Asian history Books

Book Synopsis''Illuminating ... Johnson has not only lifted a corner of the curtain which covers China''s reality beyond its glittering eastern cities; he has drawn the whole curtain'' The Times Literary SupplementIn Wild Grass, Pulitzer Prize-winning Ian Johnson describes a China caught between the desire for change percolating up from below and the ossified political structure above. He recounts the stories of three ordinary people who find themselves finding oppression and government corruption, risking imprisonment and even death. A young architecture student, a bereaved daughter, and a peasant legal clerk are the unlikely heroes of these stories, private citizens cast by unexpected circumstances into surprising roles.Trade ReviewIlluminating ... Johnson has not only lifted a corner of the curtain which covers China's reality beyond its glittering eastern cities; he has drawn the whole curtain. * The Times Literary Supplement *A gripping tale. * Washington Post *A captivating and an important study of what is happening on the ground in China today. * The News Tribune *

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Book SynopsisThe definitive history of American war reporting in the Pacific theater of World War II, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.After almost two years slogging with infantrymen through North Africa, Italy, and France, Ernie Pyle immediately realized he was ill prepared for covering the Pacific War. As Pyle and other war correspondents discovered, the climate, the logistics, and the sheer scope of the Pacific theater had no parallel in the war America was fighting in Europe. From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The War Beat, Pacific provides the first comprehensive account of how a group of highly courageous correspondents covered America''s war against Japan, what they witnessed, what they were allowed to publish, and how their reports shaped the home front''s perception of some of the most pivotal battles in American military history. In a dramatic and fast-paced narrative based on a wealth of previously untapped primary sources, Casey takes us from MacArthur''s doomed defense on the Philippines and the navy''s overly strict censorship policy at the time of Midway, through the bloody battles on Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Tarawa, Saipan, Leyte and Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, detailing the cooperation, as well as conflict, between the media and the military, as they grappled with the enduring problem of limiting a free press during a period of extreme crisis.The War Beat, Pacific shows how foreign correspondents ran up against practical challenges and risked their lives to get stories in a theater that was far more challenging than the war against Nazi Germany, while the US government blocked news of the war against Japan and tried to focus the home front on Hitler and his atrocities.Trade ReviewA nuanced and engaging narrative of the Pacific war in World War II....Steven Casey...untangles the complex challenges that reporters experienced from the moment they arrived on the vast front....The reporters were not sideline observers or members of a pool simply repurposing what they were told from official sources. They often put themselves at great risk and, along with the soldiers they accompanied, endured malnourishment, blistering heat and humidity, disease, endless insects, and enemy bullets and shells....With everything seemingly against them—a public distracted by the European war; military officials who viewed them with suspicion; or publishers who wanted something other than graphic or demoralizing coverage—the Pacific reporters did their jobs nonetheless....A timely reminder of what a democracy needs from an independent press in times of crisis. * Tracy Campbell, Journal of American History *[A] brilliant book on American reporters covering World War II in the Pacific....Casey's powerful and readable account offers an important addition to the historiography of the Pacific theater.... Casey concludes that despite the difficulties that reporters faced in the Pacific, they played an invaluable role in bridging the gap between what was occurring on the battlefield and what was understood on the home front. Reporters developed working relationships with different military commanders and public relations officers while overcoming harsh environmental conditions, dangerous and sometimes deadly combat situations, and unreliable transportation. * David L. Snead, Journal of Military History *Casey has produced a highly useful companion volume to his earlier book The War Beat, Europe (2017), deserving of a place in any collection focusing on WWII or journalism. * J.P. Sanson, CHOICE Connect, Vol. 59 No. 8 *Shrewd and comprehensive.... The War Beat, Pacific is an impressive achievement. Media-military relations in the Pacific were, it shows us, a world of paradoxes and conundrums reflecting the competing agendas and institutional frictions within the military and between it and the media. Casey composes a lucid narrative out of disparate archival materials and secondary sources. While he captures the terror, misery, and frustration reporters felt in the Pacific, his eyes are on the bigger picture, the forces in both media and military that determined what the American public knew of the war and what it did not. Now the definitive account of US war reporting in the Pacific, The War Beat, Pacific promises to have a long shelf life. * Richard Fine, Michigan War Studies Review *Reporters assigned to cover the Pacific theater of WW II faced obstacles that were difficult to overcome. The Pacific War covered thousands of square miles, and much of it was fought by the navy. Reporters might be on a ship dozens or even a hundred miles from major battles trying to make sense of the progress by listening to comments and reports from pilots without seeing one moment of action. Moreover, they struggled with wording dispatches to their home offices in order to make it past military censors....Pacific theater reporters also had to contend with the unique personalities of those who were in charge of operations....Casey...has produced a highly useful companion volume to his earlier book The War Beat, Europe (2017), deserving of a place in any collection focusing on WW II or journalism....Recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals. * Choice *Brimming with anecdotes, it sheds light on just what it takes to be a war correspondent. For those seeking new perspectives on America's war with Japan this is a thoroughly illuminating book. * History of War *In this masterful and often gripping work, Steven Casey narrates the history of World War II in the Pacific from the perspective of the reporters who covered it. News coverage of American fighting in the Pacific was hampered by censorship and by the difficulty of simply getting to the front, leading to a largely 'shrouded war,' undermining public engagement and understanding. Through exhaustive research, Casey reveals the way journalists risked their lives to keep Americans informed. * Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences *Students of military-news media relations have long decried the lack of a wide-ranging history of the role of the press in World War II's Pacific theater. Steven Casey's thoroughly researched War Beat, Pacific, fills that gap. Balanced, concise, superbly written, it will be a must-read along with Casey's War Beat, Europe, for anyone hoping to comprehend World War II in all its breadth and complexity. * William M. Hammond, author of Reporting Vietnam: Media and Military at War *Steven Casey has made an important, original contribution to our knowledge of American war reporting, an eternally relevant topic, especially for a society that values both free speech and operational security. In Casey's exploration of war reporting in the Pacific theater, we see the struggles of reporters against military censorship, appalling conditions, an almost nonexistent communications infrastructure, and often their fellow correspondents in the endless competition for breaking stories. Casey weaves naturally from relating the experiences of individual reporters to larger context on the customs and practices of war reporting as a whole. * John C. McManus, author of Fire and Fortitude: The U.S. Army in the Pacific War, 1941-1943 *Steven Casey has produced another superbly researched and beautifully written study of US media coverage of World War II, this time in the Pacific theater. It will serve as a worthy companion to his previous study of media coverage in the European theater. As with that previous volume, this one should lead to reconsideration of many standard beliefs regarding the relationship within and between the media, the armed forces, and the government during the conflict, as well as the numerous individuals whose reporting and photographs helped shape the public image of the war. * Mark A. Stoler, editor of the George C. Marshall Papers *Steven Casey offers a fresh and absorbing account of the Pacific War told through the harrowing experiences of battle-hardened reporters. Correspondents on 'the war beat' risked everything to tell its story, but the fog of that war was thick. Americans knew shockingly little about what actually transpired in such places as Bataan and Okinawa, Tokyo and Hiroshima. Casey's brilliant and fast-paced narrative opens up that world, providing a behind-the-scenes picture of the war unlike any other. * Kenneth Osgood, author of Total Cold War: Eisenhower's Secret Propaganda Battle at Home and Abroad *Steven Casey has written an exceptional book. * Stephen C. Murray, Journal of Pacific History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part One: The Shrouded War Chapter 1. The Paradox of Pearl Harbor Chapter 2. Fiasco in the Philippines Chapter 3. Censorship at Sea Chapter 4. The New Guinea Gang Chapter 5. The Shroud Slips: Guadalcanal Part Two: Lifting the Veil Chapter 6. Atrocities Chapter 7. Dress Rehearsal in New Guinea Chapter 8. Bloody Battles in the Central Pacific Chapter 9. The Burma Backwater Part Three: Vengeance Chapter 10. The Return Chapter 11. Death in the Pacific Chapter 12. Endgame Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Duong Van Mai Elliott''s The Sacred Willow illuminates recent Vietnamese history by weaving together the stories of the lives of four generations of her family. Beginning with her great-grandfather, who rose from rural poverty to become an influential landowner, and continuing to the present, Mai Elliott traces her family''s journey through an era of tumultuous change. She tells us of childhood hours in her grandmother''s silk shop, and of hiding while French troops torched her village, watching while blossoms torn by fire from the trees flutter like hundreds of butterflies overhead. She makes clear the agonizing choices that split Vietnamese families: her eldest sister left her staunchly anti-communist home to join the Viet Minh, and spent months sleeping in jungle camps with her infant son, fearing air raids by day and tigers by night. And she follows several family members through the last, desperate hours of the fall of Saigon-including one nephew who tried to escape by grabbing the skid of a departing American helicopter. Based on family papers, dozens of interviews, and a wealth of other research, this is not only a memorable family saga but a record of how the Vietnamese themselves have experienced their times.Trade ReviewThis family's saga is as engrossing as fine literary fiction and is, besides, indispensable to understanding Vietnam from a Vietnamese perspective. * The New Yorker *[Elliott] reverently weaves the tale of a century of tremendous upheaval...and shows how the tragedies of her family are a window to understanding the Vietnamese century. It is a wonderful book, written with care, and it is extremely suggestive. * Touchstone *This is an excellent text which provides an insightful, personal history of a Vietnamese family. Through one family the reader discovers the real ramifications of a country at war for most of the 20th century. * Seth Bardo, Phillips Academy *This is a family saga sweeping you along 4 generations of recent Vietnamese history. This should at last allow the American student of the war to understand 'the other side' both its steely willpower and tender hearts. * Guenter Bischf, University of New Orleans *Those of us who reported from Vietnam during the war never fully understood the Vietnamese and the hardships they endured. Duong Van Mai Elliott's account of her family's experiences is a vivid, poignant, often inspiring story that I wish we could have read before we became involved in a conflict that was tragic for both Vietnamese and Americans. * Stanley Karnow, author of Vietnam: A History *[This] story could not be more compelling.... Voices a perspective until now missing from the English-language body of work on the Vietnam conflict.... Objectivity marks Elliott's book and makes it the best kind of history, [one] we may escape from repeating by reading of this remarkable family. * Beth Hughes, San Francisco Examiner *Suspenseful and gripping, Elliott's writing becomes a masterful narrative as she tells the various misadventures her family experienced trying to flee Vietnam.... It may be the story of the Duong clan, but it's also a story many Vietnamese will recognize as their own, and it will allow others an insight into a war they never have understood. * San Jose Mercury News *A gripping and enlightening account of the trials and triumphs of one remarkable family, whose story brings Vietnam's turbulent past to life as no other book I have ever read. Its great strength is that it is the story of Vietnam through the eyes of the Vietnamese, something that