Asian history Books
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers 1919–45 (1):
Book SynopsisThis volume will detail the history, weapons and tactics of the Japanese destroyers built before the war. This includes the famous Fubuki class (called “Special Type” by the Japanese, which were, when completed in the late 1920's, the most powerful class of destroyers in the world. This design forced all other major navies to follow suite and provided the basic design for the next many classes of Imperial Navy destroyers. This book will also cover the three classes built before the Special Type which were based on a German World War I design as well as two classes built after the advent of the Special Type. All of these ships had a rich history as they fought from the first battles of the Pacific War up until the very end when several accompanied the superbattleship Yamato on her death sortie. The final part of the book will be an analysis of the destroyer designs covered in the book which will include an examination of their strengths and weaknesses. The success (or lack of success) of these designs will be discussed and they will be compared to comparable Allied destroyer designs.Trade ReviewThis book is an excellent reference for any modeler or IJN fan. Osprey has added another solid volume to their collection. - IPMS/USATable of ContentsIntroduction/ Japanese naval strategy and the role of the destroyer/ Japanese destroyer tactics/ Japanese destroyer design principles/ Japanese destroyer weapons/ Minekaze class/ Kamikaze class/ Mutsuki class/ Fubuki class/ Akatsuki class/ Hatsuharu class/ Shiratsuyu class/ Analysis and conclusion/ Bibliography/ Index
£12.34
Reaktion Books The Mongol Conquest in World History
Book SynopsisThe Mongol Empire (c. 1200-1350) in many ways marks the beginning of the modern age, as well as globalization. While communications between the extremes of Eurasia existed prior to the Mongols, they were infrequent and often through intermediaries. The rise of the Mongol Empire changed everything: through their conquests the Mongols swept away dozens of empires and kingdoms and replaced them with the largest contiguous empire in history. While the Mongols were the most destructive force in the pre-modern world, the Pax Mongolica had stabilizing effects on the social, cultural and economic life of the inhabitants of the vast territory, allowing merchants and missionaries to traverse Eurasia. The conquests also set in motion other changes in warfare, medicine, food, culture and scientific knowledge. When Mongol power declined, it was replaced with over a dozen successors who retained elements of the Mongol Empire, but none of its unity. The Mongol Conquest in World History examines the many ways in which the conquests were a catalyst for change. The memory of the Empire fired the collective mind into far-reaching endeavours: the desire for luxury goods and spices that were once available launched Columbus' voyages; the Renaissance was inspired by the innovations in art that emerged from the Mongol Empire: China was unified for the first time in 300 years and the Islamic world doubled in size. This fascinating book offers comprehensive coverage of the entire empire, rather than a more regional approach, as well as providing a long view of the Mongol Empire's legacy. It will appeal to all those interested in this vast, epoch-making empire, as well as specialists in the field.
£28.50
The Armchair Traveller at the Bookhaus Hidden Bhutan: Entering the Kingdom of the
Book SynopsisIn 2006, "Time magazine" listed the King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, as one of the 100 'leaders and revolutionaries' who are changing our world today. Yet it was only in the 1960s that the first road linking "The Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon" with India was opened, and since 1974 only a strictly limited number of tourists have been allowed to visit each year. Martin Uitz, a renowned expert on Bhutan, describes how the Bhutanese, in pursuit of the principle of 'Gross National Happiness', are carefully moving towards a more modern future, including a constitution and democracy, whilst preserving their traditional society and attempting to conserve the environment. Uitz made many fascinating discoveries in this enigmatic Kingdom. He was able to explain why the only traffic light was taken out of service, why six men are not allowed to go on a journey together, and what the subtle eroticism of a traditional hot-stone bath is all about. Along the way he also discovered that the Bhutanese hills are more alive with Edelweiss than the hills around his native Salzburg.
£10.44
Chiselbury Publishing Singpore: The Battle That Changed The World
Book SynopsisWhen Singapore fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, it was a devastating blow to the Allies, the British Empire and signalled a significant turning point in history. It was the greatest defeat for Britain since Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in the American War of Independence. Its impact was arguably even greater.
