case studies, Time and Language: New Sinology and Chinese History argues for and demonstrates the significance of ‘New Sinology’ by restoring the role of language/philology in the research and understanding of how modern China emerged.Trade ReviewThis is a richly researched and intelligently argued collection of studies that highlight a key methodological and interpretive issue in China studies and provides a considerable empirical detail that makes their point. The volume delivers on the promise of the editors to bring language/philology back in—to argue for and demonstrate the significance of "New Sinology": the careful attention to historical language and knowledge in texts both contemporary and earlier to illuminate the power of cultural habitus as well as conscious practice over time as expressed in the written version of Austin’s speech acts. These studies show that the tools of traditional Sinology, with a focus on linguistic and philological expertise, can and do contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the genesis and experience of modern China." - Timothy Cheek, The University of British Columbia

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisHarris Solomon takes readers into the trauma ward of one of Mumbai's busiest public hospitals, narrating the stories of the patients, providers, families, and frontline workers who experience and treat traumatic injury from traffic .Trade Review"Lifelines is a subtly crafted account of the tangled relations between mobility and life in the contemporary city. In that sense, it contributes to a vibrant discussion on mobility, infrastructure and urban life across South Asia and other regions of the world today. . . . The manuscript’s strengths lie in how it radiates out from its empirical focus: trauma as it moves in and through the hospital as a site of medicalised care." -- Waqas Butt * South Asia *Table of ContentsNote on Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: The Traffic of Trauma 1 1. Carrying: The Lifelines of Transfer 27 2. Shifting: The Lifelines of Triage 53 3. Visiting: The Lifelines of Home 79 4. Tracing: The Lifelines of Identification 107Seeing: The Lifelines of Surgery 135 5. Breathing: The Lifelines of Ventilation 147 6. Dissecting: The Lifelines of Forensics 174 7. Recovering: The Lifelines of Discharge 200 Epilogue: The Traffic of Medicine 229 Notes 237 References 253 Index 277

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Book SynopsisWhy everything you think you know about Australia’s Vietnam War is wrong. When Mark Dapin first interviewed Vietnam veterans and wrote about the war, he swallowed (and regurgitated) every misconception. He wasn’t alone. In Australia’s Vietnam, Dapin reveals that every stage of Australia’s commitment to the Vietnam War has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and shrouded in myth. From army claims that every national serviceman was a volunteer; and the level of atrocities committed by Australian troops; to the belief there no welcome home parades until the late 1980s and returned soldiers were met by angry protesters. Australia’s Vietnam is a major contribution to the understanding of Australia’s experience of the war and will change the way we think about memory and military history. Acclaimed journalist and bestselling military historian Mark Dapin busts long-held and highly charged myths about the Vietnam War Dapin reveals his own mistakes and regrets as a journalist and military historian and his growing realisation that the stereotypes of the Vietnam War are far from the truth This book will change the way military history is researched and written

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Book SynopsisWritten over a century ago when Japan was abandoning its rich traditions to embrace the hysteria of colonization, this classic written by Okakura Kakuzo helped preserve the masterpieces of Japanese art and culture by illuminating the spirit of the Japanese Tea Masters. The Book of Tea doesn't focus on the Tea Ceremony itself, but the Zen Buddhist thought behind it known as the Way of Tea or Chado. Kakuzo teaches us to listen to the language of flowers as well as the language of art. His considerable charm is as apparent today as it was one hundred years ago as he introduces us to the aesthetic and culture of Japan. This edition has a new foreword by Andrew Juniper who runs the Wabi-Sabi Art Gallery in West Sussex, England and an introduction by Liza Dalby, the first American woman to be fully trained as a geisha in the 70's.Trade Review"In some ways, times haven't changed much in the 99 years since Kakuzo Okakura, the Japanese aesthete, gifted the local elite of Boston with his now-legendary explication of the beauties of the tea ceremony, The Book of Tea." --Elle Decor"Originally written to be read aloud by the author at Isabella Stewart Gardner's famous salon in 1906, the book focuses on the culture that has engendered the mind of tea and on the Masters who embody this spirit." --Gourmet Retailer"Transcending the narrow confines of its title, presents a unified concept of life, art and nature. Along the way exploring topics related to tea appreciation, including Zen, flower arranging and Taoism. An early cultural activist, Okakura's mission was to preserve Japanese art and aesthetic practices from an extinction that seemed imminent." -- Stephen Mansfield, The Japan Times

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The subtitle says it all: 'Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of Southeast Asia's Largest Nation.' Indonesia expert Hannigan offers a highly readable and entertaining narrative that highlights the many personalities who have shaped the nation -- and our perception of it. English pirates, Indian mystics, Chinese pilgrims, American surfers, Dutch spice barons join a cavalcade of Javanese royals, Balinese dancers and more." --Lonely Planet"…[Tim Hannigan's] books are charmingly free of pre-conceived notions of specialization. They entertain readers while offering sharp insights into Asian history." --PopMatters Magazine"Tim Hannigan presents Indonesia as a place of high drama, with a past marked by European trade battles, explorers like Magellan and Christopher Columbus, and waves of immigrants. He guides the reader through the reign of Sukarno (1945-1967) and others of lesser, but no less corruptible, reputation, to settle with guarded optimism with the current president, Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi." --Foreword Magazine

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Book SynopsisJapanese swords, particularly those wielded by famous samurai warriors, hold a continuing fascination for collectors of fine arts and historical military weapons. This book is designed to enhance one's appreciation for the wide variety of Japanese swords (as well as their related polearms), their manufacture and their preservation. A fascinating opening chapter explains how the elite Samurai class dominated Japan for more than a thousand years, how technological and ideological advances overtook the Samurai in the 1860s, heralding a more up-to-date political and military system of governance, and how such changes affected Samurai sword design and manufacture. Subsequent chapters present topics of greatest relevance to today's sword collector: namely, the modern Japanese sword; different types of swords and their construction and testing; collecting and studying Japanese swords (and the tremendously important etiquette involved); and techniques of preserving and polishing swords. This book is beautifully illustrated with paintings, photographs, drawings, and maps. In addition, there is an in-depth glossary and useful tables explaining Japanese calligraphic symbols relating to swords, both of great value to the collector.Trade Review"There are several things I immediately like about this book. It is easy enough to comprehend, yet detailed enough to serve as a reference book for later study. That's a hard thing to accomplish. If you're looking to at least be able to understand and carry on a conversation about Japanese swords in an intelligent manner than you shouldn't look any farther than this book." --Martial Thoughts podcast"Sinclaire's beautifully illustrated book is not merely about the niceties of dealing in antiques, although it is well designed for the eccentric reader of his subtitle. It offers a grand tour of its subject, taking in plenty of the basics." --Times Literary Supplement"Sinclaire takes you on the most thorough of journeys and provides a realistic, helpful guide to appreciating and collecting these blades from ancient, antique and contemporary sources. Fully illustrated, erudite, and well edited, this is a fine guide." --Maine Antique Digest

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Book SynopsisAvailable in one or two volumes, this accessible, yet rigorous, introduction to the political, social, and cultural history of China provides a balanced and thoughtful account of the development of Chinese civilization from its beginnings to the present day.Each volume includes ample illustrations, a full complement of maps, a chronological table, extensive notes, recommendations for further reading and an index.Volume 1: From Neolithic Cultures through the Great Qing Empire (10,000 BCE—1799). Volume 2: From the Great Qing Empire through the People's Republic of China (1644—2009).Trade ReviewA solid, clearly written and up-to-date account of China's dynastic history, taking note of recent research, and with attention to cultural developments and economic practice. An accessible read, even for first-comers to this highly complex subject; this is an excellent introduction to China that instructors will welcome and students will enjoy. --Michael Loewe, University Lecturer in Chinese Studies, University of Cambridge 1963-1990; Emeritus Fellow of Clare Hall.Tanner has written an excellent text on Chinese history which offers a fine balance between the traditional and the modern. He also charts a good balance between studies of the elite, government, philosophy and diplomacy and, on the other hand, analyses of ordinary people, economic institutions, social patterns, and folk religion. The book provides a comprehensive view of Chinese culture, including developments in literature and the arts. A generous selection of illustrations facilitates comprehension of and pleasure in the visual arts. Finally, Professor Tanner's consideration of Western contact with China and the attendant problems and gains is judicious and informative. --Morris Rossabi, Distinguished Professor of History, City University of New York . . . . Tanner writes attractively . . . . He tells many stories of villains and heroes, of tragedy and comedy, of high culture and coarse humour, of wealth and poverty, of feast and famine, of poignant suffering, all of which keep the reader's interest and indeed fascination. It is a heroic tale that he tells and he does this superbly, rejecting myths and misunderstandings that have beset Western views of a complex country. --G.R. Batho, The Historical Association Reviews

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword to the Chinese Edition Foreword to the English Edition New Foreword by Odd Arne Westad Translator’s Preface Introduction. A Redefinition of Tianxia as a Political Concept: Problems, Conditions, and Methods Part I The Tianxia Conceptual Story 1. Politics Starting with the World 2. The Three-Tiered World of Tianxia 3. Correlating with Tian (peitian 配天) 4. Institutional Layout 5. No Outside (wuwai 无外) 6. Circle of Family and Tianxia 7. Tianming 天命 (Heavenly Invoked Order) 8. Virtuosic Power and Harmony 9. Why Might Good Order Collapse? 10. Tianxia as Method Part II The Encompassing Tianxia of China 11. A Whirlpool Model 12. A Condensed Version of Tianxia 13. Why Go Stag Hunting in the Central Plain? 14. Existing through Change Part III The Future of Tianxia Order 15. A World History Yet to Begin 16. Kantian Questions and Huntington's Problem 17. Two Types of Exteriority: Naturalist and Constructivist 18. Borders and No Outside 19. Materializing Conditions for a New Tianxia 20. New Tianxia: A Vocabulary Appendix. Jizi's Lost Democracy: A Continuing Narration of Tianxia—Toward a Smart Democracy Notes Bibliography of Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive, yet entertaining look at China's history through a modern lens.Trade Review"A go-to guide for anyone seeking to get up to speed on China quickly. With a focus on memorable characters and stories, A Brief History of China is ideal for tourists, students and businesspeople looking to understand this emerging superpower." --Julie Makinen, former China Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times"…a powerful, engaging and balanced account of the vast span of China's history…The reader can approach this book with confidence and--thanks to its well-chosen reading recommendations--use it as a springboard for deeper engagement with China, its culture and its people." --Ellis Tinios, Honorary Lecturer in East Asian History, University of Leeds"Clements' spare prose, bad-boy wit and encyclopedic knowledge of Asian facts, gossip and trivia put paid to any misgivings about uttering 'history' and 'page-turner' in the same breath. This succinct chronicle of China's rise to global power is essential reading for businessmen, politicians and creatives." --J. Christopher Westland, Author of Red Wired: China's Internet Revolution and Overseas Chair Professor / Thousand-Talents Plan Scholar at Beihang University