has been sorely needed in the West. I found it excellent and recommend it highly. * Don Oberdorfer, Journalist-in-Residence, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, author of TET *For too long Vietnamese voices have been conspicuous by their absence in the Western literature on the Vietnam War, a fact that has led to the common misperception that the conflict was an American tragedy only. This book fills that gap admirably. In a riveting and frequently moving account, author Mai Elliott chronicles the lives of four generations of a Vietnamese family whose members are caught up in the throes of war and revolution. Their story is told with both insight and compassion, while presenting a poignant portrait of the difficult moral dilemmas faced by individuals trapped in the web of a bitter civil war. Highly recommended. * William J. Duiker, Penn State University, author of The Communist Road to Power in Vietnam *An extraordinary collective biography that spans the history of Vietnam from colonial conquest to `market socialism.' Fascinating and moving... there is nothing like it anywhere. * Marilyn B. Young, author of The Vietnam Wars *There can be no better vehicle for understanding the modern history of Vietnam than the microcosm of the family. . .With deep insight and empathy, Elliott skillfully weaves the life stories of her great- grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, and cousins into the intricate tapestry of modern Vietnamese history. This is a beautiful and utterly absorbing work, a book of extraordinary emotional power that is also a major contribution to historical understanding. It deserves the widest audience and belongs in all libraries. * Library Journal *This is a beautiful and utterly absorbing work, a book of extraordinary emotional power that is also a major contribution to historical understanding. It deserves the widest audience and belongs in all libraries. * Steven L. Levine, University of Montana, Missoula *It is rare to find a book on Vietnam that provides clear and reliable guidance to the general reader and at the same time opens up significant insights for the specialist scholar. Mai Elliot does both. Not only is there much in her account that is new and important and her perceptivity open and fresh, but her pen flows with a grace and eloquence that makes this salient era of Vietnam's history become vivid and alive to an extent normally possible only in a historical novel. But this is solid history at its very best * and fascinating to read." George McT. Kahin, Aaron L. Binenkorb Professor of International Studies Emeritus, Cornell University *In writing this splendid and engrossing history of her own family the author illuminates the extraordinary qualities in the Vietnamese people and how they have endured their own brutal history. There is no other book like this one: it is gripping and beautiful. * Gloria Emerson, author of Winners and Losers: Batles, Retreats, Gains, Losses, and Ruins from a Long War *Those familiar with the history of the Vietnam War will want to read The Sacred Willow for its portrayal of four generations of Vietnamese caught up in the conflict. But perhaps even more important, those who know nothing about the war will find the story irresistible. If you have room in your library for only a few books on Vietnam this book should be there. * Lloyd Gardner, Rutgers University, author of Approaching Vietnam : from World War II through Dienbienphu, 1941-1954 *There can be no better vehicle for understanding the modern history of Vietnam than the microcosm of the family.... With deep insight and empathy, Elliott skillfully weaves the life stories of her great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, and cousins into the intricate tapestry of modern Vietnamese history. This is a beautiful and utterly absorbing work, a book of extraordinary emotional power that is also a major contribution to historical understanding. * Library Journal (starred review) *In this deeply moving family saga, Elliott offers a microcosm of the history of modern Vietnam.... Elliott writes with unsparing candor about forging a new identity, about her nation's destruction and its partial revival with the reintroduction of free-market mechanisms and, above all, about her family's harrowing passage through a long, difficult history. * Publishers Weekly *Despite its heft, this sprawling memoir of a Vietnamese family is an immensly readable book. Author Duong Van Mai Elliott has compiled her remarkable story....It is Elliott's ability to share her family's flaws and admit her own shortcomings that makes this a work of such compelling human interest. * Barbara Lloyd McMichael,Seattle Times *This family's saga is as engrossing as fine literary fiction and is, besides, indispensable to understanding Vietnam from a Vietnamese perspective. * The New Yorker *Marvelously rich book.... The author, a middle daughter from whom not too much was expected, has absorbed her family's collective history with a novelist's eye for telling detail... Indeed, it is Mai Elliot's abiding talent for seeing things objectively combined with her writerly skills, her deep knowledge of her nation's history, and her immersion in her family's ongoing oral story of itself, that gives us... detailed eyewitness accounts of extraordinary things that lie beyond and behind the last war... These are aspects of history and culture that could never be presented with such immediacy by any foreign writer... All of this is delivered with a close-up immediacy that allows us to enter another world.... Its skillful writing is itself a kind of filial piety, while its objective sense of history summons up compassionate insights into the human struggles of family and nation. Fascinating. * John Balaban, The Washington Post Book World *Plunges readers into a fascinating story told from a Vietnamese point of view, explaining the war in a context much larger that the limited perspective of American involvement... a very unique and broad perspective. * Steve Galpern, Denver Rocky Mountain News *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Maps Family Tree 1. A Burial in the Night 2. Shut Gate and High Walls 3. The Silk Merchant 4. French Veneer, Confucian Soul 5. Taxes, Floods, and Robbers 6. The Third Month in the Year of the Famine 7. The Head on the Roof 8. Into the Resistance Zone 9. Poison and Bribes 10. The Fall of a Border Garrison 11. Sifting Through the Rubble 12. The New Mecca 13. Just Cause 14. Short Peace, Long War 15. Flying Into the Unknown 16. The Spoils of Victory 17. The Hours of Gold and Jade Epilogue: Across the Four Seas Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA unique military and cultural history that chronicles the reigns of Philip and Alexander the Great in one sweeping narrative.Trade ReviewA steady stream of fascinating stories of brilliant military tactics interspersed with rampant post-Classical gore. From the slaughter of whole villages to unbridled violations of human dignity, By the Spear reminds us of the ugliness of war, especially when military leaders are apparently void of morality filters ... By the Spear is loaded with compelling details ... but they aren't simply piled on helter-skelter; rather, they are embedded in Ian Worthington's coherent narrative about Macedonian ascendancy in the 4th century BC. This celebrated professor at the University of Missouri convincingly gives Philip II his due in Hellenism's spread, and masks not his thesis that Philip 'has lived too long in Alexander's shadow'. * Books & Culture *Most histories extolling Alexander the Great pay modest attention to his father, Philip II, but Worthington gives him equal billing in this admirable, scholarly dual biography. * Kirkus Reviews *By the Spear is an impressive book * Gerard DeGroot, The Times (UK) *Ian Worthington is one of this generation's leading historians of ancient Greece and Macedonia. In this book he provides for the first time in a single volume a comparative perspective on Philip and Alexander's empire building, and he admirably succeeds in making this complex and convoluted story accessible to the uninitiated. * Joseph Roisman, author of Alexander's Veterans and the Early Wars of the Successors *As Ian Worthington reminds us, without Philip II there would have been no Alexander the Great, and by considering together the accomplishments and foibles of both father and son, By the Spear raises a larger question: do great conquerors make great kings? Alexander inherited the legacy of Philip, an ascendant Macedonian empire, but what was the legacy of Alexander, and to whom was it left? By considering the larger picture, Worthington provides new insight into one of ancient history's most fascinating sagas. * Steven Saylor, author of Raiders of the Nile and Roma: A Novel of Ancient Rome *The Macedonian empire that reshaped the Mediterranean world was the creation of two remarkable men. Worthington's provocative thesis is that Alexander was a conqueror whose legacy was chaos. Philip was a king who left Alexander the basis of empire. Was the father, then, greater than the son? By the Spear offers an unconventional answer in a narrative that is both persuasive and engaging. * Dennis Showalter, author of Armor and Blood: The Battle of Kursk *What father-son duo is more mesmerizing than Philip and Alexander of Macedon? Too often historians have focused on one, marginalizing the other, thus Ian Worthington's even-handed treatment of both is to be celebrated. Concise yet clear, Worthington masterfully explores Philip's career and the dazzling, violent, and world-changing reign of his son. * Lawrence A. Tritle, author of A New History of the Peloponnesian War *this will be a great text for Greek history collections ... Highly recommended. * J. M. Williams, CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Timeline Quotations from Ancient Works and Special Abbreviations Maps 1. The Architect and the Master Builder 2. Greece and Macedonia 3. Philip II and the Rise of Macedonia 4. The New Player in Greek Politics 5. The Gathering War Clouds 6. The Downfall of Greece 7. Philip's Assassination and Legacy 8. Alexander's Early Kingship - and Persia 9. From Europe to Asia 10. Alexander: Master Strategist and Emerging God 11. The Decline and Fall of the Persian Empire 12. The War in Afghanistan 13. Passage to India 14. Retreat from India 15. Alexander's Final Years 16. Death in Babylon and Alexander's Legacy Appendix: The Sources of Information Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisJapan is one of the world''s wealthiest and most technologically advanced nations, and its rapid ascent to global power status after 1853 remains one of the most remarkable stories in modern world history. Yet it has not been an easy path; military catastrophe, political atrophy, and economic upheavals have made regular appearances from the feudal era to the present. Today, Japan is seen as a has-been with a sluggish economy, an aging population, dysfunctional politics, and a business landscape dominated by yesterday''s champions. Though it is supposed to be America''s strongest ally in the Asia-Pacific region, it has almost entirely disappeared from the American radar screen. In Japan and the Shackles of the Past, R. Taggart Murphy places the current troubles of Japan in a sweeping historical context, moving deftly from early feudal times to the modern age that began with the Meiji Restoration. Combining fascinating analyses of Japanese culture and society over the centuries with hardTrade Review"Murphy is very persuasive in building a case for his solutions for bringing real change to Japanese politics and foreign relations ... The most fundamental of his prescriptions, though, is undeniably necessary: the Japanese government and people must, for their own sake "confront what put their country in the hands of those who destroyed its independence and made it a byword abroad for brutal, inhuman fanaticism. Trying to bury accounts of what actually happened with fables of a pure and virtuous land, as Abe seeks to do, is simply a way of making it more likely that something similar will happen again soon"." -- Morgan Giles, Times Literary Supplement "Without doubt, this is the most important book on Japan by a non-Japanese writer to have appeared in the last two decades. It should be required reading for anyone professing to know Japan or wishing to teach others about it." -- BCCJ Acumen, Ian de Stains OBE "[An] insightful analysis of what ails Japan." - Economist "Taggart Murphy knows his Japanese history. His theories about Japan's political economy shed interesting light on the country." -- David Pilling, Financial Times "Japan and the Shackles of the Past is an excellent -- and engagingly written -- introduction to Japan, and a thought-provoking work of political and economic analysis (with quite a few lessons for America and other nations, too)." -- Complete Review "Murphy sheds much light on Japans current dependence upon the U.S. for maintenance of its political system and its future prospects, closing with an in-depth analysis of the current administration." -- Publishers Weekly "Taggart Murphy has crafted a precise and highly critical analysis of Japan's problems." -- Satyajit Das, Naked CapitalismTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Does Japan Still Matter? Part One: Past Chapter One: Japan Before the Edo Period Chapter Two: The Incubation of the Modern Japanese State Chapter Three: Restoration to Occupation Chapter Four: The Miracle Chapter Five: The Institutions of High-speed Growth Chapter Six: Consequences (Intended and Otherwise) Part Two: Present Chapter Seven: Economy and Finance Chapter Eight: Business Chapter Nine: Social and Cultural Change Chapter Ten: Politics Chapter Eleven: Japan and the World Suggestions for Further Reading Notes