£10.44
Nomad Publishing Fall Seven Times, Get Up Eight: Aspects of
Book SynopsisThe essential reference on Japanese customs and etiquette told from the inside. Japan?s image in the world, and self-image, is tied up in a tumultuous history, from turbulent medieval ages, to the stable Tokugawa era, to catastrophic world war, to global economic powerhouse, and to a period of stagnation leading into the shattering earthquake of 2011. As the New York Times reported on the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor disaster: ?Maybe we can learn something from Japan. . . . The selflessness, stoicism and discipline in Japan these days are epitomized by those workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.? This book, told from the inside by a distinguished Japanese ambassador, explains the value set and culture that underpins modern Japan. As the Western model of capitalism appears to struggle with civil disorder and crime, there is much to be learned from the cultural systems of these steadfast islanders.
£17.95
Haus Publishing A History of the Silk Road
Book SynopsisThe Silk Road is a route from the edges of the European world to the central plains of China. For thousands of years, its history has been a traveller's history, of brief encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes and nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China, and the site of much of the 'Great Game' between Victorian empires. Jonathan Clements guides the reader through the trackless wastes of the Taklamakan Desert, its black whirlwinds and dead lakes, its shimmering mirages, lost cities and mysterious mummies, but also its iconic statues and memorable modern pop songs. He explains the truth behind odd tales of horses that sweat blood, defaced statues and missing frescoes, and Marco Polo's stories of black gold that seeps from the earth.
£10.44
Helion & Company Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces
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£35.00
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Heaven Does Not Block All Roads
Book SynopsisHuang Chin-tao was born in 1926, when Taiwan was still part of the Japanese Empire. By the time he died in 2019, Taiwan was a bustling, high-tech democracy--and Huang had lived through every twist and turn along the way. He served as a Japanese soldier in China during World War II; joined an armed uprising against Taiwan''s Chinese Nationalist post-war government; spent twenty-four years imprisoned during the island''s decades of martial law; and finally emerged to help lead the pro-democracy movement of the 1980s in his hometown, Taichung. Drawing upon archives, memoirs, interviews and more, Anna Beth Keim tells the story of Taiwan through the journey of one extraordinary individual. From his childhood scuffling with Japanese children to his transformation into a ''democracy farmer'', Huang''s life vividly reflects contemporary Taiwanese history, and continues to inspire young Taiwanese today who are fighting to keep their home independent. Over roughly a century, the island transitioned from an imperial outpost to an authoritarian state to a democracy--one still at risk of being snuffed out by China. This story is uniquely Taiwanese, yet illuminates experiences shared by countries everywhere: of colonisation and its aftermath, and the ongoing struggle to be free.
£23.75
Monsoon Books Bandit Saints of Java: How Java’s eccentric
Book SynopsisBandit Saints of Java is a work of nonfiction that delves deep under the surface of modern Indonesia, exploring personalities and stories in the wacky world of local pilgrimage. It paints an astonishing portrait of Islam as it is practised today - largely invisible to journalists, scholars and tourists - by many of the 130 million people of Java.
£8.54
Helion & Company Commanding Far Eastern Skies: A Critical Analysis
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£21.25
Old Street Publishing The Shortest History of India
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£11.69
Helion & Company The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Volume 2:
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£16.96
Helion & Company Operation Cactus: Indian Military Intervention in
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£16.10
Helion & Company Nuclear India: Developing India's Nuclear Arms
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£999.99
Monsoon Books Jakarta
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£10.44
Adventures Unlimited Press The Children of Mu: Relics of the Diaspora from
Book SynopsisAccording to Churchward, the lost Pacific continent of Mu extended from somewhere north of Hawaii to the south as far as the Fijis and Easter Island. He claimed Mu was the site of the Garden of Eden and the home of 64,000,000 inhabitants known as the Naacals. Its civilisation, which flourished 50,000 years before Churchward''s day, was technologically more advanced than his own and the ancient civilisations of India, Babylon, Persia, Egypt and the Mayas were merely the decayed remnants of its colonies. In this, his second book, first published in 1931, Churchward tells the story of the colonial expansion of Mu and the influence of the highly developed Mu culture on the rest of the world. Her first colonies were in North America and the Orient, while other colonies had been started in India, Egypt and Yucatan. Churchward claimed to have gained his knowledge from fragments of text written by the Naacals in a dead language taught to him by an Indian priest. This is the sequel to The Lost Continent of Mu.