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Book SynopsisThe Ling Shu, also known as the Ling Shu Jing, is part of a unique and seminal trilogy of ancient Chinese medicine, together with the Su Wen and Nan Jing. It constitutes the foundation of a two-thousand-year healing tradition. This is an English translation of all eighty-one chapters, and notes on difficult-to-grasp passages.Trade Review"Seasoned familiarity with the text from decades of study, and the rich battery of critical tools supplied in these publications mark a profound turning point." East Asian Science, Technology, and MedicineTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION 1. A New World View, a New Healing 2. Huang Di—The Yellow Thearch 3. The New Terminology 3.1 fa 3.2 ming 3.3 shen 3.4 zheng, xie 4. The Holism of Politics and Medicine 5. Morphology—Substrate and Classification 6. The Causes of Illness 7. Diagnosis 8. Conditions of Illness 9. Therapy 10. About the Translation Abbreviations and Literature quoted ANNOTATED TRANSLATION OF LING SHU Chapter 1 The Nine Needles and the Twelve Origin [Openings] Chapter 2 To Consider the Transportation [Openings] as the Foundation Chapter 3 Explanatory Remarks on the Small Needles Chapter 4 The Physical Appearances of Diseases resulting from the Presence of Evil qi in the Long-term Depots and Short-term Repositories. Chapter Root and Connection Chapter 6 Longevity, Early Death, Hardness and Softness Chapter 7 The Official Needles Chapter 8 To Consider the Spirit as the Foundation Chapter 9 End and Beginning. Chapter 10 The Conduit Vessels Chapter 11 The Conduits and their Diverging [Vessels] Chapter 12 The Conduit/Stream Waters Chapter 13 The Conduits and their Sinews Chapter 14 The Measurements of the Bones Chapter 15 The 50-fold Circulation Chapter 16 The Camp Qi Chapter 17 The Measurements of the Vessels Chapter 18 Camp [Qi] and Guard [Qi] – Generation and Meeting Chapter 19 The Four Seasonal Qi Chapter 20 The Five Evils Chapter 21 Cold and Heat Disease Chapter 22 Peak-illness and Madness Chapter 23 Heat Diseases Chapter 24 The Receding [Qi] Diseases Chapter 25 The Diseases and their Roots Chapter 26 Various Diseases / 315 Chapter 27 Circulation Blockage-illness Chapter 28 Oral Inquiry Chapter 29 The Transmissions from the Teachers Chapter 30 Differentiation of the Qi Chapter 31 Intestines and Stomach Chapter 32 A Healthy Person Ends the Ingestion of Grain Chapter 33 On the Seas Chapter 34 The Five Disturbances Chapter 35 On Swelling Chapter 36 The Separation of the Five //Protuberance-Illnesses// Jin and Ye Liquids Chapter 37 The Five Observation Points and the Five Emissaries Chapter 38 Movements Contrary to and in Accordance with the Norms, Being Well Nourished and Being Malnourished Chapter 39 The Blood Network [Vessels] Chapter 40 Yin and Yang [Qi], Clear and Turbid [Qi] Chapter 41 The Ties between Yin and Yang [Qi] and Sun and Moon Chapter 42 The Transmission of Diseases Chapter 43 Excess Evils release Dreams Chapter 44 The Qi Moving in Accordance with the Norms Divide a Day into Four Time Periods Chapter 45 The Assessment from Outside Chapter 46 The Five Modifications Chapter 47 To Consider the Long-term Depots as Foundations Chapter 48 Prohibition and Appropriation Chapter 49 The Five Complexions Chapter 50 On Courage Chapter 51 The Transport [Openings] on the Back Chapter 52 The Guard Qi Chapter 53 On Pain Chapter 54 Years Given by Heaven Chapter 55 Movement Contrary to and in Accordance with the Norms Chapter 56 The Five Flavors Chapter 57 Water Swelling Chapter 58 The Robber Wind Chapter 59 When the Guard Qi Lose their Regularity Chapter 60 The Jade-Tablets Chapter 61 The Five Prohibitions Chapter 62 Transports Chapter 63 On Flavors Chapter 64 The Yin and Yang [Categorization] and the 25 Human [Types] Chapter 65 Five Tones, Five Substances Chapter 66 The Generation of the Hundreds of Diseases Chapter 67 The Application of the Needles Chapter 68 Upper Barrier Chapter 69 Grief, Rage, and Speechlessness Chapter 70 Cold and Heat Sensations Chapter 71 Evil Visitors Chapter 72 To Penetrate Heaven Chapter 73 Function and Competence Chapter 74 Discussing Illness; Examining the Foot-long Section Chapter 75 Piercing to Regulate True and Evil [Qi] Chapter 76 The Movements of the Guard Qi Chapter 77 The Nine Mansions, the Eight Winds Chapter 78 On the Nine Needles Chapter 79 The Dew of the Year Chapter 80 On Massive Confusion Chapter 81 Obstruction- and Impediment-Illnesses GLOSSARY

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Book SynopsisWith a ghostly torch passed down from Lafcadio Hearn, Davisson, accomplished author, translator, and folklorist delves into the depths of Japanese folklore to unearth 100 of the most bizarre and haunting creatures to ever grace myth and legend. In t his book you'll encounter a vast range of mysterious beings, from malevolent demons and chilling monsters to spectral ghosts and enchanted beasts. Davisson skillfully navigates the elusive realm of Yokai, shedding light on their mysteries and revealing their significance to the cultural tapestry of Japan. Featuring iconic Yokai such as the enigmatic Amabie, the endearing Tofu Kozo, and the pitiful Kyokotsu, alongside lesser-known entities like the repulsive Akaname and the never before catalogued Kaiju, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of Japan's supernatural pantheon. Modern Yokai art by esteemed artists such as Lili Chin, Emi Lenox, and Peach Momoko breathe new life into the age-old legends shared within. Illustrated wit