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Book SynopsisSince the colonization of the Philippines by Spain in the sixteenth century, the island chain has been at the center of global trade flows, imperial rivalries, and the globalization process. From its role as the main base of Spain''s Pacific Galleon trade to its conquest centuries later by the United States and Japan, the Philippines has been a focal point of economic and military rivalry. Decolonized in 1946, the Philippines is growing economically after years of stagnation, is ruled today by a modern populist, President Rodrigo Duterte, and is embroiled in disputes with the East Asia region''s rising superpower, China.In The Philippines: What Everyone Needs to Know, Steven Rood draws from more than 30 years of residence in and study of the Philippines in order to provide a concise overview of the nation. Arranged in a question-and-answer format, this guide shares concise, nuanced analysis and helps readers find exactly what they seek to learn about Filipino geography and geology, hisTable of Contents1. Geography, Demography, and Climate 2. History 3. Economy 4. Society, Culture, and Religion 5. Government and Governance 6. Geopolitical--the Philippines in the World 7. Prospects for the Future

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Book SynopsisThe British experience in India began in earnest over four hundred years ago, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. For many years the English interlopers and traders who made contact with the subcontinent were viewed by Indians as little more than pirates and potentially troublesome conquering barbarians. After a series of titanic struggles against the French and various local rulers during the eighteenth century, by the end of the Napoleonic Wars Britain had gained mastery of the subcontinent. This period, and the century and a half that followed, saw two powerful cultures locked in an often bloody battle over political control, land, trade, and a way of life.Denis Judd tells the fascinating story of the remarkable British impact upon India. All aspects of this long and controversial relationship are discussed, such as the first tentative contacts between East and West, the foundation of the East India Company in 1600, the Victorian Raj in all its pomp and splendour, Gandhi''s revolTable of ContentsEPILOGUE; CHRONOLOGY; SOURCES FOR QUOTATIONS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisChina is now poised to take a key role on the world stage, but in the early twentieth century the situation could not have been more different. Rana Mitter goes back to this pivotal moment in Chinese history to uncover the origins of the painful transition from a premodern past into a modern world. By the 1920s the seemingly civilized world shaped over the last two thousand years by the legacy of the great philosopher Confucius was falling apart in the face of western imperialism and internal warfare. Chinese cities still bore the imprints of its ancient past with narrow, lanes and temples to long-worshipped gods, but these were starting to change with the influx of foreign traders, teachers, and missionaries, all eager to shape China''s ancient past into a modern present. Mitter takes us through the resulting social turmoil and political promise, the devastating war against Japan in the 1940s, Communism and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, and the new era of hope in the 1980s endTrade ReviewReview from previous edition Breathtaking and authoritative * Graham Hutchings, former China Correspondent, Daily Telegraph *An impressive and inventively researched book * Financial Times *With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait critical to understanding the soul of modern China * Iris Chang, New York Times best-selling author of The Rape of Nanking *Table of ContentsPART I: SHOCK; PART II: AFTERSHOCK

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Book SynopsisMirabai, an iconic sixteenth-century Indian poet-saint, is renowned for her unwavering love of God, her disregard for social hierarchies and gendered notions of honor and shame, and her challenge to familial, feudal, and religious authorities. Defying attempts to constrain and even kill her, she could not be silenced. Though verifiable facts regarding her life are few, her fame spread across social, linguistic, and religious boundaries, and stories about her multiplied across the subcontinent and the centuries. In Mirabai, Nancy M. Martin traces the story of this immensely popular Indian saint from the earliest manuscript references to her through colonial and nationalist developments to scholarly and popular portrayals in the decades leading up to Indian independence. This book examines Mirabai''s place as both insider and outsider to the developing strands of devotional Hinduism and her role in contested terrain of debates around the education and independence of women and the craftiTrade ReviewThis book is valuable today for its knowledge and insights into the life of a Hindu woman poet as it demonstrates the power of devotion that transcends local contexts and inspires for diverse conversations. * Dr. Atola Longkumer, United Theological College *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Note on Transliteration and Dates Introduction: In Search of Mirabai Chapter 1: Embodying Devotion in a Woman's Body: Mirabai among the Saints Chapter 2: Participation and Transformation: Mira as Rapjut Renouncer, Varkari Devotee, and Pativrata of God Chapter 3: History, Heroism, and the Politics of Identity: Mirabai in Nineteenth-Century Colonial India Chapter 4: Weaver Woman and Lover Extraordinaire: Romance and Resistance in Rural Rajasthan Chapter 5: Mobilizing Mirabai, Mobilizing Women in the Struggle for Independence Chapter 6: Cultural Icon for a Nation in the Making Conclusion Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA new look at the drama that lay behind the end of the war in the PacificSigned on September 2, 1945 aboard the American battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay by Japanese and Allied leaders, the instrument of surrender that formally ended the war in the Pacific brought to a close one of the most cataclysmic engagements in history. Behind it lay a debate that had been raging for some weeks prior among American military and political leaders. The surrender fulfilled the commitment that Franklin Roosevelt had made in 1943 at the Casablanca conference that it be unconditional. Though readily accepted as policy at the time, after Roosevelt''s death in April 1945 support for unconditional surrender wavered, particularly among Republicans in Congress, when the bloody campaigns on Iwo Jima and Okinawa made clear the cost of military victory against Japan. Germany''s unconditional surrender in May 1945 had been one thing; the war in the pacific was another. Many conservatives favored a negotiated surrender.Though this was the last time American forces would impose surrender unconditionally, questions surrounding it continued through the 1950s and 1960s--with the Korean and Vietnam Wars--when liberal and conservative views reversed, including over the definition of peace with honor. The subject was revived during the ceremonies surrounding the 50th anniversary in 1995, and the Gulf and Iraq Wars, when the subjects of exit strategies and accomplished missions were debated. Marc Gallicchio reveals how and why the surrender in Tokyo Bay unfolded as it did and the principle figures behind it, including George C. Marshall and Douglas MacArthur. The latter would effectively become the leader of Japan and his tenure, and indeed the very nature of the American occupation, was shaped by the nature of the surrender. Most importantly, Gallicchio reveals how the policy of unconditional surrender has shaped our memory and our understanding of World War II.Trade ReviewRecommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. * J. Daley, CHOICE *. . . a narrative that unwinds less like a debate than a geopolitical thriller. * New York Times *Unconditional Surrender: Sounds like a tidy formula for ending a war. During America's war against Japan, it turned out to be anything but tidy. In this fascinating volume, Marc Gallicchio unpacks the diplomatic, political, bureaucratic, and civil-military complexities involved in translating a seemingly simple formula into an actual outcome. An illuminating book. * Andrew Bacevich, author of America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History *The superbly told and thoroughly researched story of how American politics shaped peace in the Pacific War. New Dealers, including Truman, insisted on unconditional surrender, while conservatives, who had never wanted to fight Japan, clamored for softer terms. Truman won the battle but the American left lost the war, as they eventually adopted the right's revisionist history. * Eric Rauchway, Distinguished Professor of History, University of California, Davis *A reasoned, researched, and persuasive voice in the debates over the use of the atomic bomb, the survival of the Japanese Emperor, and the end and aftermath of the Pacific War. * Michael Barnhart, Stony Brook University *Skillfully connecting the strands of war policy, military strategy, diplomacy, and the play of key personalities, Marc Gallicchio illuminates the seminal issue of Japan's unconditional surrender and reveals how our fraught politics today arise from what many have erroneously supposed to be the happier, consensual days of World War Two and its immediate aftermath. * Thomas Zeiler, University of Colorado, Boulder *Marc Gallicchio's Unconditional: the Japanese Surrender in World War II stands out as a well-researched glimpse of the last months of World War II, revealing the many layers of decision-making which escape most cursory discussions of the war's conclusion. It is not merely diplomatic or military history, as it considers other key aspects which impacted the decision such as public opinion, economic factors and coalition warfare. * Navy History *The strength of Unconditional is Gallicchio's exhaustive research of events and debate leading up to Japan's surrender presented in a highly readable style and prose. It is simply hard to put down. This would be a fine complement to Implacable Foes and an excellent addition to the library of any historian or student with an interest on the subject. It is a must for foreign policy makers and military strategists. * Military Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Great Victory Has Been Won Chapter I: "Our Demand has been and it remains-Unconditional Surrender!" Chapter II: "Popular opinion can offer no useful contribution." Chapter III. "[Admiral Leahy] said that his matter had been considered on a political level and consideration had been given to the removal of the sentence in question." Chapter IV: "I deem this reply a full acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration which specifies the unconditional surrender of Japan." Chapter V: "[T]he surrender today is no negotiated surrender. The Japanese are submitting to superior force now massed here." Chapter VI: "We demanded unconditional surrender, then dropped the bomb and accepted conditional surrender..." Chapter VII: "The curators simply will not let go of the notion that the policy of demanding Japan's unconditional surrender was (a) unreasonable, (b) prolonged the war needlessly, and foiled Japan's earnest desire to make peace." Conclusion: "Much of the success of the occupation derived from the fact that Japan surrendered unconditionally, thereby ceding absolute and nonnegotiable authority to the victors."

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Book SynopsisPlease note this title is suitable for any student studying:Exam Board: AQALevel/Subject: AS and A Level HistoryFirst teaching: 2015First exams: June 2017Retaining well-loved features from the previous editions,The Transformation of China 1936-1997 has been approved by AQA and matched to the new 2015 specification.This textbook explores in-depth the reasons for and the maintenance of communist rule in China, and the transformation of China into a modern state. It focuses on key ideas such as Maoism, mass mobilisation, economic control and ideological change, and covers events and developments with precision. Students can further develop vital skills such as historical interpretations and source analyses via specially selected sources and extracts. Practice questions and study tips provide additional support to help familiarise students with the new exam style questions, and help them achieve their best in the exam.