£19.80
Clover Press Artists in Taiwan
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£32.39
Clover Press Artists in Korea
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£32.39
Springer International Publishing AG Spatial Literary Studies in China
Book SynopsisSpatial Literary Studies in China explores the range of vibrant and innovative research being done in China today. Chinese scholars have been exploring spatially oriented literary criticism in two different and mutually reinforcing directions: the first has focused on the study of Western literature, especially U.S. and European texts and theory, and the second has examined Chinese cultures, texts, and spaces. This collection of essays demonstrates Chinese scholars’ insightful interpretation, evaluation, and innovative application of international spatial analyses, theories, and methodologies, as well as their inspiring exploration and reconstruction of distinctively Chinese critical and theoretical discourses. For the first time in English, the essays in this volume demonstrate the vitality of literary geography, geocriticism, and the spatial humanities in China in the twenty-first century.Table of ContentsPart I Spatial Theory and Technology1. Spatial Literary Studies in China: A Brief History2. An Exploration of the Problems of Space and Spatialization3. Mobility Studies: A New Direction in Spatial Literary Studies4. Developing the Chinese Academic Map Publishing Platform5. Space: The Keyword of Art History Study6. The Attributes of British and American Literary Maps: An Exploration7. Spatial Narrative in Fiction: “Spatialization” of Fiction NarrativePart II Studies in Literary Geography8. The Construction of Academic System in a New Literary Geography9. Regional Aesthetics and the Historical Formation of the Image of Jiangnan in the Literature of Six Dynasties10. American National Parks: Symbolic Landscapes11. Walking Landscape: Spatial Experience and Imagination of Modernity in the Overseas Travelogues in the Late Qing Dynasty12. Introducing Literary Geography to the History of Chinese Literature13. Spatial Metaphors and the Literary Cartography of Shanghai in Modern Chinese NovelsPart III Geocritical Studies and Textual Analysis14. The Middle Place: Mediation and Heterotopia in Nick Joaquín’s The Woman Who Had Two Navels15. Lewis’s Babbitt, Literary Maps, and the Production of Space in American Cities16. Pretext, Embedded-Text, Subtext: On the Landscape Narratives of Willa Cather’s One of Ours17. Embedded Geographies in GUO Pu’s “River Fu”18. The Source of the Terror: Interpreting the Liminal Space in Carson McCullers’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter19. Antebellum Literary Cartography and the Construction of an American Oceanic Space
£82.49
Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden The End of Empires
Book SynopsisThe articles of this comprehensive edited volume offer a multidisciplinary, global and comparative approach to the history of empires. They analyze their ends over a long spectrum of humankind’s history, ranging from Ancient History through Modern Times. As the main guiding question, every author of this volume scrutinizes the reasons for the decline, the erosion, and the implosion of individual empires.All contributions locate and highlight different factors that triggered or at least supported the ending or the implosion of empires. This overall question makes all the contributions to this volume comparable and allows to detect similarities, differences as well as inconsistencies of historical processes.Table of ContentsIntroductionDecline, Collapse, Fall, or just Transformation: Diverging Ends of Empires through Time and SpaceAntiquityDer Zusammenbruch des mesopotamischen Staates von AkkadeThe Decline of the Ur III dynasty – The End of an Empire and its Afterlife in the Collective Memory of Mesopotamian SocietiesThe Collapse of the Hittitie KingdomThe End of New Kingdom EgyptThe End of the Neo-Assyrian EmpireThe “End” of the Achaemenid-Persian Empire: Caesura and Transformation in DialogueThe