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Book SynopsisNo one in the twentieth century had a greater impact on world history than Deng Xiaoping. And no scholar is better qualified than Ezra Vogel to disentangle the contradictions embodied in the life and legacy of China's boldest strategist-the pragmatic, disciplined force behind China's radical economic, technological, and social transformation.Trade ReviewA masterful new history of China's reform era. It pieces together from interviews and memoirs perhaps the clearest account so far of the revolution that turned China from a totalitarian backwater led by one of the monsters of the 20th century into the power it has become today...Vogel has a monumental story to tell. His main argument is that Deng deserves a central place in the pantheon of 20th-century leaders. For he not only launched China's market-oriented economic reforms but also accomplished something that had eluded Chinese leaders for almost two centuries: the transformation of the world's oldest civilization into a modern nation...[An] illuminating book. -- John Pomfret * Washington Post *Ezra Vogel's new biography portrays Deng as not just the maker of modern China, but one of the most substantial figures in modern history...[A] meticulously researched book...Vogel knows China's elites extremely well, not least because of his years as an intelligence officer in East Asia for the Clinton administration. This book is bolstered by insider knowledge and outstanding sources, such as interviews with Deng's interpreters...The definitive account of Deng in any language. Vogel eloquently makes the case for Deng's crucial role in China's transformation from an impoverished and brutalized country into an economic and political superpower. * The Economist *A lively portrait of the man...Vogel provides a wealth of fascinating material, from vivid accounts of Deng's political and organizational skills in reviving the economy in the mid-1970s to his up-and-down relations with Vietnam and its leaders. The author also offers astute insights into the reformist roles played by Hua Guofeng, Mao's immediate successor after his 1976 death, and by two of Deng's own associates, both ultimately purged by him, Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang. The book is at its best in portraying the tense interplay of personal relations and ambition among Mao's many lieutenants. On the surface, lockstep Communist ideology prevailed during Mao's rule, but behind the walls of Zhongnanhai, Beijing's central leadership compound, the dual drive for self-preservation and advancement fed a kind of political nihilism. -- Howard French * Wall Street Journal *When Chinese historians are able one day to ply their subversive trade without control or censorship, their judgment will surely be that their country should revere Deng Xiaoping way above his predecessor Mao Zedong...Ezra Vogel's massive biography assembles the case for Deng (1904-97) with narrative skill and prodigious scholarship. -- Chris Patten * Financial Times *Vogel has gone to enormous lengths to document his subject...Vogel's painstaking research provides plenty of fascinating detail. The description of the period after Tiananmen, for example--when the octogenarian was forced to call on a lifetime's accumulated political wiles to defeat an attempt by conservatives to almost completely reverse his reforms--is eye-opening. The pages in which Deng effectively threatens to have then Communist Party Secretary Jiang Zemin dismissed unless he throws his support behind renewing the reform drive are very nearly worth the price of the book alone...On the ways through which Deng set about the enormous task of rebuilding the gutted economy, shattered by decades of turmoil under Mao Zedong, Vogel is exhaustive. -- Simon Elegant * Time *Ezra Vogel's encyclopedic Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China is the most exhaustive English retelling of Deng's life. Vogel, an emeritus professor at Harvard, seems to have interviewed or found the memoirs of nearly every person who spoke with Deng, and has painstakingly re-created a detailed and intimate chronology of Deng's roller-coaster career. -- Joshua Kurlantzick * The Nation *A virtue of Vogel's book is that it collects and organizes a huge amount of material on the struggles within the elite power circles in China over several decades. In these accounts we learn how Deng tried to protect his allies and how he sought to undermine his enemies; he fell, rose, fell again, then rose again to the pinnacle position in the second generation of the Communist dynasty. Vogel's materials will be very useful to students of elite power struggles in China. -- Fang Lizhi * New York Review of Books *One of the virtues of Vogel's analysis is that he understands the thinking of Deng's rivals as well as he does Deng's own...Deng was infatuated with everything he viewed as modern, and wanted China to have it all. By entering into Deng's vision, Vogel helps readers see how the person who forged the world's most successful example of modernizing authoritarianism believed that such a combination would work. -- Andrew J. Nathan * New Republic *[An] exhaustive biography...Vogel's book is an encyclopedic look at Deng's career. -- Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore * The Independent *Deng was perhaps the most intriguing leader that I met while traveling with Mr. Blumenthal and President Jimmy Carter. I had to wait another 30 years, however, before a definitive biography would be written about Deng, arguably the most globally transformational leader of the 20th century. This year Ezra Vogel delivered it with Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. -- Richard W. Fisher * Wall Street Journal *Vogel, one of the world's preeminent Asia scholars, has produced the most comprehensive and authoritative account of Deng's career as a revolutionary, party leader, and architect of China's reform. Meticulously researched and highly readable, the book is not a typical biography. It does not dwell much on Deng's personal life. Instead, the focus of the book is Deng's unusual career trajectory, his unique style of rule, and the strategic choices he made during and after the Cultural Revolution...This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the domestic and international dynamics that have led to China's rise as a great power. -- Yanzhong Huang * Foreign Affairs *If anybody still nurtures the illusion that Deng was a closet liberal, this book will bring them back to reality. For all the changes he championed and the vicissitudes of his life, the diminutive, blunt Deng has received much less biographical attention than Mao, which makes Ezra Vogel's huge account particularly welcome. The product of 10 years of work by a leading China scholar, it is essential reading for anybody who wants to understand the evolution of China to the status it occupies today. It offers an enormous compendium of material about the lifelong Communist whose story, even more than that of Mao, reflects the dramatically varying fortunes of his nation in the 20th century...Vogel is an admiring biographer who presents a treasure trove of new information that will delight modern China scholars for years to come. -- Jonathan Fenby * Times Higher Education *Deng [is] a fit subject for a weighty, probing and judicious biography, which is just what Ezra F. Vogel has produced...Vogel is the master of this complex material. He had access to many who knew and worked with Deng, including Jiang Zemin. Deng selected him as Party leader in 1989 to succeed Zhao Ziyang, who had been sacked and disgraced because of his opposition to the use of force in Tiananmen Square. Vogel also spoke to two of Deng's children. The documentary sources are copious and, in terms of access to material, this study is unlikely to be bettered until the Party opens its most sensitive archives--which could be a long wait. It is hard to disagree with much of what Vogel writes and there is much to admire, particularly his judicious contextualization of Deng's motives. -- Graham Hutchings * Literary Review *A major biography of the man who may turn out to have done more to transform the world than any other leader of the 20th century. Deng's market Leninism has massively increased China's wealth, while repressing democracy. Vogel's portrait is sympathetic, although not uncritical. * Financial Times *This is the most ambitious biography of Deng Xiaoping by a western scholar so far. Drawing on numerous Chinese sources, including the Deng family, it tells the story of a man who, the author says, may have had more impact on world history than anyone else in the 20th century...This is a monumental work, carried out in the author's retirement and intended to cap a distinguished career in Asian studies. His diligent use of official papers and his privileged access to members of the Chinese Communist elite make this biography of Deng Xiaoping the most complete we are likely to have under the present ruling order. -- Michael Sheridan * Hong Kong Economic Journal *Deng led a long and remarkable life, packed with drama and global significance, one that deserves to be dissected in detail. So we must be thankful to Harvard professor Ezra Vogel for devoting a large chunk of his academic career to compiling a prodigious biography, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, the most ambitious account of the man so far. In writing this volume, Vogel has done an enormous amount of work. He appears to have absorbed the documents from every single Chinese Communist Party plenum since 1921...There have been several Deng biographies before this...but Vogel's can be regarded as the most comprehensive and informative of the lot...There's no question that Vogel has gone farther than anyone else to date in telling Deng's story. For that he is to be applauded; there is a whole hoard of valuable material here that we probably would not have gained otherwise. -- Christian Caryl * Foreign Policy *China scholars might think they have read enough about Deng Xiaoping. After all, at least three biographies of Deng were available prior to the release of this massive new book. But Vogel, one of the world's preeminent Asia scholars, has produced the most comprehensive and authoritative account of Deng's career as a revolutionary, party leader, and architect of China's reform. Meticulously researched and highly readable, the book is not a typical biography. It does not dwell much on Deng's personal life. Instead, the focus of the book is Deng's unusual career trajectory, his unique style of rule, and the strategic choices he made during and after the Cultural Revolution. Vogel considers the extent to which Deng fundamentally and irreversibly transformed China's society, governance, and relations with the outside world...This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the domestic and international dynamics that have led to China's rise as a great power. -- Yanzhong Huang * Foreign Affairs *The big picture is the key to this book. Those hoping for hidden secrets and untold stories about Deng in Vogel's book will be disappointed. Comprehensive as it is, the book is not an expose. But it does ring with authority. The Harvard professor spent most of the 10 years lining up interviews with people who had first-hand experience of Deng. In the end he spoke to dozens, if not a hundred, of people who knew something about the man...As a result, his depiction of Deng is rich, balanced and colorful. Vogel portrays a Deng who is determined, resourceful, at times uncompromising and difficult, but always pragmatic...This is where the strength of Vogel's book lies. It is all about the grand historic view. And that is fitting: out of all of Deng's amazing qualities, it is his grasp of a broad perspective and his keen sense of history that enabled him to achieve what so many had deemed impossible. -- Chow Chung-yan * South China Morning Post *If you're going to read one book about modern China in the period after Mao, then this is the book you should read. Though the book is framed around the rise of Deng Xiaoping and his reforms that transformed China into an economic powerhouse, Ezra Vogel's compelling biography examines how China went from being a desperately poor country to certainly one of the two most important countries in the world today. -- Bill Gates * Gates Notes *From arguably the most important scholar of East Asia, this is an important book on the force behind China's transformation in the late twentieth century, whose full fruits are visible only today. Deng ordered the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, but he was also the person most responsible for modernizing China and opening it to trade with the West. Again and again he survived threatening challenges in the Chinese political bureaucracy, to emerge at the top in the late 1970s. His role in subverting Chinese orthodoxy from the inside is comparable to that of Gorbachev with respect to the Soviet Union--and he deserves sustained attention such as this landmark book offers. -- Anis Shivani * Huffington Post *Not just a definitive biography of a world-class leader, but also the most authoritative and riveting account of the secretly contrived U.S.-Chinese strategic accommodation of 1978 and of how that in turn facilitated China's domestic transformation. -- Zbigniew BrzezinskiThis is an impressive and important biography of one of the most important men of the twentieth century. Deng Xiaoping transformed China economically, politically, and socially. One of the most significant achievements for his and my country was the establishment of diplomatic relations between us. The book provides an excellent account of this historic event. -- President Jimmy CarterVogel offers a nuanced portrait of China's great reform leader Deng Xiaoping and a shrewd analysis of the political maneuvers by which he made such a large mark on history. By entering deeply into Deng's vision for China, Vogel shows how the person who forged the world's most successful example of modernizing authoritarianism understood how such a system could work. And he shows how a major leader can steer a huge country in a new historical direction. A terrific accomplishment. -- Andrew J. Nathan, Columbia UniversityA multilayered study of change and adaptability. At the core is one man's response to the dangers of a complex revolution. Around him is the transformation of the largest political entity in history from rural disarray and helplessness to an industrial and manufacturing giant. In between are ambitious and bewildered people in search of leadership. Vogel has made Deng Xiaoping's vision convincing, the Chinese maze comprehensible, and even the bit actors come alive. -- Wang Gungwu, National University of SingaporeDeng Xiaoping's skill, vision, and courage in overcoming seemingly insuperable obstacles and guiding China onto the path of sustained economic development rank him with the great leaders of history. And yet, too little is known about the life and career of this extraordinary man. In this superbly researched and highly readable biography, Vogel has definitively filled this void. This fascinating book provides a host of insights into the factors that enabled Deng to triumph over repeated setbacks and lay the basis for China to regain the wealth and power that has eluded it for two centuries. -- J. Stapleton Roy, former U.S. Ambassador to ChinaDeng could be tough, but he was direct and engaged. He was a person we could do business with, and I liked him a lot. He played an extraordinary role, bringing the world's largest nation into the modern world. We are fortunate that Vogel, one of our foremost China scholars, has now brought the man alive in this uniquely researched biography. -- Brent ScowcroftA thorough picking-over of Deng Xiaoping's record and accomplishments, setting him firmly as the linchpin linking an antiquated authoritative thinking to modern growth and acceleration...Vogel meticulously considers all facets of this complex leader for an elucidating--and quite hefty--study. * Kirkus Reviews *[An] impressive and exhaustively researched biography...Vogel reminds readers that it was under this pragmatic politician's watch that the party made three moves that helped it outlast so many other Leninist organizations. -- Jeffrey Wasserstrom * Miller-McCune.com *This intensely researched doorstop delivers a step-by-step political biography of the man who gets most of the credit for China's spectacular rise to an economic juggernaut. Vogel recounts how Deng (1904–1997), a leading figure from the 1950s on, was banished when his preference for practicality over class struggle angered Mao Zedong during the disastrous 1969–1975 Cultural Revolution. Returning to power after Mao's 1976 death, he eliminated the anti-intellectualism and chaotic policy swings that characterized Mao's rule while opening the nation to Western ideas. The result was China's emergence as the world's most dynamic economy, with a free market but still with a disturbing absence of political freedom (he gives a nuanced analysis of the Tiananmen Square massacres)...Scholars will value it. * Publishers Weekly *If you want to understand China today, you must understand Deng Xiaoping (1904–97)...Deng shared Mao's ambition to make China a strong nation under party leadership, but he cannily built an unassailable position within the party to take it in new directions. Vogel interviewed dozens of leaders and China experts, as well as Deng's family, did exhaustive documentary research, and mines the scholarly literature (a good deal of it by his former students) to analyze Deng's initial success in building China's economy and international position, frustration in the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, and ultimate legacy...Massive but fascinating, this is highly recommended for those with a serious interest in modern China. Indispensable in understanding Deng, what he accomplished, and where he fell short. -- Charles W. Hayford * Library Journal *In an authoritative biography of Deng, Harvard sociologist Ezra F. Vogel, a renowned specialist on China and Japan who rose to international prominence in 1979 with the publication of Japan as Number One: Lessons for America, has attempted the difficult task of providing a comprehensive look at the experiences and influences that shaped this remarkable individual. He has succeeded superbly...Vogel's book provides extensive insights into how Deng was able to use his experience, his network of associations among China's aging revolutionaries, and the force of his personality to direct China's course, all while allowing others to hold the top government and party titles...For those of us who as U.S. government officials participated in or monitored many of the developments in China and in the bilateral relationship Vogel describes, he has illuminated events in ways that would have been invaluable to us had we had such a clear picture at the time. The transformation of China that Deng set in motion is likely to confront the United States with its most significant foreign-policy challenge over the next several decades. We are fortunate indeed that Vogel has written this timely and highly informative biography of Deng Xiaoping, which provides a wealth of insights into one of history's great leaders -- J. Stapleton Roy * Wilson Quarterly *Deng Xiaoping is one of the most influential men in modern history and here his dramatic story, one intertwined with elite intrigues in the Chinese Communist Party, is recounted in detail by one of the most eminent scholars of Asia...Regarding the debate over whether Deng was more despot than reformer, Ezra Vogel emphasizes the successful consequences of his economic reforms, but does not shy from criticizing his failures. The portrait that emerges is of a visionary authoritarian who helped his nation overcome the self-inflicted wounds of Mao Zedong and achieve enormous economic advances. -- Jeff Kingston * Japan Times *This monumental book, not so much biography as political history, is overdue. -- Rowan Callick * The Australian *As one of the foremost scholars of modern China, Vogel is an appropriate authority to pen such a thorough account of Deng Xiaoping's tumultuous journey from political exile to paramount leader of China. A detailed study into Deng's dedication to the Chinese establishment of the People's Republic, to his reemergence as unrivaled decision-maker of the Chinese people, the book details how Deng's policies continue to shape the nation, and how it will most likely require a number of generations before scholars can fully appreciate his impact. In capturing the most turbulent period in the modern 20th century in this 928-page tome, Vogel contributes an important piece to the historiography of Chinese history. -- A. Cho * Choice *[A] masterful biography. -- Arun Maira * Indian Express *

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Book SynopsisFrom war with the British to the enslavement of Indians, Ivermee uncovers the dark history of France's doomed imperial project in South Asia.