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Book SynopsisThis textbook provides a comprehensive scholarly introduction to Classical Chinese and its texts. Classical Chinese is the language of Confucius and Mencius and their contemporaries, who wrote the seminal texts of Chinese philosophy more than 2,000 years ago. Although it was used as a living language for only a relatively short time, it was the foundation of Chinese education throughout the Imperial age, and formed the basis of a literary tradition that continues to the present day. This book offers students all the necessary tools to read, understand, and analyse Classical Chinese texts, including: step-by-step clearly illustrated descriptions of syntactic features; core vocabulary lists; introductions to relevant historical and cultural topics; selected readings from classical literature with original commentaries and in-depth explanations; introductions to dictionaries and other reference works on the study of ancient China; and a guide to philological methods used in the critical aTable of ContentsPreface List of figures List of abbreviations Abbreviated book titles Introduction Part I 1: Word Classes and Constituents 2: Noun Phrases 1 3: Nominal Clauses 4: Verbal Clauses 5: Objects and Questions 6: Noun Phrases 2 7: Adverbial Modification 8: Prepositional Phrases I 9: Prepositional Phrases II 10: Reference to Time 11: Complements 12: Nominalization 13: Themes 14: Anteposition and Inversion 15: Complex Sentences 1 16: Complex Sentences 2 Part II 17: Lunyu 18: Mengzi 19: Xunzi 20: Zuozhuan 21: Guoyu 22: Laozi 23: Zhuangzi 24: Mozi 25: Guanzi 26: Military Texts 27: Shangjun shu 28: Han Feizi 29: Lüshi chunqiu 30: Zhanguo ce 31: Shiji 32: Yijing 33: Ritual Texts Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhat is Pakistan? The name refers to a seventy-year-old post-colonial product of the bloodiest partition of territory and population that accompanied the end of British empire in South Asia. But the region of the Indus Valley has a four-thousand-year-old history, and was the site of one of the earliest and greatest riverine civilisations in the world. Although the modern nation of Pakistan as we know it was created as a homeland for the Muslims of British India, it is impossible to understand the complex tapestry of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural identities and tensions of the region without tracing its deep past.This Very Short Introduction looks at Pakistan as one of the two nation-states of the Indian sub-continent that emerged in 1947. Pippa Virdee reaches into the ancient past to demonstrate the influence of trajectories of human settlement and civilisation on Pakistan''s contemporary political arena, and shows how the longer continuities between the land and its peoples are as important as the short-term changes in the political landscape. She considers Pakistan''s religion and society, the state and the military, everyday life, popular culture, languages and literature, as well as Pakistan''s relationship with the rest of the world. Virdee also looks to the challenges of the 21st century and the future of Pakistan.Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Progress of a dream 2: The ancient in the modern 3: Towards the idea of Pakistan 4: Consolidation and fragmentation 5: Building the land of the pure 6: Visualising the land of the pure 7: The world outside 8: Looking backwards, going forward? Timeline and key moments Glossary Abbreviations Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisChina's geo-economic vision is transforming the Eurasian continent. Acclaimed foreign policy experts recount their travels across Central Asia, bearing witness through interviews and personal experience to the growing Chinese influence in the region, and what this means for those both within and beyond the boundaries of its 'inadvertent empire'.Trade ReviewSinostan is the perfect place to start for anyone who wants to understand the transformative force that is shaping the future of Eurasia. * Andrew Small *The book is informative, insightful and entertaining. Throughout, readers can appreciate the keen eye, sharp analytical mind and wit of the authors. * Nargis Kassenova, International Affairs *A compelling geopolitical travelogue... * Isabel Hilton, Financial Times *[Sinostan] is an invaluable work on a relatively obscure region and is surprisingly vivid for an academically minded text, with much fascinating detail from the authors travels across the vast region. * Oliver Farry, Irish Times *Sinostan delivers a... comprehensive evaluation of the extent of China's influence in Central Asia today. * Adeeb Khalid, Times Literary Supplement *Offers illuminating and relevant insights into the Sino-Russian relationship... The unique blend of travelogue and geopolitics, which makes for an accessible read. * George Magnus, LSE Blogs *... Sinostan should be on the reading list of any individual who is trying to understand the China-Russia relationship in these uncertain times.... a rich and thought-provoking work. * Hugh Jones, LSE Blog *a lively narrative filled with real people and genuine human interest... a deeply researched book that makes for fascinating reading. * Valerie Hansen, Los Angeles Review of Books *If you want to get your head around China's foreign policy priorities, you can do worse than dedicate a few quiet hours to Sinostan... * David Dodwell, South China Morning Post *... a timely and nuanced picture of China's aims and behavior in the region... Their approach presents what is actually happening in reality rather than the fevered dreams of some policymakers. * Joshua Huminski, Diplomatic Courier *... an extensively researched telling of Beijings rising power in Central Asia, unvarnished by agenda or a desire to construct smooth grand narratives... the book lays out a convincing case for viewing China as a detached regional power. Central Asia may be the belt in the Belt and Road Initiative, but it is a loose fit. * Maximilian Hess, Eurasianet *... a detailed picture of how China is operating outside its borders. * Mark Broatch, NZ Listener *A sparkling, carefully observed account that offers an outstanding close-up view of a set of new worlds being formed out of sight of most commentators. Filled with insights and necessary reading for anyone interested in the rise of China, Central Asia and global geopolitics. * Peter Frankopan, University of Oxford, and author of The Silk Roads: The Extraordinary History that created your World *A powerful book on a topic of huge importance. * Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, University of Oxford *The book reads like an exhausting travelogue: taxis here, airport queues there, meetings with sources everywhere. What this first hand narrative approach does well is capture the swirling sense of intrigue and ambiguity that can envelop Central Asia. * Christopher Ruane, Asian Affairs 54.2 *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Beyond the Heavenly Mountains 2: Developing the New Frontier 3: Cake, Heaven Sent 4: Silk Road or Synthetic Road? 5: Confucius on the Oxus 6: Spreading the 'Shanghai Spirit' 7: The New Great Wall 8: Inheriting Afghanistan? 9: Tying Up the World: The Silk Road Economic Belt Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru is the most important and authorative source on Nehru's life, work and thought. The documents included in each volume are also fascinating to the lay reader