End of the Roman Empire: Civil Wars, the Imperial Monarchy, and the End of AntiquityThe End of the Parthian Arsacid EmpireThe End of the Ērānšahar: The Decline of the Sasanian EmpireThe End of the Kushan EmpireIslam/Muslim WorldFrom Universalism to RegionalismThe Question of the Break-Up of the Abbasid Empire RevisitedThe End of the Mongol EmpireThe End of the Timurid EmpireAfrica, Asia, ChinaThe Decline and Collapse of the Kingdom of Aksum (6th-7th cent. AD): An Environmental Disaster or the End of a Political Process?What Role did Climate Change Play in the Decline of the Tang Dynasty?Thoughts about The Decentralization of the Mughal EmpireHow do Empires Fall? Two Case Studies from Pre-modern Southeast AsiaThe AmericasThe Decline and Fall of the Inca Empire The Downfall of Aztec Rule, 1519-21Middle Age and Modern HistoryThe Fall of the Napoleonic EmpireDas Ende des Spanischen KolonialreichesThe End of the Portuguese Colonial EmpireDas Ende des polnisch-litauischen Großreichs als DiskussionsfrageThe End of World War IStructural Problems, Personal Failure or just Contingency? The End of the Russian EmpireThe End of the German Empire 1918?The End of the Habsburg MonarchyThe Long Lasting End of the Ottoman EmpireThe End of World War II and the Cold WarDas Ende des faschistischen ImperiumsThe Rise and Fall of Hitler’s Empire (1933–1945)The End of the USSRA Never – Ending Empire? The Decline of the United KingdomAmerica’s Decline on Display: The Presidential Transition
£52.49
Prestel Masahisa Fukase: Private Scenes
Book SynopsisPublished for the first time in book form, this startling and intimate collection of late images by the great twentieth-century photographer comprises the series Private Scenes and Letters from Journeys. One of the most important Japanese photographers of the last century, Masahisa Fukase was known for exploring themes of isolation, loneliness and melancholy and for his transgressive and intimate approach to the medium. This volume includes two of his last and arguably most personal series. Private Scenes features photographs taken over the course of the year 1989 in different locations around the world and in which he is both subject and photographer. He then painted over the prints with colored washes to create an entirely new piece. For this same series, he later photographed scenes from daily life, this time in Tokyo, changing camera and adding the date on his photographs, but still representing himself in the images. This book reproduces for the first time in book form all of the photographs that make up both original series. It charts a turning point in Fukase's work-an artist grappling with his medium and with a compulsion to share his personal experiences with his audience. The photographs are accompanied by a text by Masako Toda, who offers a contextual and historical consideration of Fukase's oeuvre.
£32.00
Tuttle Publishing Modern Ninja Warfare: Ninja Tactics for the
Book SynopsisModern Ninja Warfare takes a contemporary look at the stealthy methods of the Ninja (Shinobi).Ninja historian Antony Cummins, himself a skilled martial artist, takes a detailed and realistic look at the Ninja, their methods and their role in the medieval Japanese military, as well as how they compare to today's Special Forces and covert military groups. Cummins collected information from members of Special Ops, police forces, CIA and more about the techniques they use in the twenty-first century, and compares it against his extensive knowledge and research of historical ninjutsu methods. Readers will get a detailed look at the defensive strategies, engagement against specific threats, intelligence gathering, territorial concerns, mental focus and the spiritual mind-control techniques of these invisible warriors—both of the past and present.With over 100 striking illustrations that vividly portray the Ninjas' secret world, this book shines new light on their shadowy methods. In the process, the mythical image of the Ninja is washed away revealing the reality of these commando-spies of medieval Japan.