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Book SynopsisA History of the Samurai tells the complete story of Japan's legendary warrior class from beginning to end—an epic tale of intrigue, bloodshed and bravery that is central to an understanding of the Japanese character and of Japanese history. It describes in detail the core Samurai philosophy of Bushido—"the way of the warrior"—a complex code of conduct embracing ideals of honor and loyalty that continues to govern the Japanese way of life today.Historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera offers a compelling look at these enigmatic warriors including: The lives of famous Samurai—Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman; Tomoe Gozen, the woman who became a Samurai; Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last Shogun; and many more The tragic tale of the 47 Ronin who chose honor over their own lives and were forced to commit ritual suicide after avenging their fallen master The philosophy of Bushido, "the Way of the Warrior," the code of conduct that embraced the ideals of honor and loyalty and governed the Samurai way of living The decline of the Samurai and their transformation from rough, battle-hardened warriors to highly educated philosopher-poets Illustrated with 125 archival prints and photos, the nobility and grandeur of the Samurai is brilliantly showcased in this book. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the Samurai's world, as historian Jonathan Lopez-Vera traces the fascinating story of the rise and fall of these enigmatic warriors throughout Japanese history.Trade Review"In A History of the Samurai there are seven centuries of battles, intrigues, invasion attempts and great characters with exciting biographies." -- 20 Minutos newspaper"…a thorough investigation into these warriors." -- Sapiens magazine"Lopez-Vera's book sows a series of historical pearls that are a delight all on their own." -- El Peso Del Aire blog

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Book SynopsisAs the rest of the world worries about what a future might look like under Chinese supremacy, Luttwak worries about China’s own future prospects. Applying the logic of strategy for which he is well known, he argues that the world’s second largest economy may be headed for a fall unless China’s leaders check their military ambitions.Trade ReviewNational security strategist Edward Luttwak's provocative and insightful analysis of the 'logic of strategy' provides a well-documented, contrarian assessment of whether China's 'rise' will be peaceful or polarizing. He stresses the paradox that China's economic strength and territorial aggrandizement are inciting opposition by a growing coalition of states determined to weaken Beijing's power and influence. Luttwak asserts that only by maintaining Deng Xiaoping's policy of 'low posture' development, and downplaying military modernization, can China avoid international 'geo-economic resistance' and attain the domestic growth and global stature it seeks. -- Richard H. Solomon, former President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Senior Fellow at the RAND CorporationLuttwak presents a rich, persuasive, and lucid analysis of the strategic implications of China's rise and of the anxieties it generates. China's foreign policy and military investments are raising concerns that require the sort of well-informed, precise argumentation that Luttwak delivers. Based on a long-term view of China's strategic inclinations and extensive research on current developments, this book offers medium-term predictions of the likely outcomes that the 'logic of strategy' may dictate, and thus explains with great clarity the issues at stake. Luttwak's work is a must-read for laymen and specialists alike, and an essential contribution to the political debate. -- Nicola Di Cosmo, Institute for Advanced Study, PrincetonWith muscular behavior and rhetoric on the uptick and China pouring money into its military, political strategists have begun to consider Chinese military dominance of the Pacific and a concurrent American decline as foregone conclusions. So it is refreshing to see Edward Luttwak take a different tack in The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy and argue that Chinese military dominance in the Pacific is 'the least likely of outcomes.' China can't simultaneously enjoy a burgeoning economy and a rapidly growing military, he contends, because countries will band together to protect themselves, using military coalitions and trade protectionism to counter China's rise. -- Mary Kissel * Wall Street Journal *Most commentators on China focus on its seemingly inexorable rise and the threat that this poses to other world powers. In this well-argued book, Luttwak takes a different view. He questions whether China's rising power is sustainable. China's continued and rapid growth in economic capacity and military strength and regional and global influence cannot persist, he argues, because of the mounting opposition it is evoking. -- Frank Dillon * Irish Times *Luttwak detects a fundamental conflict between China's search for continuing economic growth, which the Communist Party has made its prime claim to rule, and its quest for military expansion combined with increased foreign policy assertiveness...Luttwak's book, which includes a refreshing put-down of the supposed superiority of traditional Chinese statecraft so admired by Henry Kissinger among others, is timely, coming as it does amid the current maritime confrontations in East Asia. -- Jonathan Fenby * Times Higher Education *The Rise of China vs. The Logic of Strategy is a sober book. Staying with the evidence, it avoids flights of fancy but grips readers' attention all the way through. Here, finally, is an expert on China who knows what he's talking about. -- Caleb Nelson * World *Luttwak's contribution to the China debate is to be welcomed. We need informed outsiders to weigh in with their views, and he has spent years visiting the country and talking to the Chinese, including the People's Liberation Army. Written with his customary panache, his vigorous and highly readable contribution will challenge congealed thinking. -- George Walden * Bloomberg.com *Over the past few decades, Edward Luttwak has gained a reputation as the bad boy of strategic theory and historical scholarship. This time, he has outdone himself. He has debunked Sun Tsu, the Clausewitz of the East and much beloved by teachers of military theory for decades...In The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy, Luttwak goes beyond an attack on Sun Tsu. He argues that the dominant strategic and cultural arrogance of the Han people--the largest ethnic group in China--could undermine efforts to lift the Middle Kingdom to the ranks of true superpower status. Luttwak further argues that this assumption of cultural and intellectual superiority is driving China's neighbors into a camp of strategic containment similar to what Germany created for itself in the years leading up to World War I...It will be interesting to see whether the book is read with interest or banned once it is translated and made available on the Chinese mainland. It is a cautionary tale that deserves Chinese attention. -- Gary Anderson * Washington Times *[Luttwak's] thesis is sensible and not to be discounted lightly. * The Economist blog *Edward Luttwak's book on the limitations of China's ascent to power blends careful observation of recent events with an understanding of its past...The explanatory innovation that lifts Luttwak's book above the ruck of recent books on China's rise is his use of geo-economics--an expression he coined in 1980--to explain global resistance to Beijing's march. He argues that countries across the world, without explicit coordination, will resist China's export-oriented strategy to generate wealth and military power. This "invisible hand" explanation is in refreshing contrast to the usual containment and other political explanations about what may happen in East China in the coming years. -- Siddharth Singh * Mint *Entertaining and provocative...A bold book that flatly predicts that China won't successfully rise as a superpower, indeed that it cannot in its current incarnation...If accurate, Luttwak's theory means Americans don't have to worry too much. China will essentially self-destruct, at least diplomatically. And the list of problems facing China make it seem that this could well be happening right now. -- Ian Johnson * New York Review of Books *[A] though-provoking book. -- Jonathan Mirsky * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisFor almost a hundred years from the 1860s, the City of London''s overseas banks financed the global trade that lay at the core of the British Empire. Foremost among them from the beginning were two start-up ventures: the Standard Bank of South Africa, which soon developed a powerful domestic franchise at the Cape, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. This book traces their stories in the nineteenth century, their glory days before 1914 - and their remarkable survival in the face of global wars and the collapse of world trade in the first half of the twentieth century.The unravelling of the Empire after 1945 eventually forced Britain''s overseas banks to confront a different future. The Standard and the Chartered, alarmed at the expansion of American banking, determined in 1969 on a merger as a way of sustaining the best of the City''s overseas traditions. But from the start, Standard Chartered had to grapple with the fading fortunes of its own inherited franchise - badly dented in both Asia and Africa - and with radical changes in the nature of banking. Its British managers, steeped in the past, proved ill-suited to the challenge. By the late 1980s, efforts to expand in Europe and the USA had brought the merged Group to the brink of collapse.Yet it survived - and then pulled off a dramatic recovery. Standard Chartered realigned itself, just in time, with the phenomenal growth of Asia''s ''emerging markets'', many of them in countries where the Chartered had flourished a century earlier. In the process, the Group was transformed. Trebling its workforce, it brushed aside the global financial crisis of 2008 and by 2012 could look back on a decade of astonishing growth. Recent times have added an eventful postscript to a long and absorbing history.Crossing Continents recounts Standard Chartered''s story with a wealth of detail from one of the richest archives available to any commercial bank. The book also affords a rare and compelling perspective on the evolution of international trade and finance, showing how Britain''s commercial influence has actually worked in practice around the world over one hundred and fifty years.Trade Reviewexcellent ... Duncan Campbell-Smith's sparkling new account of Standard Chartered Bank ... is a door-stopping, desk-breaking heavyweight tome ... of patient text and brilliantly evocative photographs. Campbell-Smith, a former banker and journalist, had access to Standard Chartered's rich archive, and what emerges is work of painstaking scholarship. Multiple sources are woven together into a compelling record of imperial and post-imperial banking -- Philip Augar * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis"Power to them meant everything. It was founded on courage, which begot honor. And by this courage and for this honor they fought to the death."The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps tells the thrilling story of the Shinsengumi—the legendary corps of Samurai warriors tasked with keeping order in Kyoto during the final chaotic years of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868).This book recounts the fascinating tales of political intrigue, murder and mayhem surrounding the fearsome Shinsengumi, including: The infamous slaughter at Ikidaya Inn where, after learning of a plan to torch the city, a group of Shinsengumi viciously attacked and killed a group of anti-Tokugawa plotters The bloody assassination of Serizawa Kamo, the Shinsengumi leader, under highly suspicious circumstances The final tumultuous battles of the civil war in which the Shinsengumi fought and died in a series of doomed last stands Author and Samurai history expert Romulus Hillsborough uses letters, memoirs, interviews and eyewitness accounts to paint a vivid picture of the Shinsengumi, their origins, violent methods and the colorful characters that led the group.Trade Review"So, what do the Hell's Angels and the Shinsengumi have in common? They both had a propensity for violence, a strict internal code of conduct, and an alarmingly excessive reaction to insult, real or perceived. Also, they probably would have slaughtered each other on sight." --Goodreads