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Book SynopsisThe story of Saladin's recapture of the Holy City of Jerusalem from the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. A pivotal battle in the history of the Crusades - and in the subsequent history of the Middle East and the Muslim world.Trade Review[France] reminds us why Hattin, more so than the subsequent Christian victory four year later at Arsuf, became embedded in popular culture. * Victor Davis Hanson, Times Literary Supplement *France's highly accessible book examines the causes and consequences of [the Battle of Hattin], tracing its impact way beyond its immediate aftermath and impact on Euro-Islamic relations. He follows the path of its tremors all the up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the uneasy relationship between Eastern Islamic culture and Western Christian culture that still exists today. * History of War *The Battle at Hattin, despite its immense significance, is often overlooked or even forgotten by the twenty-first century student of military history. That being the case, it is wonderful to see the excellent 'Great Battles' series from the Oxford University Press redressing this fact and giving it the attention that it warrants ... A hugely interesting, engaging and accessible book which brings the period and the personalities of the battle to life. * Major P D Horne RA, British Army Review *a useful and absorbing examination of the importance of the Battle of Hattin * Battlefield Magazine *[A] tour de force. I was surprised how much information an author can squeeze into only 168 pages of text ... a delightful read ... Hattin is a good book, well-written and full to the brim with information. * Jona Lendering, Medieval Warfare *Table of Contents1. Salvation through Slaughter ; 2. Crusade and Jihad ; 3. The Battle of Hattin ; 4. Hattin: Bloody Consequences ; 5. Hattin Today: A Poisoned Heritage ; Notes ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisChina''s decade-long Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution shook the politics of China and the world. Even as we approach its fiftieth anniversary, the movement remains so contentious that the Chinese Communist Party still forbids fully open investigation of its origins, development, and conclusion. Drawing upon a vital trove of scholarship, memoirs, and popular culture, this Very Short Introduction illuminates this complex, often obscure, and still controversial movement. Moving beyond the figure of Mao Zedong, Richard Curt Kraus links Beijing''s elite politics to broader aspects of society and culture, highlighting many changes in daily life, employment, and the economy. Kraus also situates this very nationalist outburst of Chinese radicalism within a global context, showing that the Cultural Revolution was mirrored in the radical youth movement that swept much of the world, and that had imagined or emotional links to China''s red guards. Yet it was also during the Cultural Revolution that China and the United States tempered their long hostility, one of the innovations in this period that sowed the seeds for China''s subsequent decades of spectacular economic growth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Review"This remarkably full and efficient account provides a basic narrative of the Cultural Revolution, and then discusses in greater depth its politics, culture, economics, foreign relations, and memory. The book profits from Kraus's particular expertise on culture and the arts, and does not shy from controversial claims that are likely to provoke lively discussions." -Joseph Esherick, Hwei-chih and Julia Hsiu Chair in Chinese Studies, University of California, San Diego "It's just 152 pages, small enough to slip in your back pocket, and written by a political scientist who knows the complex event in question through and through, and does a nice job of, among other things, dealing with the strange shadows it continues to cast on contemporary Chinese politics." -- Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor's Professor and Department of History Chair, University of California at IrvineTable of ContentsPreface ; Chapter 1: The Coming of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution ; Chapter 2: "Politics In Command" ; Chapter 3: Culture: "Destroy the Old, Establish the New" ; Chapter 4: An Economy of "Self-Reliance" ; Chapter 5: "We Have Friends All over The World": The Movement's Global Context ; Chapter 6: Coming to Terms with the Cultural Revolution ; Timeline ; References ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"As befits the title of the series, The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction succeeds in giving the general audience a view of world history through the lens of biology, technology, commerce, and culture. A must read for any aspiring enlightened global citizen." --Yo-Yo Ma, Grammy award-winning recording artist; artistic director, The Silk Road Project "...offers a deeply informed survey of this storied route, paying attention to the history and legends associated with it, and nicely combining attention to the standard topics, such as the flow of people and goods along it, with a good discussion of its role in the dissemination of artistic practices." -- Jeff Wasserstrom, iLA Review of Books blogTable of ContentsList of illustrations ; Acknowledgments ; Chapter 1: Environment, empires and ecumenes ; Chapter 2: Eras of silk road fluorescence ; Chapter 3: The biological silk road ; Chapter 4: The technological silk road ; Chapter 5: The arts on the silk road ; Chapter 6: Whither the silk road? ; References ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"No one knows rural China better than Scott Rozelle. In this brilliant, original, thought-provoking, and important study, Rozelle and Natalie Hell not only make China's potential human capital crisis visible, but provide actionable solutions based on rigorous research."--Hongbin Li, James Liang Director of the China Program, Stanford University "Professor Rozelle is a renowned economist specializing in early childhood education and rural development, and his book on rural China is a culmination of over twenty years of research on rural China, which has generated intense interest among policymakers and philanthropists. He convincingly argues that intervention into early childhood education is the most effective way of reducing the inequality that is a problem not only in rural China but in many parts of the world." --James Liang, chairman and cofounder of Ctrip "This is the most readable and compelling economics book of the year, and probably the most important. From the opening pages, a clear and compelling argument unfolds: China faces a labor quality crisis, as hundreds of millions of young rural workers lack the education and robust health they need to participate in China's emerging high tech economy. Nobody who cares about China can afford to ignore Invisible China."--From Subject Received Size Categories Barry Naughton Blurb for Rozelle & Hell/Invisible China Wed 5:51 PM 92 KBTable of ContentsAuthor’s Note Introduction 1. The Middle-Income Trap 2. China’s Looming Transition 3. The Worst-Case Scenario 4. How China Got Here 5. A Shaky Foundation 6. Invisible Barriers 7. Behind Before They Start Conclusion Acknowledgments Appendix: The REAP Team Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAs the glittering skyline in Shanghai seemingly attests, China has quickly transformed itself from a place of stark poverty into a modern, urban, technologically savvy economic powerhouse. But as Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell show in Invisible China, the truth is much more complicated and might be a serious cause for concern. China's growth has relied heavily on unskilled labor. Most of the workers who have fueled the country's rise come from rural villages and have never been to high school. While this national growth strategy has been effective for three decades, the unskilled wage rate is finally rising, inducing companies inside China to automate at an unprecedented rate and triggering an exodus of companies seeking cheaper labor in other countries. Ten years ago, almost every product for sale in an American Walmart was made in China. Today, that is no longer the case. With the changing demand for labor, China seems to have no good back-up plan. For all of its investment in physTrade Review"If rural Chinese do not learn essential cognitive skills, the authors predict mass unemployment, social unrest, and perhaps a crash that would 'lead to huge economic shocks around the world.' China’s rulers should order crates of de-worming pills—and copies of this book." * Economist *"While the world focuses on China’s rich, the country is facing economic and political disaster if it doesn’t invest heavily in educating its rural population, the economists Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell argue in this recent book. Both authors are part of the successful US-China Rural Education Action Program. As they note, Taiwan and South Korea escaped the middle-income trap by ensuring that large numbers of students finished high school, enabling the move to a higher-end economy. In China, by contrast, the high school attainment rate is just 30 percent." * Foreign Policy *"For a startling depiction of Chinese inequality today, Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell’s Invisible China is not to be missed." -- Niall Ferguson * Times Literary Supplement *"The biggest obstacle to China’s development is that rural children—two-thirds of the total—do terribly in school, argues this stunningly researched book. Many are malnourished, lack reading glasses or suffer from energy-sapping intestinal worms. If these basic problems are not fixed, say the authors, China will struggle to reach its goal of broad prosperity." * Economist, Best Books of 2021 *“Rozelle… has spent the last 30 years researching China’s labor force and its rural-urban divide.” * The Guardian *"Invisible China provides a stunning overview of economic, health and education policies in rural China." * East West Notes *"An important and informative new book . . . suggests that China lacks the educated workforce to capitalize on its success and reach the next rung in the ladder of development. . . . Making invisible China more visible is a necessary first step to bring meaningful changes in rural China. This new book by Rozelle and Hell is an important contribution to this endeavor." * Peterson Institute for International Economics *"This book by development economist Scott Rozelle and researcher Natalie Hell highlights problems that often remain invisible in the face of China’s rapid economic rise. It’s the drama of the rural low-educated workers who were the motor driving China’s growth since the 1980s, but are now more and more left jobless and hopeless in their home villages as low-skilled work is increasingly outsourced to other countries or is taken over by robotics. In many ways, China and the Chinese people are going forward – yet the rural population is left behind, and it’s China’s Achilles’ heel. This book focuses on this invisible side to China’s rise and on how such a big story, with such major implications, could be so little known." * What's on Weibo *“The authors are in no way hostile to China or its government system. But having spent years researching in rural China they not only feel strongly for this unseen China but want the situation to change so that China continues to prosper and thus enable the wider world to prosper.” * Asia Sentinel *“Rozelle and Hell would like to see China succeed, and remind us how important this is for the whole world. But they are concerned with the slow progress in reforming education. China has recently become more authoritarian, limiting cooperation with the education systems of other countries and even restricting the foreign books that children can read. Invisible China sounds a wake-up call.” * The Strategist *“Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell’s remarkable book represents the culmination of four decades of research carried out by Rural Education Action Plan’s (REAP) teams in China’s poor rural hinterlands… The book’s contributions are… insightful.” * China Quarterly *"Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell published Invisible China in 2020 as the pandemic began. The book arrived just before a wave of new policy trends that emerged throughout 2021, and it offers important context for those trends. It serves as a useful window to readers who want to move beyond the cities of China and begin to explore the vast and complex rural interior of the country." * China Source *"[Invisible China] provides an extensive coverage of problems for China in the sphere of human capital development... the book is rich in content and is not constrained only to China, but provides important parallels with past and present developments in other countries." * Journal of Chinese Political Science *“This book… [examines] a [wide] range of problems regarding China’s performance not just in education but also in health outcomes.” * Asian-Pacific Economic Literature *"Invisible China is an important, clearly argued, and original work. It presents a side of China that is all too evident to hundreds of millions of people living there, but that often escapes notice internationally. Anyone interested in China's economic and political future, and its impact on the world, will want to read this book." -- James Fallows, author of Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China“No one knows rural China better than Scott Rozelle. In this brilliant, original, thought-provoking, and important study, Rozelle and Natalie Hell not only make China’s potential human capital crisis visible, but provide actionable solutions based on rigorous research.” -- Hongbin Li, James Liang Director of the China Program, Stanford University“Professor Rozelle is a renowned economist specializing in early childhood education and rural development, and his book on rural China is a culmination of over twenty years of research on rural China, which has generated intense interest among policymakers and philanthropists. He convincingly argues that intervention into early childhood education is the most effective way of reducing the inequality that is a problem not only in rural China but in many parts of the world.” -- James Liang, chairman and cofounder of Ctrip“This is the most readable and compelling economics book of the year, and probably the most important. From the opening pages, a clear and compelling argument unfolds: China faces a labor quality crisis, as hundreds of millions of young rural workers lack the education and robust health they need to participate in China's emerging high tech economy. Nobody who cares about China can afford to ignore Invisible China.” -- Barry Naughton, School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego“This book is an important contribution to the study of China. China’s size and linkages with other economies mean that the arguments and data presented here have wide-ranging importance. There is still time to avoid the ‘doomsday’ outcome if policy shifts in China, and Rozelle and Hell’s work is poised to have a real impact if its message is heeded.”—Pietra Rivoli, Georgetown University -- Pietra Rivoli, Georgetown University"[Invisible China] examines the impending challenge of China’s rural poverty and the mechanisms that have allowed it to develop, promoting concrete actions that China can take to reduce the humanitarian risks of its urban–rural divide." * Journal of Economic Literature *"The book... delivers a solid analysis, and provides clear and feasible policy recommendations... a must-read both for scholars interested in Chinese studies and for policymakers." * Europe-Asia Studies *"Rozelle and Hell have written an eloquent description and analysis of China’s growing social challenge." * The Developing Economies *"Invisible China works extremely well as a source of inspiration for students, researchers, and practitioners wanting to work with rural China." * Pacific Affairs *Table of ContentsAuthor’s Note Introduction 1. The Middle-Income Trap 2. China’s Looming Transition 3. The Worst-Case Scenario 4. How China Got Here 5. A Shaky Foundation 6. Invisible Barriers 7. Behind Before They Start Conclusion Acknowledgments Appendix: The REAP Team Notes Index

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Book SynopsisBarbara Watson Andaya is Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawai'i, USA.Leonard Y. Andaya is Professor of Southeast Asian History at the University of Hawai'i, USA.Trade ReviewFor many years the authoritative resource for students and the general reader, this third edition brings the Malaysia narrative right up to the present, and reviews the entire history of this extraordinary country in the light of recent research. The Andayas show that historical knowledge is absolutely essential to understand the dynamics of Malaysia today. * Anthony Milner, Australian National University, Australia *The history of Malaysia was a fine example of objective scholarship about the country's multifaceted development when it was first published over 30 years ago. The new edition brings that tangled story up to the present, confirming how truly remarkable the Andayas' achievement has been. * Wang Gungwu, National University of Singapore, Singapore *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface to the Third Edition Note on Spelling Abbreviations Maps Introduction: The Environment and Peoples of Malaysia 1. The Heritage of the Past 2. Melaka's Legacy in a Changing Malay World, 1400-1699 3. The Demise of the Malay Entrepôt State, 1699-1819 4. 'A New World is Created', 1819-74 5. The Making of 'British' Malaya, 1874-1919 6. The Functioning of a Colonial Society, 1900-1941 7. Negotiating a New Nation, 1942-1969 8. Restructuring Malaysia, 1969-1999 9. Malaysia at a Cross-Roads, 1999-2015 Conclusion Notes Further Reading Glossary Index.

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Book SynopsisThe text provides an introduction to the intricate web of contemporary Chinese politics - and China's changing place in the global system. It discusses China and democracy, human rights issues, and the move to integrate China into the international economy.Trade ReviewReading this excellent work by Andrew Nathan on the potential for a Chinese transition to democracy compels one to probe one's own unexamined presuppositions and unconscious cultural prejudices. -- Edward Friedman, University of Wisconsin-Madison Philosophy East & West Such rich, thoughtful, and rigorous analysis makes China's Transition an important book in the study of contemporary Chinese politics. It represents a remarkable methodological achievement that should be the envy of all students of Chinese politics. -- Minxin Pei, Princeton University Political Science Quarterly [A] deeply perceptive and eloquent collection of essays... What distinguishes Nathan's approach is that he takes up the political question of how to negotiate with Beijing about human rights. New York Review of Books Glitters with refreshing analyses on a wide range of literary, political, and ideological issues in recent PRC history... Packed with great insights and excellent analyses, it should be considered indispensable reading for any serious student of contemporary Chinese politics. Journal of Oriental StudiesTable of Contents1. China Bites Back 2. A History of Cruelty 3. Mao and His Court 4. Maoist Institutions and Post-Mao Reform 5. Chinese Democracy: The Lessons of Failure 6. The Democratic Vision 7. The Decision for Reform in Taiwan 8. Electing Taiwan's Legislature (written with with Helena V.S. Ho) 9. The Struggle for Hong Kong's Future 10. Is Chinese Culture Distinctive? 11. Cultural Requisites for Democracy in China (written with Tianjian Shi) 12. Left and Right in Deng's China (written with Tianjian Shi) 13. The Place of Values in Cross-Cultural Studies 14. The Chinese Volcano 15. The Constitutionalist Option 16. Human Rights and American China Policy