£11.69
Tuttle Publishing Japanese Legends and Folklore: Samurai Tales,
Book SynopsisJapanese Legends and Folklore invites English speakers into the intriguing world of Japanese folktales, ghost stories and historical eyewitness accounts. With a fascinating selection of stories about Japanese culture and history, A.B. Mitford—who lived and worked in Japan as a British diplomat—presents a broad cross section of tales from many Japanese sources. Discover more about practically every aspect of Japanese life—from myths and legends to society and religion. This book features 30 fascinating Japanese stories, including: The Forty-Seven Ronin—the famous, epic tale of a loyal band of Samurai warriors who pay the ultimate price for avenging the honor of their fallen master. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow—a good-hearted old man is richly rewarded when he begs forgiveness from a sparrow who is injured by his spiteful, greedy wife. The Adventures of Little Peach Boy—a tale familiar to generations of Japanese children, a small boy born from a peach is adopted by a kindly childless couple. Japanese Sermons—a selection of sermons written by a priest belonging to the Shingaku sect, which combines Buddhist, Shinto and Confucian teachings. An Account of Hara-Kiri—Mitford's dramatic first person account of a ritual Samurai suicide, the first time it had been reported in English. Thirty-one reproductions of woodblock prints bring the classic tales and essays to life. These influential stories helped shape the West's understanding of Japanese culture. A new foreword by Professor Michael Dylan Foster sheds light on the book's importance as a groundbreaking work of Japanese folklore, literature and history.Trade Review"One of the first and in many ways still one of the best books on Japan." --The Japan Times"An excellent introduction to Japanese literature." --Mainichi Daily News"Mitford's collection and observations have held through to today, a century and a half later. His reporting is accurate and reflects the mindset of Japanese people then and now. This book is not only extremely interesting to read but also should be required reading for anyone studying Japanese culture." --Journal of Folklore Research
£11.69
Tuttle Publishing Geishas and the Floating World: Inside Tokyo's
Book SynopsisGeishas and the Floating World returns readers to a lost world of sensuality and seduction, rich with hedonism, abandon, and sexual and personal politics."Floating World" refers to Japan's traditional Geisha pleasure districts, but also to the artistic and literary worlds associated with them. At the heart of the "Floating World" and the system it supported was an extensive network of talented courtesans and entertainers, typified by the still fascinating, enigmatic Geisha. Stephen and Ethel Longstreet bring the reader on an in-depth tour of the original and most infamous red-light district in Japan—the Yoshiwara district of old Tokyo that underwent tremendous changes during the more than three centuries of its existence.Beyond the erotic allure the district held, the Yoshiwara also fostered a rich culture and a much studied and revered artistic and literary tradition. This account is adorned with examples of fine woodblock prints and quotations from often bawdy, and always colorful, original sources that offer a gripping portrait of life within the pleasure zone.Geishas and the Floating World balances scholarly insights with a master storyteller's flair for the exploits and intrigues of people operating outside the confines of polite society. Stephen Mansfield's new introduction bridges time, examining gender realities and the Yoshiwara through contemporary eyes, highlighting often overlooked subtleties and the harsh realities associated with this glittering world.Trade Review"Stephen Longstreet is the perfect American to reflect on the Yoshiwara pleasure district. A painter, jazzman, Hollywood screenplay writer, at home in both Saint Germain des Pres's Tabu and Harlem's Cotton Club, he instinctively identifies Yoshiwara as the Chrysanthemum Vie de Boheme as he effortlessly conjures the kaleidoscope of senses which Yoshiwara offered…" -- Asian Review of Books"Geishas and The Floating World really does do a remarkable job of capturing the essence of what life was like for the denizens of the pleasure city." --Yamato Magazine
£11.69
Tuttle Publishing Enchanting Embroidery Designs: Whimsical Animal