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Book Synopsis''Compelling and informative... a useful gateway into [Xi Jinping''s] mind'' Rana Mitter, Literary ReviewFrom one of the most admired reporters covering China today, a vital new account of the life and political vision of Xi Jinping, the authoritarian leader of the People''s Republic whose hard-edged tactics have set the rising superpower on a collision with Western liberal democracies.Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China''s Superpower Future shatters the many myths and caricatures that shroud one of the world''s most secretive political organizations and its leader. Many observers misread Xi during his early years in power, projecting their own hopes that he would steer China toward more political openness, rule of law, and pro-market economics. Having masked his beliefs while climbing the party hierarchy, Xi has centralized decision-making powers, encouraged a personality cult around himself, and moved toward indefiniteTrade ReviewAn authoritative, clear-minded study . . . A penetrating and timely unraveling of the personality and impact of a strongman president * Kirkus (starred review) *More than a decade into the era of Xi Jinping, readers ask, 'Why are there so few penetrating books on China's leader?' The answer is that the Communist Party deems even Xi's birth date too sensitive to disclose. But now, the skilled and energetic journalist Chun Han Wong has drawn on an impressive range of reporting and sources to craft a superb, readable, illuminating portrait of the man and his times. A must-read for China veterans and amateurs alike -- Evan OsnosParty of One brims with insights into the multitude of contradictions that make up Xi's China. It's a captivating read for anyone seeking to more deeply understand China in the Xi Jinping era. * Bonnie Glaser *"In a crowded marketplace of books about Xi Jinping's China, Party of One stands head and shoulders above its competitors. Chun Han Wong has combined rigorous investigative skills with a forensic grasp of an opaque political system to produce an enthralling portrait of the leader, and the party, that sits atop the world's emerging superpower." * Richard McGregor, author of 'The Party' and 'Asia's Reckoning' *Meticulously researched... Wong is a sharp observer of soft authoritarian power and the apparatus of the absolutist state -- Michael Sheridan * Sunday Times *Compelling and informative... Wong's thoughtful book is a useful gateway into [Xi Jinping's] mind -- Rana Mitter * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisComposed in a prison cell in 1298 by Venetian merchant Marco Polo and Arthurian romance writer Rustichello of Pisa, The Description of the World relates Polo's experiences in Asia and at the court of Qubilai, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. In addition to a new translation based on the Franco-Italian "F" manuscript of Polo's text, this edition includes genealogies of the Mongol rulers and nine maps of Polo's journey, as well as thorough annotation and an extensive bibliography.Trade Review"Marco Polo's account provided both what was thought to be a reliable guide to East Asia—Columbus carried with him a heavily annotated copy of Marco Polo's work during his own expedition to the Americas—and an intriguingly fantastical account that for centuries has continued to fuel the imagination of poets and artists. Kinoshita's superb, groundbreaking translation brilliantly renders into modern English this crucial text of the Middle Ages. Indispensable in the undergraduate and graduate classroom, The Description of the World will also appeal to a wide range of readers curious about the medieval encounter of East and West." —Suzanne Conklin Akbari, University of Toronto"This excellent and lucid translation is comprehensible to 21st-century students, yet retains the medieval flair of the original text. Kinoshita's footnotes, which support a reading of the text without overwhelming the reader, properly address and consider the latest scholarship. This will undoubtedly become the standard translation of Marco Polo for classroom use." —Timothy May, University of North Georgia"Ever since Marco Polo and Rustichello's creation first piqued the interests of the reading public, it has been shaped and reshaped, reformed and deformed to meet the desires of the medieval and modern readers. With this new translation, Kinoshita gives English-speakers for the first time something like the original 'Description of the World' that electrified medieval Europe. Racy and readable, this translation is the only one that actually aims to recreate the type of language that Polo and Rustichello used to reach their public." —Christopher Atwood, Indiana University"An excellent book, both an accessible edition of Polo’s text and a scholarly one. The translation reads well, following the oddities of the Franco-Italian without compromising readability in English. Kinoshita's introduction is brief but highly informative and offers much to scholars as well as students in different disciplines; the notes are likewise informative and to the point. This is the Polo that students and scholars alike will want to read if they are not going to read the original(s)." —Iain Macleod Higgins, University of Victoria"An excellent new translation of the earliest known version of the text. . . . Kinoshita synthesizes a vast body of scholarship in her admirably concise but rich introduction, her notes, and her critical apparatus. . . . Kinoshita has also used to good effect medieval Asian sources that were not so comprehensively available to most earlier scholars; her notes at every stage offer supplementary information about the places, peoples, and customs the Devisement describes, contextualizing much of the information more helpfully and succinctly than other translations into English. Six genealogical tables and nine maps also direct the reader's attention firmly towards Asia. . . . Kinoshita embraces the stylistic quirkiness and rough edges of her source. Furthermore, whereas previous translators (including the recent Penguin Classics translation) conflate different versions of the text and, like many medieval transmitters, manicure stylistic imperfections and inconsistencies, Kinoshita's translation gives English readers better access, if not to the authentic version of the text, certainly to a particularly challenging and interesting medieval iteration of it. This gives us a much better sense of contact with the different narrative voices of the first Devisement (which was supposedly co-written by Marco Polo with a fellow Italian, Rustichello da Pisa). . . . Kinoshita's translation . . . amply deserves to become the standard text for teaching in the anglophone world." —Simon Gaunt, King's College London, in Speculum"This excellent edition and translation will be a standard course text. It is simply superb." —Theresa Earenfight, Seattle University"There is much to appreciate in this volume. Kinoshita, a specialist in medieval French literature, is also a leading scholar in the burgeoning field of global medieval studies, and her knowledge of the many fields that illuminate Polo's text is on display throughout. Her translation is true to a single edition of a single authoritative source, not the product of fanciful--and questionable--compilation. She thereby gives us a particular Marco Polo text, not the "definitive" text other translators have concocted, and in so doing is true to the work's history. Polo's text is not a major work of literary art, and the translation challenges it poses relate more to idiom and accuracy than to the aesthetics of tone or imagery. Perhaps the biggest challenge, as Kinoshita recognizes, is deciding how to handle the text's medieval features: its repetition, parataxis, euphemism, etc. Here again, one can only respect Kinoshita's decision to retain many of these features, which are constant reminders of this text's complicated genesis and of the ways it shows its author(s) devising how to represent the new and the strange. As advertised, the introduction and annotations are written for non-specialists and deliver facts and arguments concisely and clearly. The footnote annotations are particularly helpful: short yet informative, inserted when needed, and based on current research, they render the text accessible and provide useful context. The bibliography is current, thorough, varied, and will be of use to anyone interested in learning more about Polo and his era. In addition to the introduction, annotated translation, and bibliography, the book also includes genealogies of Mongol rulers, a map of Eurasia, seven maps of regions discussed by Polo, maps of medieval Beijing and Xian, and an index. This volume is an excellent resource for the curious reader, for high school and university courses, and for specialists alike." —Mark Cruse, in The Medieval Review

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Book SynopsisHow was it that this well-educated, mixed-race, middle-class girl from a respectable family came to be fighting with the Tamil Tigers? Two days before Christmas in 1987, at the age of seventeen, Niromi de Soyza found herself in an ambush as part of a small platoon of militant Tamil Tigers fighting government forces in the bloody civil war that was to engulf Sri Lanka for decades. With her was her lifelong friend Ajanthi, also aged seventeen. Leaving behind them their shocked middle-class families, the teenagers had become part of the Tamil Tigers' first female contingent. Equipped with little more than a rifle and a cyanide capsule each, Niromi's group managed to survive on their wits in the jungle, facing not only the perils of war but starvation, illness and growing internal tensions among the militant Tigers. But then events erupted in ways that she could no longer bear.Trade ReviewMore than a military memoir, this is a humanising account of the tragedy of war. * Courier Mail *De Soyza shines a light both on her personal experience and a political situation that is too little known * Saturday Age *Beautifully written. * Sunday Herald Sun *De Soyza's beautifully written debut is a reflection on her journey from naïve girl to woman. * Newcastle Herald *Tamil Tigress is a fascinating account of her radicalisation, stemming from the horrors she witnessed as a child and the losses that shattered her family and community. She captures a uniquely personal vision of Tamil Sri Lanka and the strangeness of childhood joys experienced amid bloodshed and family fracturing... This is a book about suffering, resilience and personal strength that I found ultimately unsettling and uniquely insightful. * Good Reading *

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Book Synopsis"Graham has crafted a compact, jewel-like resource for all who seek to understand the sources, evolution, impact, and value of Japanese aesthetics and design principles in our modern world." —Dr. Jane Schall, Sanders Sosland Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtThis beautifully illustrated guide offers stunning visual examples and detailed discussions of the objects, aesthetics, philosophy and cultural significance of Japanese design.Asian art expert Dr. Patricia Graham helps guide readers through the aspects of Japanese art and design we've all come to appreciate—whether it's a silk kimono, carefully raked garden path or modern snack food packaging. From the ten key characteristics of Japanese design to the Shinto and Buddhist influences on its aesthetics, this book serves as a great resource for the different styles and how they developed.Another fascinating and less explored piece of design in Japan is its influence on and interpretation by Westerners. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Lafcadio Hearn, artists, scientists, designers, journalists and philosophers were inspired by Japan's arts and crafts in the 19th century. This often romanticized version of Japanese design—viewed through a Western cultural lens—continues to influence our view of it to this day. Graham unpacks the sincere, but sometimes misguided, interpretations of concepts like wabi sabi and shibui.With more than 200 stunning color photos, this detailed guide will be enjoyed by everyone from professional designers to art students, and museum geeks to Japanophiles.Trade Review"Graham's book gives a thoughtful account of Japanese art and design, its cultural context in Japan and its proponents abroad. Her discussion of design terminology, including the origins as well as the uses and misuses through the decades of terms like wabi sabi and shibui is essential reading for anyone interested in Japanese art." --Janice Katz, Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art, Art Institute of Chicago"In this beautifully illustrated book, Patricia Graham extracts the overarching visual characteristics of Japanese design sensibilities and shows how deeply they are rooted in their cultural, spiritual, and social backgrounds--something none of the existing textbooks of Japanese art history do satisfactorily." --Mikiko Hirayama, Associate Professor and Director of Museum Studies, Art History/School of Art, College of Design, Art, Architecture & Planning, University of Cincinnati"In this unprecedented work, the underlying aesthetic and cultural roots that are essential for an understanding of Japanese design are explained engagingly and accessibly by Graham…A must-read for designers, artists, connoisseurs and scholars of Japanese art and culture, and many others." --Andreas Marks, Head of the Department of Japanese and Korean Art and Director of the Clark Center at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