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of India: A Portrait, Patrick French''s Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land has been acclaimed as the book that showed the real Tibet for the first time. Tibet has long fascinated the West, but what really lies beyond our romantic image of a Buddhist mountain kingdom of peace and spirituality? Travelling through the country, French meets warrior monks, nomads and a nun secretly fighting Chinese communist rule, but also young Tibetans with a more pragmatic attitude to their situation. Interweaving these encounters with little-known stories of war and turmoil from Tibet''s past, he reveals a more nuanced, fascinating and surprising picture of this complex place than any other book has done. ''Mixes a compelling subject, magnificent prose and deep understanding''   The Times ''Inspired and heartfelt ... shows that Tibet was never the peace-loving paradise so many generations of Trade ReviewMixes a compelling subject, magnificent prose and deep understanding * The Times *Inspired and heartfelt ... shows that Tibet was never the peace-loving paradise so many generations of well-wishers have longed for it to be * Los Angeles Times *Tibet, Tibet, so good they named it twice ... French is a writer of generous talents * Sunday Times *French has produced something very different from what he calls "Tibetophile" literature, something greatly superior in its honesty and lack of false sentiment * Spectator *A gripping mix of history, travel writing and personal memoir... vividly told. * Observer *An accomplished writer and a keen observer (French) reports his findings vividly... French's reporting is excellent and this is an enjoyable and informative tour of Tibet. * The Guardian *First hand accounts of everyday experiences gleaned from close contact with Tibetan priests, politicians and peasants illuminate this moving book of modern day Tibet. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisSurvivor on the River Kwai is the heartbreaking story of one of the last survivors of the Burma Railway.February 1942. A young British soldier is caught up in the worst defeat in the history of the British Army, the fall of Singapore. Reg Twigg spends the next three years in hell, moving from jungle camp to jungle camp and building the Burma Railway for the all-conquering Japanese. Beaten, tortured, starving and forced to watch his comrades die, Reg fights for his survival, stealing from his captors, trapping animals and even making his own tobacco. That Reg survived is testimony to his own courage and determination, his will to beat the alien brutality of camp guards who had nothing but contempt for him and his fellow POWs. He was a risk taker whose survival strategies sometimes bordered on genius. As moving and harrowing as The Last Fighting Tommy, with the drama of David Lean''s The Bridge Over the River Kwai and the heart of Trade ReviewOne of the finest accounts yet of life in the jungle PoW camps, at once humbling, heartwarming and enraging -- Allan Mallinson * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe life of Gandhi, in his own words150th Anniversary Edition with a New Introduction by Pankaj Mishra''Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood'' Albert Einstein upon the death of M. K. GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in western India in 1869. He was educated in London and later travelled to South Africa, where he experienced racism and took up the rights of Indians, instituting his first campaign of passive resistance. In 1915 he returned to British-controlled India, bringing to a country in the throes of independence his commitment to non-violent change, and his belief always in the power of truth. Under Gandhi''s lead, millions of protesters would engage in mass campaigns of civil disobedience, seeking change through moral conversion of the colonizers. For Gandhi, the long path towards Indian independence would lead to imprisonment and hardship, yet he neveTrade ReviewGenerations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood -- Albert Einstein upon the death of M. K. GandhiChrist gave us the goals and Mahatma Gandhi the tactics -- Martin Luther King Jr.He is a hero not just to India but to the world -- Barack ObamaI have the greatest admiration for Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great human being with a deep understanding of human nature. His life has inspired me -- The Dalai LamaGandhi's ideas have played a vital role in South Africa's transformation and with the help of Gandhi's teaching, apartheid has been overcome -- Nelson Mandela

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is an eye-opening book. . . . Kawamura’s research reveals the real Hirohito." -- Geoffrey Wawro * History Book Club *"Noriko Kawamura’s Emperor Hirohito and the Pacific War provides a convincing reappraisal of Japan’s Hirohito few Westerners would recognize whenever they are reminded of Pearl Harbor and the Pacific conflict." -- Norm Haskett * The Daily Chronicles of World War II *"A well-balanced analysis of the controversial role Emperor Hirohito played during the Pacific War, drawing on previously unavailable primary sources. . . . Kawamura does a fine job of describing Emperor Hirohito’s complex positions and his historical situation." -- Takeshi Suzuki * Pacific Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. The Aftermath of the Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1933 2. Crises at Home and Abroad: From the February 26 Incident to the Sino-Japanese War 3. The Road to Pearl Harbor 4. An Uneasy Commander in Chief 5. Imbroglio: Moves to End the War 6. The “Sacred Decision” to Surrender Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This theoretically sophisticated and politically powerful book marks a groundbreaking moment in the anthropological study of Kashmir and South Asia that will also make an excellent text in undergraduate and graduate seminar on various themes and topics." * New Books in Islamic Studies (NBN) *"By focusing on the embodiment of kinship ties and mobilization of ritual that sustain those left behind, Resisting Disappearance sensitively shows how the political reality of ongoing occupation transforms everyday lives. Ather Zia’s compelling book will be of interest to students of militarization, occupation and colonization, gender politics and kinship, ritual, everyday life, and activism, at all levels." * Political and Legal Anthropology Review *"An indispensable text...Ather Zia weaves together a haunting, collective memoir of Muslim women’s organizing in Kashmir." * South Asian History and Culture *"The depth and familiarity of Zia’s analysis is inspiring...This is a truly marvellous book—it is a key contribution to anthropology and feminism." * South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies *"Resisting Disappearance is about what all of our society forgets: How Kashmiri women are continually resisting, striving every day and resisting the disappearances of family members,usually, sons, husbands or fathers...remarkable as it makes us understand the nuances and the multiple dynamics within Kashmir." * Feminism in India *"[A]n important and successful addition to both ethnographic works and works of feminist political theory on South and Central Asia." * Journal of Asian Studies *"[W]ith its engaging conversations on enforced disappearances... Zia’s work goes beyond Kashmir and is a testimony to the thousands of lives left un-grieved in conflict zones." * The India Forum *"The work pushes the boundary of ethnographic writing by recovering the aesthetics of poetry in the context of doing fieldwork in violent sites." * Borderlines *"[A]m imperative and urgent text... very lucid in style and structure and stands as evidence of Zia’s deeply reflective and introspective scholarship." * Doing Sociology *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is in short an extraordinary book, a corrective for anyone who Orientalizes shamanic ritual." * European Journal of Korean Studies *"[A]n interesting encounter with popular religion in the changing circumstances of Cheju." * Journal of Asian Studies *"[A] welcome contribution to an arena that has long needed to study monetary transactions in ritual." * Asian Ethnology *"[T]he book is inspiring and innovative in terms of the deep and detailed analysis of the multiple meanings of reciprocity in the context of shamanistic rituals." * Acta Koreana *"An insightful and valuable contribution to the study of Korean shamanism, it should find a place on the shelf of anyone who wants to have a better and more complete understanding of this living tradition." * Journal of American Folklore *"[C]learly one of the best books on musok out there." * Religious Studies Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Porcelain for the Emperor is a truly admirable example of interdisciplinary scholarship. Drawing upon concepts and methods from the fields of science and technology studies, literary criticism, and art history, it illuminates the heretofore neglected contributions of bannermen technocrats to the Qing imperial project. This compact and handsomely produced monograph will interest not only art historians, porcelain connoisseurs, and museum curators, but also students of early modern material and political cultures, court history, and imperial state-formations." * Journal of Chinese History *"[R]ichly illustrated and lucidly written…Chen’s fine-grained study will substantially deepen our understanding of not only the history of science and technology and the history of material and visual culture in early modern China but also global histories of imperial knowledge formation and empire building from the stimulating perspective of technocracy." * H-Net *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Bill Hayton’s splendid book lucidly covers these disputes in all their complexity from virtually every angle - historical, legal, political, economic and strategic. A journalist with the BBC and author of a previous book on Vietnam, he tells a good yarn, even when the topic is as dry as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Indeed, he may be the first person ever to have written an exciting account of a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)."—The Economist"Mr. Hayton, a longtime BBC journalist, excels in distilling the complexity and absurdity of such South China Sea disputes—which include overlapping claims by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam—into a manageable narrative. His book offers the best combination of accessibility and accuracy so far published on the disputes. . . . This is a book for the layperson, not the lawyer."—Gregory B. Poling, Wall Street Journal"The greatest risk today in U.S.-Chinese relations is the South China Sea, through which passes 40% of world trade. China’s assertion of ‘indisputable sovereignty’ over it riles other nations bordering those waters and is beginning to be challenged by the United States. In The South China Sea, Bill Hayton explains how this all came about and points to the growing risks of miscalculation and escalation."—Daniel Yergin, Wall Street Journal"A fascinating account of this intensifying conflict. . . . [Hayton] has produced a detailed yet accessible story of how the South China Sea has emerged from a mythical danger zone to a real arena of conflict between regional powers and a source of big-power strife."—Global Asia"Hayton has spent much of his professional life working for the BBC and so his storytelling is well developed. Unlike many of the academics who have written previously on the South China Sea, Hayton presents a wholly accessible account that weaves well thought out arguments with vivid descriptions. He understands the importance of engaging his audience; points are explained clearly and his examples, which are as recent as the disappearance of flight MH370 in March 2014, bring each issue to life."—Sophie Ibbotson, Geographical"Thoroughly researched and gracefully written."—David Brown, Asian Sentinel"Aimed at the general reader, The South China Sea is a well-written, imaginatively presented analysis of a complicated struggle which will continue to make the news and has implications far beyond the immediate region."—Simon Scott Plummer, TLS"The South China Sea is of mounting geopolitical importance yet remains obscure to most audiences outside Asia. Bill Hayton's book will do much to remedy that - helping governments to fashion wise policy, and ordinary people to understand the region. It is an invigorating read."—James Holmes, co-author of Red Star over the Pacific: China's Rise and the Challenge to U.S. Maritime Strategy"Hayton does a fantastic job of covering all major dimensions of the dispute—historical, legal, resources, geostrategic, military—in a cogent, concise and compelling manner. As any good journalist would (and most academics don’t) he adds colour to the narrative by highlighting the role of key personalities, from Grotius to Bensurto and everyone in between. An excellent book."—Ian J. Storey, Editor-in-Chief, Contemporary South-East Asia

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Book SynopsisExplore the wonders of wild Mongolia through the eyes of a distinguished field biologistTrade Review“Schaller is driven by his vision of what must be done if wild spaces and rare species are to persist. . . . He is eloquent in his condemnation of what he deems gross mismanagement by the nation’s current political leaders, who allow oil drilling, mining and road-building in crucial protected areas.”—Tom McCarthy, Nature“George Schaller’s genius has been to bring the style of the best nineteenth-century natural histories together with solid present-day science. Into Wild Mongolia is a superb example of this combination.”—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University“With great dedication to wildlife in all of its manifestations, George Schaller explores the vast steppes and other habitats of Mongolia. His revelatory explorations will undoubtedly aid the conservation of this unique ecosystem.”—Frans de Waal, author of Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves“Traveling in remote and unpredictable regions, George Schaller conveys the thrill of sitting near snow leopards, the beauty of vast glowing grasses, and the discovery of thousands of wandering gazelles.”—Amy Vedder, author of In the Kingdom of Gorillas: The Quest to Save Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas“Luminously written, Into Wild Mongolia introduces us to remote, often cold, and desolate landscapes, animals such as the Bactrian camel, and local characters, richly rendered. We learn to read the wordless movements of elusive creatures like the snow leopard, communicated in the oldest writing on earth, their footprints in soil and snow. George Schaller is an icon; for his dedication to conservation and his love of biodiversity we can only be grateful.”—James Prosek, author of Trout of the World and Eels.“George Schaller, a true giant, is essentially the original field biologist. His words are living history. This astonishing, vivid book describes a region that has changed, but must never be forgotten.”—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

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Book SynopsisStalingrad in the jungle: the battle that doomed the French Empire and led America into Vietnam

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Book SynopsisA close-up look at the cloistered country (USA Today), See You Again in Pyongyang is American writer Travis Jeppesen''s probing and artful (New York Times Book Review) chronicle of his travels in North Korea--an eye-opening portrait that goes behind the headlines about Trump and Kim, revealing North Koreans'' entrepreneurial spirit, and hidden love of foreign media, as well as their dreams and fears (Los Angeles Times). In See You Again in Pyongyang, Travis Jeppesen, the first American to complete a university program in North Korea, culls from his experiences living, traveling, and studying in the country to create a multifaceted portrait of the country and its idiosyncratic capital city in the Kim Jong Un Era. Anchored by the experience of his five trips to North Korea and his interactions with citizens from all walks of life, Jeppesen takes readers behind the propaganda, showing how the North Korean system actually works in daily life. He challenges the notion that Pyongyang is merely a showcase capital where everything is staged for the benefit of foreigners, as well as the idea that Pyongyangites are brainwashed robots. Jeppesen introduces readers to an array of fascinating North Koreans, from government ministers with a side hustle in black market Western products to young people enamored with American pop culture. With unique personal insight and a rigorous historical grounding, Jeppesen goes beyond the media cliches, showing North Koreans in their full complexity. See You Again in Pyongyang is an essential addition to the literature about one of the world''s most fascinating and mysterious places.

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Book SynopsisThe brutal assasination of Commissioner Frederick Mackeson on British India''s North-West Frontier in 1853 was a bloody and public declaration of a conflict that was to stretch well into the next one hundred and fifty years. The Wahhabi tribe, extreme Islamist fundamentalists, set out to restore purity to their faith by declaring violent jihad on all who opposed them. Their history has long been forgotten and yet their vicious brand of political ideology lives on. The Wahhabi deeply influenced not only the formation of modern Saudi Arabia, but Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Their teachings educate orphan boys in Afghanistan and press rifles into their hands, for the sake of jihad. The parallels between this pivotal terrorist network and our post-9/11 political climate are staggering. Charles Allen sheds lights on the historical roots of modern terrorism and shows how this dangerous nineteenth-century theology lives on today.Trade ReviewAllen traces the story with meticulous care. Steeped in the subject and already respected as an authority, he commands all the detail . . . Allen's approach is exemplary * THE TIMES *Those who relish Allen's India books will not be disappointed...Rich in instruction for the current administration in, say, Basra - and better still, it's vintage Charles Allen * LITERARY REVIEW *Allen tells his complex story with concision, insight and wide-ranging vision * SUNDAY TIMES *A fascinating new book * SPECTATOR *

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Book SynopsisBy now everyone knows the basic facts of China''s rise to pre-eminence over the past three decades. But how did this erstwhile sleeping giant finally manage to arrive at its current phase of dynamic growth? How did a century-long succession of failures to change somehow culminate in the extraordinary dynamism of China today? By examining the lives of eleven influential officials, writers, activists and leaders whose contributions helped create modern China, Wealth and Power addresses these questions. This fascinating survey moves from the lead-up to the first Opium War through to contemporary opposition to single-party rule. Along the way, we meet titans of Chinese history, intellectuals and political figures. By unwrapping the intellectual antecedents of today''s resurgent China, Orville Schell and John Delury supply much-needed insight into the country''s tortured progression from nineteenth-century decline to twenty-first-century boom. By looking backward iTrade ReviewWealth and Power offers everything readers might expect from its two eminent authors. It is both sweeping and specific, authoritative and lively, sympathetic and critical, offering the perspective of both the hedgehog and the fox. The hardest challenge in writing about China, or finding things to read about it, is perceiving significant patterns while remaining aware of the chaos and contradictions. Orville Schell and John Delury meet that challenge in exemplary form. I only wish that they'd written the book years ago, so that (along with other readers) I could have been taking advantage of its insights all along -- James Fallows The Atlantic A brilliantly original and essential book: the road map to China's quest for national salvation. This is a story of ideas and the vibrant figures who shaped them: rebels, thinkers, and rivals, united by the quest for reinvention. It is required reading for anyone seeking to understand China's motives and the future of global competition, and is, quite simply, a pleasure to read. Vivid, literate, and brimming with insights, Wealth and Power deserves to become a classic -- Evan Osnos New Yorker In Wealth and Power, their crisp and comprehensive introduction to the history of modern China, historians Orville Schell and John Delury present us with the historical background we need to understand the driving mechanism that lies at the center of China today. By no longer presenting China's past two centuries as a record of recurrent failures and humiliations, they give us a portrait of a nation in the making, and of leaders with the skills and determination to redirect China's energies on a global scale. The change of perspective is valuable and challenging -- Jonathan D. Spence, author of The Search for Modern China

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Book SynopsisCOROMANDEL. A name which has been long applied by Europeans to the Northern Tamil Country, or (more comprehensively) to the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India.This is the India highly acclaimed historian Charles Allen visits in this fascinating book. Coromandel journeys south, exploring the less well known, often neglected and very different history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south. During Allen''s exploration of the Indian south he meets local historians, gurus and politicians and with their help uncovers some extraordinary stories about the past. His sweeping narrative takes in the archaeology, religion, linguistics and anthropology of the region - and how these have influenced contemporary politics. Known for his vivid storytelling, for decades Allen has travelled the length and breadth of India, revealing the spirit of the sub-continent through its history and people. In Coromandel, he moves through modern-day India, discovering as much about the present as he does about the past.Trade ReviewCoromandel is lively and its stories well chosen * The Economist *An engaging and meaningful account of a very long and complex history * Times Literary Supplement *A writer whom India as well as Britain should be proud to call its own, this account is seductive and convincing * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisJapan at War, 1914â1952 is a synthetic and interpretive history that highlights the centrality of war to the modern Japanese experience.The author argues that war was central to Japanese life in this periodâthe era when Japan rose and fell as a world power. The volume examines how World War I set off profound changes that led to the rise of a politicized military, aggressive imperial expansion, and the militarization of Japanese social, political, and economic life. War was extraordinarily popular, which helped confirm Japanâs aggressive imperialism in the 1930s and war across the Asia-Pacific in the 1940s. It took a defeat by 1945 and occupation through 1952 to undo war as a national concern and to remake Japan into a peaceful nation-state. In telling this story of Japan in war and peace, this book highlights the importance of Japan in the creation of the modern world.This study of political power and its influences in domestic and foreign affairs will be of

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Book Synopsis"A magnificent tapestry . . . a story that reaches beyond China into our world and time: a story of faith, hope, passion, and a fatal grandiosity."--Washington Post Book WorldTrade Review"Marvelous and new. . . . [Spence] is the pre-eminent literary historian of China." -- Richard Bernstein - New York Times

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers an unparalleled range of comparative studies considering both persecution and genocide across two thousand years of history from Rome to Nazi Germany, and spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.Topics covered include the persecution of religious minorities in the ancient world and late antiquity, the medieval roots of modern antisemitism, the early modern witch-hunts, the emergence of racial ideologies and their relationship to slavery, colonialism, Russian and Soviet mass deportations, the Armenian genocide, and the Holocaust. It also introduces students to significant, but less well known, episodes, such as the Albigensian Crusade and the massacres and forced expulsions suffered by the Circassians at the hands of imperial Russia in the 1860s, as the world entered an ''age of genocide''.By exploring the ideological motivations of the perpetrators, the book invites students to engage with the moral complexities of the past and to reflect upo

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Book SynopsisEmphasizes the astonishing innovations in diction and style, not to mention content, in Yosano Akiko’s work that transformed the tanka genre from a hidebound and conservative mode of verse to something much more daring and modern.Trade Review“This work brings together and builds on the extensive scholarship in Japan and the budding scholarship in the West on Yosano Akiko, her circle, and modern tanka. It manages to grapple with an enormous body of work and also bring the opinions of a variety of critics and critical approaches to bear. The translations are often the first of these poems into English, and they are extremely appealing.” —Laurel Rasplica Rodd, University of Colorado Boulder“The book gives a detailed exegesis of the poetry of the Myōjō school, whose key founders Yosano Hiroshi, Yosano Akiko, and Yamakawa Tomiko were leaders in the modernization of the tanka, whose importance to the history of Japanese literature cannot be overstated. Morton is clearly informed by and builds on an encyclopedic review of Japanese-language scholarship on the topic, providing an enormous service to the field.” —Julia Bullock, Emory UniversityTable of Contents Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Romantic Love in The Sun 1895-1905 Chapter 2: Romantic Love in The Woman’s Magazine 1897-1904 Chapter 3: The Birth of the Modern: Yosano Akiko and Tekkan’s Verse Revolution Chapter 4: Inventing Modernist Poetry: Yosano Akiko’s Rewriting of Tradition Chapter 5: Romantic Love in Myōjō Exchange Verse Chapter 6: Love as Literary Construct: Erotic Tropes in the Poetry of Yosano Akiko, Tekkan, and Yamakawa Tomiko Chapter 7: Rewriting Texts as Text: A Study of the “White Lily” Chapter of Tangled Hair Chapter 8: Yosano Akiko’s Tangled Hair, Modernity and Kansai Culture Chapter 9: The Poetics of Naturalism: Yosano Akiko and Motherhood Chapter 10: The Canonicity of Yosano Akiko’s Tangled Hair Reflections Bibliography Index

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

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Book SynopsisA new take on Southeast Asiaâs complex history, expertly told through art objects and cultural artefacts dating from the Neolithic Age to the present. Southeast Asia is home to numerous world heritage sites. Through engaging texts and expertly curated objects from the British Museum collection, arranged chronologically and thematically into seven chapters, this volume offers a new approach to one of the most complex and diverse areas of the world. Every object tells a story in a wide-ranging and accessible selection that illuminates the civilizations, societies and local cultures that have defined Southeast Asia over the past 6,000 years. From the emergence of early agricultural communities and stratified societies to the rise of powerful empires and religious developments in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, and to the eras of colonial rule and independence, curator and art historian Alexandra Green traces and explores the variety of Southeast Asian cultures. The teTrade Review'Green allows us to see shared moments of history … and their shared impact on artistic production' - Art Quarterly'Beautifully illustrated … a reminder, if one was needed, of the vibrant creativity of the people of this part of our world' - Arts Society'Succeeds in capturing a more diverse and complex story … If ever you need a quick guide to Southeast Asia’s history, this is it' - ArtReview'Outstanding … the magnum opus of Alexandra Green’s career' - Dawn Rooney, author and Art Historian specialising in Southeast AsiaTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Early cultures: 30,000 years ago to c. 500 CE 2. Kingdoms: c. 300–1500 CE 3. Trade, diplomacy and empire: c. 1400–1940 4. From the everyday to the sacred: 1600–2020 5. Narrative and performance 6. Textiles and basketry: women’s perspectives 7. The 20th and 21st centuries

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Book Synopsis''Man does for the reader that most difficult of tasks: he conjures up an ancient people in an alien landscape in such a way as to make them live.'' - GuardianThe people of the first nomadic empire left no written records, but from 200 BC they dominated the heart of Asia for 400 years. They changed the world. The Mongols, today's descendants of Genghis Khan, see them as ancestors. Their rise cemented Chinese unity and inspired the first Great Wall. Their heirs under Attila the Hun helped destroy the Roman Empire.We don't know what language they spoke, but they became known as Xiongnu, or Hunnu, a term passed down the centuries and across Eurasia, enduring today in shortened form as Hun'. Outside Asia precious little is known of their rich history, but new evidence reframes our understanding of the indelible mark they left on a vast region stretching from Europe and sweeping right across Central Asia deep into China.Based on meticulous research aTrade ReviewMan does for the reader that most difficult of tasks: he conjures up an ancient people in an alien landscape in such a way as to make them live. * Guardian *His ability to put us in the picture, to feel, smell and almost touch the surroundings he describes, is matched by his ability to tell a good story. * Michael Palin *

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Book SynopsisDetailing the rediscovery in Moscow of the so-called jewels of Helen and the re-excavation of the site of Troy begun in 1988, which continues to yield new evidence about the historical city, In Search of the Trojan War takes a fresh look at some of the most excited discoveries in archaeology.