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Book SynopsisThe Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir is one of the most hated men in Indian history. Widely reviled as a religious fanatic who sought to violently oppress Hindus, he is even blamed by some for setting into motion conflicts that would result in the creation of a separate Muslim state in South Asia. In her lively overview of his life and influence, Audrey Truschke offers a clear-eyed perspective on the public debate over Aurangzeb and makes the case for why his often-maligned legacy deserves to be reassessed. Aurangzeb was arguably the most powerful and wealthiest ruler of his day. His nearly 50-year reign (1658–1707) had a profound influence on the political landscape of early modern India, and his legacy—real and imagined—continues to loom large in India and Pakistan today. Truschke evaluates Aurangzeb not by modern standards but according to the traditions and values of his own time, painting a picture of Aurangzeb as a complex figure whose relationship to Islam was dynamic, strategic, and sometimes contradictory. This book invites students of South Asian history and religion into the world of the Mughal Empire, framing the contemporary debate on Aurangzeb's impact and legacy in accessible and engaging terms.Trade Review"Basing her judgments on a careful reading of contemporary Persian chronicles and European traveler accounts, Audrey Truschke presents a fresh, balanced, and much-needed survey of one of the most controversial figures in Indian history. Crucially, the author insists on evaluating the man in terms of the norms and traditions of his own day, and not those of later, more polarized times."—Richard M. Eaton, University of ArizonaFollowing British historians of the colonial era, Indian nationalists used the last and most controversial of the great Mughals in ways that simultaneously distorted Mughal history and served as a goad to Hindu cultural renewal. Audrey Truschke's project of looking at Emperor Aurangzeb afresh is thus a welcome and timely one and will interest readers in academia and beyond."—Barbara D. Metcalf, University of California, Davis"Truschke's laudable objective is to criticize Hindu nationalism, which makes the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) into a metonym for the Muslim community, and vilifies the emperor in order to vilify the community almost in its entirety....Truschke demonstrates with superb precision that the political-theological fault lines in Aurangzeb's reign did not run along simple Muslim versus Hindu / Sikh binaries."—Milinda Banerjee, Sehepunkte"Truschke is to be applauded on a number of counts: her courage for writing a biography of Aurangzeb (), her willingness to write a book that is easily accessible to nonspecialists, her skill in integrating large amounts of information within a coherent narrative, her thoughtfulness when balancing conflicting evidence, and her ability to give Aurangzeb his due without coming across as an apologist."––Munis D. Faruqui, Journal of the American Academy of Religion"[An] important contribution to Mughal history....[and] an important effort for discussions around Muslim-Hindu encounters and the pre-modern/early modern India."—Shaharyar Zia, Reading Religion"Audry Truscke, a professor of history at the Rutgers State University, New Jersey, mentions how she had to endure unprecedented pushback for daring to write a rather balanced and objective account of 'the life of India's most important emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir.'... Yet, she dared to embark on the project 'to introduce the historical Aurangzeb - in all his complexity.'"—Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, The Muslim World Book ReviewTable of Contents1. Introducing Aurangzeb 2. Early Years 3. The Grand Arc of Aurangzeb's Reign 4. Administrator of Hindustan 5. Moral Man and Leader 6. Overseer of Hindu Religious Communities 7. Later Years 8. Aurangzeb's Legacy Postscript: A Note on Reading Medieval Persian Texts Bibliographical Essay: Bibliographical Essay

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Book SynopsisYang Jisheng's The World Turned Upside Down is the definitive history of the Cultural Revolution, in withering and heartbreaking detail.As a major political event and a crucial turning point in the history of the People's Republic of China, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (19661976) marked the zenith as well as the nadir of Mao Zedong's ultra-leftist politics. Reacting in part to the Soviet Union's "revisionism" that he regarded as a threat to the future of socialism, Mao mobilized the masses in a battle against what he called "bourgeois" forces within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This ten-year-long class struggle on a massive scale devastated traditional Chinese culture as well as the nation's economy.Following his groundbreaking and award-winning history of the Great Famine, Tombstone, Yang Jisheng here presents the only history of the Cultural Revolution by an independent scholar based in mainland China, and makes a crucial contribution to understanding those years'' lasting influence today.The World Turned Upside Down puts every political incident, major and minor, of those ten years under extraordinary and withering scrutiny, and arrives in English at a moment when contemporary Chinese governance is leaning once more toward a highly centralized power structure and Mao-style cult of personality.

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Book SynopsisReceived wisdom has it that Buddhism disappeared from India, the land of its birth, between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, long forgotten until British colonial scholars re-discovered it in the early 1800s. Its full-fledged revival, so the story goes, only occurred in 1956, when the Indian civil rights pioneer Dr. B.R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with half a million of his Dalit (formerly "untouchable") followers. This, however, is only part of the story. Dust on the Throne reframes discussions about the place of Buddhism in the subcontinent from the early nineteenth century onwards, uncovering the integral, yet unacknowledged, role that Indians played in the making of modern global Buddhism in the century prior to Ambedkar's conversion, and the numerous ways that Buddhism gave powerful shape to modern Indian history. Through an extensive examination of disparate materials held at archives and temples across South Asia, Douglas Ober explores Buddhist religious dynamics in an age of expanding colonial empires, intra-Asian connectivity, and the histories of Buddhism produced by nineteenth and twentieth century Indian thinkers. While Buddhism in contemporary India is often disparaged as being little more than tattered manuscripts and crumbling ruins, this book opens new avenues for understanding its substantial socio-political impact and intellectual legacy.Trade Review"This is the first comprehensive study in any language of the revival of interest in Buddhism in nineteenth and twentieth-century India. It transforms the way we view modern Indian religious and political life. Through careful archival investigation, Douglas Ober uncovers numerous sources and topics that have been ignored or dealt with in piecemeal fashion. He uses this array of materials to create a compelling argument for the vital of importance of Buddhism in modern Indian religious life, politics, intellectual history, and culture. By highlighting the contributions of Indian scholars, advocates, and practitioners to the revival of Buddhism in twentieth-century India, Ober gives us a much more accurate picture of modern global Buddhism. This is a major, foundational contribution to religious and Buddhist history."—Richard Jaffe, author of Seeking Sakyamuni: South Asia in the Formation of Modern Japanese Buddhism"This is a book I've been waiting for—a powerful account of the contestations and challenges that marked the return of Buddhism to the public sphere. It forces us to think of the role of human agency in shaping the present and future in India—perhaps even in the world."—Uma Chakravarti, author of The Social Dimensions of Early Buddhism"It is a fantastic read, almost like a detective novel in parts, and you turn the page wondering how Buddhism was discovered, how it fared in various contexts. Douglas Ober's mastery of sources, his adept linking of various geographies, ideas, and events are so effortlessly done that they belie the immense labor and reading and writing that have no doubt gone into the making of this book."—V Geetha, author of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and the Question of Socialism in India "This splendid book overturns the standard but faulty story of Buddhism's supposed disappearance from India by the thirteenth century. It completely recasts our understanding of modern Buddhism and its role in nineteenth and twentieth-century India. A marvelous combination of history, philosophy, and story-telling, Dust on the Throne is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand Buddhism in our world today."—Evan Thompson, author ofWaking, Dreaming, Being andWhy I Am Not a Buddhist"An engrossing and lively account of how modern India 'rediscovered' and re-engaged with Buddhism in the last two centuries, featuring a cast of compelling historical characters.Going far beyond standard assumptions and understandings about the decline and revival of Buddhism in India,Dust on the Throne is a must-read for all who are interested in south Asian history, both recent and ancient."—Tony Joseph, author of Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From"Dust on the Throne offers a new perspective on the history of Buddhism in India during the colonial period and early years of Independence. Marshalling an array of evidence that foregrounds the role of individuals and institutions (some known, some forgotten) in the context of subcontinental and global networks, it dispels many long-cherished notions about Buddhism's decline and revival in its homeland, offering a convincing alternative narrative."—Upinder Singh, author of History of Ancient and Early Medieval India"Douglas Ober's Dust on the Throne weaves a fascinating history of individuals, institutions, and events that animated modern Buddhism. The book provides rare insights into a range offorgotten Indianswhose contributions were as impressive as those of better-known colonials.Its exploration of the footprint of Buddhist discourses among the masses is equally captivating. This will remain a definitive study on the many streams that constituted the quest for Buddhism inModern India."—Nayanjot Lahiri, author of Ashoka in Ancient India"[Dust on the Throne] is vast and dense, shining light on many of the Indian historians, scholars, translators, ethnographers, and laborers whose engagement with ancient and modern Buddhism galvanized 19th- and 20th-century public discourse. Rather than fragmented, however, the confluence of geographies, perspectives, and demographics demonstrate how dynamic and complex local expertise and agency in the resurgence of Buddhism within India have been."—Liesl Schwabe, Los Angeles Review of Books"Ober's exhaustive survey assembles Buddhism's disparate histories from different regions of modern India and contextualizes the formation of its multiple stands. He effectively dismantles the idea of European discovery of Buddhism and challenges the overemphasis on the contribution of Dharmapala and Ambedkar's scholarship."—Abishek Singh Amar, Tricycle"Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India, an erudite study by the historian Douglas Ober, is an exception to the brahmin-centric trend, and an outstanding intervention for many reasons. Right from its thoughtful title – which captures the deep history and 'revival' of the region's Buddhist past – the book tells us a different story than the brahmin-centric narratives of so much other scholarship. Ober shows how the widespread notion that Buddhism in the Subcontinent had died by the thirteenth century or earlier, and showed no trace of life into the modern period, is at most a 'useful fiction', if not a foolish conclusion outright."—Gajendran Ayyathurai, Himal SouthasianTable of Contents0. Introduction 1. The Agony of Memory 2. Dispelling Darkness 3. Banyan Tree Buddhism 4. Brahmanizing Buddhism 5. The Snake and the Mongoose 6. When the Buddha met Marx 7. The Buddha Nation Conclusion: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe first book to present the amazing swords and armor belonging to the most famous Samurai in Japanese history!Paul Martin, a world-renowned scholar of Japanese swords, takes us on a journey of discovery of samurai culture through an examination of valuable weapons and armor belonging to thirty of Japan's most celebrated warriors, many of which are classified as Important Cultural Propertiesor National Treasures and therefore rarely seen by the public. Japanese Swords and Armor covers the entire development of the samurai class, from the 10th to the 19th centuries, and offers a compelling journey into the minds and aesthetic sensibilities of the legendary warriors through a wealth of iconography with art images, exclusive photographs and life-size reproductions of some of the most prestigious swords in history. Get a close-up look at scores of magnificent blades, fittings and armor which belonged to thirty of the most famous warriors and leaders in Japanese history including:A woo