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Book SynopsisOn the centennial of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, Tony Saich offers the definitive history of the CCP’s rise and rule. The party has suffered self-inflicted wounds yet thrived thanks to its flexibility. Looking ahead, Saich assesses how the CCP is adapting to global leadership and the expectations of China’s growing middle class.Trade ReviewThere is arguably no organization in the world today that is more important to understand than the CCP…Saich’s [book] provides a comprehensive narrative of the CCP from its inception to this day…He is meticulous in his research and descriptions. -- Martin Laflamme * Los Angeles Review of Books *One of the best and clearest treatments of the subject to date…Tony Saich walks us through the myriad transformations the Party and its members have been through: from rebels to survivalists, revolutionaries to crushers of rebellion, and finally to socialist capitalists. With clarity and attention to detail…this is a truly authoritative text on one of the most successful political parties in history. -- Alec Ash * The Wire China *An extremely lucid, insightful history of the Chinese Communist Party. Saich’s readable narrative takes the CCP from its origins as a tiny group of revolutionaries in Shanghai a century ago to the powerful, repressive rulers of a world power today. From Rebel to Ruler should stand as an authoritative account of the party’s development. -- James Mann, author of The China FantasyThe Chinese Communist Party is one of the most important, yet least understood, political organizations in the world today. Saich has produced a superb interpretation of the party for its hundredth anniversary. From Rebel to Ruler is both deep and nuanced in the account of its history, and incisive on the unique combination in the party under Xi Jinping of ideology, pragmatism, and sheer brute force. -- Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good WarThe definitive, candid, and absorbing history of a political organization that counts 90 million members and indisputably rules as America’s most powerful rival. Drawing on priceless contacts made in China over decades, Saich describes how ideological underpinnings, ruthless campaigns, and the ‘coercing of conformity’ pushed the CCP through revolutionary zeal to its current all-powerful position. A vital account, based on magnificent research, that shows the party as a colossal, relentless, and enduring machine. -- Jane Perlez, former Beijing Bureau Chief, New York TimesAn unpretentious, humane, and deeply informed history of the Chinese Communist Party. Saich, whose considerable time in China adds depth and understanding to this excellent book, offers a clear narrative that does justice to the earlier history as well as present concerns. This will be our most reliable account of the history of the CCP for a generation. -- Timothy Cheek, author of The Intellectual in Modern Chinese HistorySaich is a surehanded and deeply knowledgeable guide in this highly accessible tour of the entire sweep of the Chinese Communist Party’s century-long history. While the party now projects a self-image of unity, competence, and strength, Saich recounts a narrative replete with internal strife, uncertainty, and deep-seated insecurity. His reflections on the future of the party, and China, are sobering. -- Andrew G. Walder, author of China Under MaoA sweeping history of the Chinese Communist Party, from its fledgling urban beginnings in 1921 Shanghai to today…Offers key insights into how the party survived the collapse of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe and the steep challenges facing current leader Xi Jinping. This exhaustive, well-informed chronicle sheds light on one of the world’s most consequential political institutions. * Publishers Weekly *Gives a broad overview of the main characters, movements, and ideologies that have shaped the CCP… Saich provides a different angle by focusing on the inner workings, strategy, and personalities of the Chinese Communist Party…Presents the Party, in all its complexity, on its own terms. Saich is not simply offering commentary from an outside point of view, he is attempting to give readers the tools to access the CCP as they see themselves. * ChinaSource *If you were to travel back in time to 1921 and predict that the Communist Party of China would rule over the world’s second-largest economy 100 years later, no one would believe you. In this definitive primer, Tony Saich explains how the impossible came true. -- Yuen Yuen Ang * Project Syndicate *

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Book SynopsisThe RussiaChina border is a study in contrasts, with booming cities on the Chinese side and sleepy villages on the Russian. Both governments discourage cross-border interaction, yet exchange is constant. Anthropologists Franck Billé and Caroline Humphrey describe a vigorous and diverse transnational society facing profound political constraints.Trade ReviewA wonderfully illuminating book, filled with insights about the frontier between Russia and China and the peoples who live in and alongside the border zones. Beautifully written and immaculately researched, this is an important book that draws on the past and present—and has obvious implications for the future. -- Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the WorldA fine-grained account of the awkwardness, asymmetries, and paradoxes of life…along the 2,600-mile border between Russia and China. -- Adeeb Khalid * Times Literary Supplement *Deeply revealing about both the geopolitical relationship of Russia and China and their strikingly different modes of operation. -- Sheila Fitzpatrick * London Review of Books *The first comprehensive analysis of how the lived experiences of the inhabitants of these peripheries intersect with the grand national and geopolitical visions emanating from the political centers of Moscow and Beijing…Fleshes out reductive media representations, illustrating how the ostensible political friendship between Moscow and Beijing is manifested, rejected, and contested in the everyday lives of ordinary people. -- Emily Couch * Moscow Times *Enlightening…Billé and Humphrey record the results of their studies and visits to this border, taking in a number of themes, including environmental protection, indigenous peoples, cross-border trade, migration, friendship and neighborly attitudes. Each chapter reveals much about the borderlands, and much about the policies and histories of these two giants, which once shared a ruling ideology. -- Katie Burton * Geographical *A close examination of a stretch of the Amur where Russia and China stare at one another in a fragile friendship. [Billé and Humphrey] approach their topic through the perspective of the people who live there and make the river border work or, in some cases, not work. -- Jack Weatherford * Mekong Review *[A] sparkling book…which transported me to familiar and new places. -- Peter Frankopan * The Spectator *For an ethnographic-cum-geopolitical account of Russia’s long border to the east, see the terrific book by Franck Billé and Caroline Humphrey, On the Edge: Life along the Russia-China Border. -- Sheila Fitzpatrick * Australian Book Review *[A book] with remarkable depth and ambition. A combination of shoe-leather ethnography and macroscopic economic and political analysis, this book not only explains the stark differences in prosperity between the struggling Russian Far East and the flourishing Chinese Northeast, but also debunks a number of myths that have come to shape the popular understanding of the region. -- Gregory Afinogenov * Russian Review *Through their enthralling ethnographic description of many social groups’ lived experiences at the border, the authors both enrich and challenge the existing studies on Sino-Russian relations…Essential for acquiring knowledge about contemporary Russia, China, their comparability and dissimilarities, and Northeast Asia and Eurasia at large. -- Liao Zhang * Journal of Borderlands Studies *A book rich in insight and offering a fascinating and unique way of exposing the real contours of this hugely important relationship…Russians and Chinese, if they do share ethnic, kin or other bonds, simply view the world in a different way, framed by the national sentiments prevailing on the particular side of the border on which they happen to live. -- Kerry Brown * Asian Affairs *The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the continuing relevance of borders, despite all the paeans to mobility and globalization. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, meanwhile, has imparted even greater significance to Moscow’s relationship with China than it had before. Before these twin crises, the issues in this book were consequential; more recent developments have rendered them even more important still. On the Edge is thus a timely intervention. -- Paul W. Werth * Ab Imperio *In this rich and wonderfully written book, two giants of twentieth-century socialism meet in the cities, forests, and along the rivers of northeast Asia to show how much is at stake for so many in competing visions of a postsocialist future. -- Bruce Grant, New York UniversityWhere the edges of Russia and China meet is perhaps the world’s most politically unknown but consequential borderland. Franck Billé and Caroline Humphrey provide the missing picture of how multicultural peoples carry on a burgeoning trade that is transforming life along this vast frontier. The authors show that despite different historical imaginations and personal stories on both sides, variant forms of capitalism—mafia and state—help weave friends, foes, and kin across the border. -- Aihwa Ong, author of Fungible Life: Experiment in the Asian City of LifeRelations between Russia and China are usually discussed through a top-down approach—the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of a Putin and a Xi Jinping. Billé and Humphrey on the contrary turn to the ordinary lives of people living on and working across the border. A beautiful exploration of the daily reality of these border lives, revealing tensions, relations, and emerging trends that top-down approaches have missed entirely. -- Michael Puett, Harvard UniversityFor centuries, Russia and China have confronted each other along one of the longest, most important but least understood land borders in the world. On the Edge is a fascinating ethnographic study of life in this border region today that works on two levels, offering a highly focused and personalized consideration of cross-cultural and transnational interactions across a remote borderland while at the same time providing valuable insights into the dynamics that both impel and complicate the evolving Sino–Russian relationship. -- Mark Bassin, Södertörn University

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Book SynopsisThis is a study of the social, political, economic and public health aspects of the Second World War in South Asia, with particular attention being accorded to colonial Eastern India, which was treated as a single administrative unit during the course of the conflict for strategic purposes. The conclusion deals with the long term effects of the war: its effects on political formations, bureaucratic re-negotiation and the de-colonisation of the British Indian empire.Trade Review'A well-crafted and presented addition to the field, and a valuable contribution to our understanding of the organisation and operation of the Raj in its final, fraught years.' - Contemporary South Asia 'An important book.' - Studies in HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1 The Second World War, Indian Nationalism and the Challenges of State Mobilisation in Eastern India: A Survey; Chapter 2 State Propaganda and Civilian Audiences in Eastern India 1939–45: Forms, Applications and Scope; Chapter 3 An Ancillary to Propaganda: State Censorship and the Civilian Population in Eastern India 1939–45; Chapter 4 The Colonial State, ‘Neutrals’ and the Propaganda Campaign against the Indian National Congress 1939–1944; Chapter 5 Propaganda, Censorship and the British Indian Army: Eastern India 1942–45; conclusion Conclusion;

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