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Book SynopsisIn an age when so much of our time is spent staring at screens, it is easy to understand why the warmth, intimacy and idiosyncrasies of hand craftsmanship should seem alluringthe term Mingei describes useful, unobtrusive, beautifully crafted objects. Alice Rawsthorn, The New York TimesThe Mingei Folk Crafts movement, founded by philosopher and art historian Soetsu Yanagi and potters Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro in the early 20th century, celebrates the utilitarian designs in functional objects hand-crafted by village artisans throughout Japan. This book offers an illustrated guide to Japan's rich folk craft traditions and shows why the Mingei philosophy is even more relevant today than it was a century ago. Folk crafts have become associated with the Slow Life movement and the Wabi Sabi philosophy which values simple and imperfect items above the bright and shiny mass-produced objects of our modern culture. This book introduces 34 fascinating Japanese folk craft traditionsranging f

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth examination of the law and geopolitics of China’s maritime disputes and their implications for the rules of the international law of the seaTrade Review“Kardon seeks to correct a common misconception about China’s expansive maritime claims. Rather than simply flouting laws, the PRC has sought to minimize the weight of existing laws and shape new ones through its activities. The volume is a carefully argued and brilliant contribution to scholarship on the evolution of ‘global order.’”—Margaret M. Pearson, University of Maryland, College Park“Now that China has the world’s largest navy, is it really a threat to the rules-based maritime order? Those who share this concern will find China’s Law of the Sea an essential analysis of Beijing’s practice as well as theory.”—Jerome A. Cohen, Council on Foreign Relations“China’s maritime reach and activity will continue to be components of its ambition and power. Isaac Kardon’s perspectives and keen insight into China’s view of maritime order are unmatched. China’s Law of the Sea is an essential read for everyone who depends on the maritime domain and for all who ponder China’s approach to regional and global order.”—Gary Roughead, Admiral, U.S. Navy (retired), and former U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations“China’s contested maritime claims are a potential flashpoint for Asian conflict. Isaac Kardon systematically explains how China, in pursuing those claims, manipulates, disregards, or violates international legal norms in ways that could have global implications.”—Thomas J. Christensen, Columbia University and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State “China’s rise as a maritime power is a defining element of its ascent. In this carefully researched and insightful book, Kardon documents China’s distinctive approach to the law of the sea that combines legal interpretations, bureaucratic mobilization, and maritime forces on the water. China’s Law of the Sea is a terrific contribution to the literature that illuminates China’s challenge to the international maritime order in East Asia and beyond.”—M. Taylor Fravel, director of the Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic true story of the betrayal of hundreds of Indian princely states by both the departing British and the new Congress government. In July 1947, India’s last Viceroy, Lord Louis Mountbatten, stood before New Delhi’s Chamber of Princes to deliver the most important speech of his career. He had just three weeks to convince over 550 sovereign princely states—some tiny, some the size of Britain—to become part of a free India. Once Britain’s most faithful allies, the princes could choose between joining India or Pakistan, or declaring independence. This is a saga of intrigue, brinkmanship and broken promises, wrought by Mountbatten and two of independent India’s founding fathers: the country’s most senior civil servant, V.P. Menon, and Congress strongman Vallabhbhai Patel. What India’s architects described as a ‘bloodless revolution’ was anything but, as violence engulfed Kashmir and Indian troops crushed Hyderabad’s dreams of independence. Most princes accepted the inevitable, exchanging their power for guarantees of privileges and titles in perpetuity. But these dynasties were still led to extinction—not by the sword, but by political expediency—leaving them with little more than fading memories of a glorified past.Trade Review‘Dethroned is set to become a classic on the end of India’s and Pakistan’s aristocracy.’ -- The Spectator'[A] gripping history – exhaustively researched, and written with all the pace and tension of a thriller – of how the fate of the princely states would be determined in the face of independence and Partition.' -- The Telegraph‘Journalistic flair shines through in Dethroned.’ -- The Week‘A thoroughly entertaining account of decline and fall.’ -- Literary Review'Deeply researched and persuasively presented.' -- News 18'Engagingly written, meticulously researched and peppered with delicious anecdotes. Zubrzycki deftly captures the political intrigue involved in this epoch-defining negotiation at independent India's founding moment--a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Indian history, or even just in brilliant writing!' -- Shashi Tharoor MP, author of 'Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India''Zubrzycki lifts the veil on the turbulent period in Indian history when Nehru and Patel--determined to stop the Balkanisation of India--cajole, arm-twist and sometimes blatantly use force to bring the princely states onside. What plays out is a game of chess for the highest of stakes between two countries, with 563 pieces on the deck, leaving fault lines that burn even today.' -- Shrabani Basu, journalist, historian and author of 'Victoria & Abdul''Delivered with verve, narrative pace and a delicious sense of irony. I felt, at times, as if I were reading a crime thriller.' -- Ian Copland, Emeritus Professor of History, Monash University, and author of 'The Princes of India in the Endgame of Empire, 1917–1947''This story of the Indian Princely States from 1947 to their loss of privileges in 1971 fills an important gap in Indian history, shedding new insights into controversies which continue to this day.' -- Andrew Lownie, author of 'The Mountbattens: Their Lives and Loves''Zubrzycki tells this almost unknown story in masterly fashion. Dethroned is well-researched, lucidly written and highly revealing.' -- Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, author of 'Empire Building: The Construction of British India, 1690–1860''Zubrzycki's talents as a writer and historian shine in this fresh and fast-paced book. He confidently portrays the colourful characters and complex events that left volatile legacies for the twenty-first century.' -- Robin Jeffrey, Visiting Research Professor, National University of Singapore'This important account of the momentous breakup of British India and the achieving of independence makes for fascinating reading--a narrative impressively narrated.' -- Jim Masselos, Honorary Associate in History, University of Sydney'A captivating story of political intrigue and expediency in a race against time. In the tragedy of the princely demise few players are blameless, as the writer weighs the pride and obduracy of the rulers against the ruthlessness of British and Indian politicians.' -- Caroline Keen, author of 'A Judge in Madras: Sir Sidney Wadsworth and the Indian Civil Service, 1913-47'

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Book SynopsisTo many the words Hill Station are evocative of an exotic and exciting vision when the subjects of the British Colonial Government gloried in the Hill Stations of India and Burma. Beautifully constructed holiday towns built at 3,000 feet or more where people flocked to escape the heats of the plains. High up the Shan hills of east Burma stood Maymyo. This book tells the stories of the people for whom Maymyo really was a heaven 'lost on the clouds'.

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Book SynopsisAlthough China's great empire lasted for longer than any other, no country has suffered so great an imbalance between the fame of its art and obscurity of its history. The names of the great dynasties are familiar, yet who can actually locate a T'ang horse or a Ming vase in its social or cultural context? By focusing on the key colourful characters of the eight major dynasties, Bamber Gascoigne brings to life 3500 years of Chinese civilization. His bird's-eye view starts on the borders of myth. It moves swiftly on to the greatest achievements of language and thought, the cultural treasures and imperial palaces, wars won and lands lost to the Mongols, finally to arrive at the 1912 Revolution, which contained within it the seeds of Communism that ensured the overthrow of the last emperor. Via this portrait of an empire and its peoples he has opened the door to a world for too long inaccessible to the West.

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Book Synopsis“Magnificent [and] wondrous.” The Spectator "Rich and illuminating." Literary Review "Phenomenally accurate." History Today "Stunning." The Morning Star "Sweeping." The New European "A wonderful book." Current World Archaeology "In a class of its own." The Caspian Post A landscape of high mountains and narrow valleys stretching from the Black to the Caspian Seas, the Caucasus region has been home to human populations for nearly 2 million years. In this richly illustrated 2-volume series, historian and explorer Christoph Baumer tells the story of the region’s history through to the present day. It is a story of encounters between many different peoples, from Scythians, Turkic and Mongol peoples of the East to Greeks and Romans from the West, from Indo-European tribes from the West as well as the East, and to Arabs and Iranians from the South. It is a story of rival claims by Empires and nations and of how the region has become home to more than 50 languages that can be heard within its borders to this very day. This first volume charts the period from the emergence of the earliest human populations in the region – the first known human populations outside Africa - to the Seljuk conquests of 1050CE. Along the way the book charts the development of Neolithic, Iron and Bronze Age cultures, the first recognizable Caucasian state and the arrival of a succession of the great transnational Empires, from the Greeks, the Romans and the Armenian to competing Christian and Muslim conquerors. The History of the Caucasus: Volume 1 also includes more than 200 full colour images and maps bringing the changing cultures of these lands vividly to life.Trade ReviewBaumer sets out the wonders of the past, sometimes doing so valley by valley… This is a real treat: a rare book whose images do justice to the text and vice versa. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Peter Frankopan * The Spectator *This grand and encyclopedic volume will surely become the standard work on this beguiling and important region. -- Bijan Omrani * Literary Review *The Caucasus has long attracted mountain climbers, bird watchers and lovers and medieval architecture: its appeal, thanks to Baumer’s book, will reach a wider audience, from tourists to academics who want to study languages of a region that Arabs called ‘the Mountain of Tongues’. The first volume takes us from the dawn of history to the 11th century. It is a miracle of both concentration and clarity. -- Donald Rayfield * History Today *The largely unknown and historically neglected Caucasus emerges as a land of never-ending fascination… This is writing on a vast his­torical scale… Filled with awe-inspiring photography, clear and relevant maps, useful timelines and pic­tures of hundreds of artefacts. -- Steve Andrew * The Morning Star *Sweeping [and] beautifully illustrated. * The New European *To perform a historical survey of such a long time span, from prehistory to the collapse of the Soviet Union, of a region containing several dozen nations and intersecting with so many of the great world empires would seem to be a foolhardy undertaking… [Baumer] pulls this off through dogged erudition and enthusiasm for his subject. * Asian Review of Books *This huge sweep of history is handled deftly and intelligently through Baumer’s vivid and lucid prose and the accompaniment of magnificent photographs, many taken by the author, which amply illustrate the archaeological discoveries through the ages, from ruined fortifications to wondrous works of art… A wonderful book full of great scholarship. -- John Hare * Current World Archaeology *“Lavishly illustrated with the author’s colour photos taken on various visits to the region over the past decade, the heavy gloss paper gives the feel of a coffee table book. However, the content is that of a rich, old-school history text, fact-heavy and chronologically ordered with a suitably bewildering cast of kings and battles… Baumer’s work [is] in a class of its own.” -- Mark Elliot * The Caspian Post *While the book would be worth having for the images alone, the text provides a mostly reliable overview of the vast sweep of human history in the Caucasus and adjacent regions from the earliest signs of hominin habitation more than 1,7 million years ago up to the 13th century. * Iran and the Caucasus *Impressively informative, profusely illustrated, exceptionally well organized and presented, History of the Caucasus: At the Crossroads of Empires by historian Christoph Baumer is an extraordinary work of regional history that will have enormous appeal for the non- specialist general reader and the academician alike—making this an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Asian history collections in general, and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists in particular. * Midwest Book Review *Baumer's book is a milestone in the long, complex and hitherto obscure history of the Caucasus: he deals adroitly and convincingly with questions of palaeontology, archaeology, myth, legend as well as the historical records to be retrieved from Armenian, Georgian, Latin and Greek sources. He shows due scepticism about national legends and etymological claims. Baumer writes with admirable clarity. His book is magnificently illustrated, and all the reader can want is for volume 2, covering the next thousand years, to appear as soon as possible. * Professor Donald Rayfield, Emeritus Professor of Russian, Queen Mary University of London, UK *A fascinating book with glorious photography. * Irish Tech News *Table of ContentsI At the edge of Europe and Asia - An Introduction 1. A Time of Conflict 2. A Special Geography 3. Peoples and Languages 4. Objectives and Sources II The Formation of the Landscape and Early Humans of the Palaeolithic 1. The Origin of the Caucasus Mountains and the History of the Adjacent Seas - Black Sea and Caspian Sea Excursus: Did the Flood take place near the Black Sea? 2. Homo Georgicus: First Early Humans Outside Africa 3. Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens in the North and South Caucasus III Prehistoric Cultures: From the Neolithic to the Iron Age 1. The Southern Caucasus 1.1 The Shulaveri-Shomu-Aratashen culture 1.2 The Chalcolithic cultures of Sioni and Leila Tepe 1.3 The Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Kura-Araxes Culture 1.4 The Kurgan Cultures of the Middle Bronze Age Excursus: The invention of wheel and cart 1.5 Late Bronze Age and Iron Age 1.6 Early Tribal Organizations, War Alliances and Confederations 1.7 The Colchis in Prehistoric Times 2. The Northern Caucasus 2.1 Chalcolithic Settlements and Early, Flat Tumuli 2.2 The Early Bronze Age Cultures of Maikop 2.3 The Middle and Late Bronze Age Dolmen Culture 2.4 The Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Pri-Elbrus Culture IV. A First Caucasian state, Greek Empires and Northern Equestrian Peoples 1. Urartu/Biainili: The First Caucasian State 1.1 The Creation of Biainili 1.2 Biainili Struggles with Assyria for Supremacy in the Middle East 1.3 Rise of Assyria and Weakening of Biainili 1.4 Biainili's Decline 2. Equestrian Peoples from the North and Greek Trading Colonies 2.1 The Cimmerians 2.2 Immigrant Scythians and Autochthonous Maiotes 2.3 Greek Emporia in the North-western Caucasus 2.4 Sarmatians, Alans and the Hun Invasion V. The South Caucasus under Achaemenid Sovereignty, Armenian Kingdoms and Pontos 1 The Achaemenid Sovereignty 2 The Hellenization of the Colchis 3. Early Kingdoms of Armenia 3.1 Armenian Dynasties of the Orontides/Yervanduni and Early Artaxiad 3.2 Tigranes the Great, Pontos and the Mithridaic Wars Excursus: The eight deities of the Armenian pantheon 3.3 Late Artaxiad: Armenia between Rome and Parthia 3.4 Roman Patronage of Pontos VI Roman-Parthian Condominiums in the South Caucasus 1. Comments on Early Historiography in the Southern Caucasus 2. The Kingdom of Kartli (Iberia) and Lazica 2.1 Legendary Ancestors and the Parnavazids 2.2 Iberia in the Orbit of Rome 3. Caucasian Albania in pre-Islamic Time 4. Armenia 4.1 Armenia as a Roman-Parthian Condominium 4.2 Armenia between Sasanid and Roman Sovereignty VII The Introduction of Christianity as a State Ideology and the Political Division of the South Caucasus 1. Legends of Apostolic Missionary Work 2. Armenia and the Tradition of Gregori the Enlightener 2.1 Syrian-Mesopotamian and Greek-Cappadocian Impulses 2.2 King Trdat IV and Gregori the Illuminator 2.3 Characteristics of Early Armenian Christianity 2.4 A power struggle between King and Catholics and the division of Armenia Excursus: Mesrop Mashtots and the invention of the Armenian script 3. Kartli: From King Mirian III to the Abolition of the Monarchy 3.1 The Legend of St. Nino and the Christianization of Kartli 3.2 Kartli Under Persian Sovereignty 4 The Conversion of Albania and the Apostolic Church of Caucasian Albania 5 Lazica and a First Christianization of the North Caucasian Alans 5.1 The Lazican Wars 5.2 The Christianization of Lazica, Alania and Svanetia and the veneration of military saints 6. The Persian Hegemony in Armenia, Georgia and Albani 7. The Alienation Between the Caucasian Church Hierarchies VIII Between Caliphate, Byzantium and Khazars 1. Southern Caucasian Principalities under Islamic Rule until the Battle of Bagravand in 772 2. The Rise of the Bagratid dynasties 2.1 The Emergence of the Armenian Kingdom Excursus: Paulikians and Tondrakians 2.2 The Formation of the Georgian Kingdom of Sakartvelo 3. The Empire of the Khazars in the Northern Caucasus 4. The Kingdom of Alanya in the North-western Caucasus 5. Muslim Dynasties of Albania and the Invasion of the Seljuks 5.1 The Sayids 5.2 The Sallarids 5.3 The Rawwadids 5.4 The Shaddadids 5.5 The Yazidids and Hashimids 6. The Kingdoms of Armenia, Byzantium and the Seljuk Conquest 6.1 The Armenian Kingdoms 6.2 The Byzantine Annexation of Armenia 6.3 The Seljuks Conquer Armenia 6.4 Ani under the Rule of the Shaddadids IX. Outlook Appendices I. Population statistics by country II Ancient established languages of the Caucasus by language families III Chronology of the most important Caucasian dynasties Notes Bibliography List of Maps Photo credits Acknowledgements Index Concepts People Places

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Book SynopsisBrimming with verve and dramatic incident, Singapore: A Biography offers fresh insights into the life story of this island city-state through the personal experiences of the workers, adventurers, rulers and revolutionaries who have shaped its history over the last seven centuries. The authors, drawing on research undertaken in collaboration with the National Museum of Singapore, have woven together ancient chronicles, eyewitness accounts, oral histories and even modern radio and television broadcasts to create a vivid and compelling narrative that brings the past back to life. Grounded in scholarship yet fired by the imagination, this book reveals the Singapore story to have been as rich, diverse and multilayered as the city-state is prosperous, ordered and successful today.

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Book SynopsisBritain's precipitous and ill-planned disengagement from India in 1947--condemned as a shameful flight by Winston Churchill--had a truly catastrophic effect on South Asia, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead in its wake and creating a legacy of chaos, hatred, and war that has lasted over half a century. Ranging from the fall of Singapore in 1942 to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, Shameful Flight provides a vivid behind-the-scenes look at Britain's decision to divest itself from the crown jewel of its empire. Stanley Wolpert, a leading authority on Indian history, paints memorable portraits of all the key participants, including Gandhi, Churchill, Attlee, Nehru, and Jinnah, with special focus on British viceroy, Lord Louis Mountbatten. Wolpert places the blame for the catastrophe largely on Mountbatten, the flamboyant cousin of the king, who rushed the process of nationhood along at an absurd pace. The viceroy's worst blunder was the impetuous drawing of new borTrade Review"The independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 was a historical watershed that marked the end of the colonial era and the beginning of the liberation of the rest of Asia and of Africa. In his admirable account of this seminal event, Wolpert makes the compelling case that whereas independence and partition were inevitable, the horrible cost in the destruction of lives was not. He attributes the latter to a failure of political leadership, especially the British through its representative Viceroy Mountbatten, whose compulsive and egotistical conduct constituted a major contribution to the massive human disaster. This is a clinically powerful study of triumph and tragedy by a distinguished historian who is also a great humanitarian."--Jamsheed Marker, Former Ambassador of Pakistan and former Special Adviser to the Secretary General, United Nations "In this engrossing, but very controversial, book, Wolpert considers the responsibility of the leaders, both British and Indian, for the immediate consequences of the partition in 1947 of British India into India and Pakistan when hundreds of thousands were killed in riots and millions became homeless refugees. Shameful Flight is sobering reading for anyone interested in the rise and fall of Western imperialism."--Ainslee Embree, Columbia University "Wolpert's book is a delightful read and will shine for its stellar quality of scholarship among the growing body of partition literature that has surfaced in the last two decades. It will be of great interest to anyone curious about whatever happened to the great British Empire and those who often wonder why Indians and Pakistanis endlessly fight with each other."--Dilip Basu, University of California, Santa Cruz "An entertaining and highly controversial account of the British transfer of power in India."--The International History Review "A lively...account of the end of the British Raj...The text is well crafted."--H-Net

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Book SynopsisForever linked in the public mind with the Pol Pot tyranny, Phnom Penh only became Cambodia's permanent capital in 1866. Long neglected by Western travellers, in the sixteenth century it was home to Iberian missionaries and freebooters who briefly held Cambodia's fate in their hands. It faded in significance until France established a colonial protectorate over Cambodia in 1863. As the colonialists robbed the Cambodian king of his temporal power, their protection enhanced his symbolic importance, setting the scene for the emergence of one of the most intriguing rulers of the twentieth century, King Norodom Sihanouk. The city Sihanouk ruled from 1941 to 1970 was a mix of traditional palaces, Buddhist temples and transplanted French architecture. In the 1960s Phnom Penh deserved its reputation as the most attractive city in Southeast Asia.But after 1970 all this was to change, and a terrible civil war was followed by the Khmer Rouge's capture of the city in 1975. Since the defeat of Pol Pot in 1979, Phnom Penh has slowly recovered, once again attracting perceptive travellers. It is a city of royalty and colonizers - Kings, courts and battles with French administrators; royal ceremonies, dancers and elephants; foreign intrigue and carpetbaggers who sought and failed to find riches. It is a city of culture - A rich local culture that became a headache for French officials; traditional architecture and colonial buildings that remain today; notable literary visitors from Somerset Maugham to Andre Malraux. It is a city of evil and rebirth - The terrible rule of Pol Pot; the Tuol Sleng extermination centre where 17,000 men, women and children were tortured and killed as "enemies of the state"; the return to a fragile normality.Trade Review"As described by Milton Osborne, who has known it for 50 years, Phnom Penh does so deserve first-rank writing." -- The Guardian

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Book SynopsisA well-rounded, well-informed critique of the Pacific island nation of Japan, its society, economy, demography, and politics

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