Book SynopsisEnchanting Embroidery Designs invites you to create your own world using bright thread colors and imaginative stitches.Full of motifs that are both simple and playful, from zany crocodiles, and cuddly cats to big-eared bats and stealthy ravens. This book invites you to be creative with its whimsical designs and step-by-step instructions—whether you use these projects as visible mending techniques or simply to add interest to a piece. The sweet scenes and cute characters are full of life and texture, making them at home on your favorite clothing, home accessories or wall hangings.The unusual and versatile designs in this book include: Cheery flowers on a broach Pretty pine trees on hanging ornaments A colorful curly sheep Fluffy and stormy clouds Bushy-tailed foxes Moss on stone and microorganisms in Petri dishes And more! Simple how-tos take you through every recommended stitch, while a section on combining colors will inspire you to try mixing and matching to create something new. There's also a section on turning your stitchery into embellishments you can use, wear and share. Put your imagination and hands to work with the help of this inspiring embroidery book.Trade Review"…[Morita] combines poetry and instruction in this gracious embroidery guide…Her diagrams and instructions are tidy, with helpful arrows and outlines. [She] set out to make designs 'that are fun to do,' and any crafter who picks this up will agree she hit the mark." --Publishers Weekly
£11.69
Tuttle Publishing Hiroshige's Japan: On the Trail of the Great
Book Synopsis"Presented alongside Hiroshige's prints, with descriptions and context, Delord's work offers an absorbing contemplation of Japan's past and present via one legendary travel route, and shows how thoroughly upended our surroundings have been in what was, in wider perspective, only a short time." — The New York TimesJourney along the famed Tokaido Road—an ancient thoroughfare with a modern twist.The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido is the best-known work of the great 19th century Japanese woodblock artist Utagawa Hiroshige. The series of 53 masterful woodblock prints depicts stops along the ancient Tokaido Road—which, from the eleventh to the nineteenth century, was the main thoroughfare between Tokyo and Kyoto.Though the road itself is now submerged under Japan's twenty-first-century urban landscape, French artist Philippe Delord set out to see if he could find the original locations, with just a moped, sketchbook, watercolors and a book of Hiroshige's prints.Hiroshige's Japan allows readers to make the journey alongside Delord, venturing from Tokyo and Mount Fuji to mountain passes and rugged coastlines. Inside are all 53 original scenery prints made by Hiroshige, alongside their modern-day equivalent by Delord. A lively commentary about his experiences as he tries to locate each of the 53 scenes (without speaking Japanese!) offers readers an insightful, and often humorous, look into both modern and historical Japan.Part travelogue, part work of art, this book is sure to delight armchair travelers, history buffs, art enthusiasts and Japanophiles alike!Trade Review"Delord's genius is in isolating details of mundane experience that reveal basic truths of a place captured at a moment in time. Between Tokyo's towers and Kyoto's tourist sites, we get glimpses of Japan's great industrial power, anonymous highway culture, wayside shrines, restaurants, and, most importantly, the subtle rhythms of life." --Prof. Kendall Brown, author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America"Presented alongside Hiroshige's prints, with descriptions and context, Delord's work offers an absorbing contemplation of Japan's past and present via one legendary travel route, and shows how thoroughly upended our surroundings have been in what was, in wider perspective, only a short time." -- The New York Times
£21.24
Manohar Publishers and Distributors History of the French in India
Book SynopsisThe volume talks about the emergence of the French as a colonial power in the Indian subcontinent, the governorship of La Bourdonnais and Dupleix, further inroads into the Carnatic regions, fall of Dupleix and his struggles with his adversaries.
£44.99
Manohar Publishers and Distributors Native Life in Travancore
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£73.61
Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. Pearl by the River
Book Synopsis[The author] has excelled in recreating in the reader''s mind the enormity of the tragedy a man suffered and how he chose to sculptor his choked passion into a concrete beauty Dr Meerza Kaukab, great-grandson of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.Theast king of Audh, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah ofucknow was exiled by the British to Metiabruz in Bengal, on the fringes of Calcutta. Despite being robbed of his rightful throne, the Nawab did notose hope; instead, he set about establishing a new mini-kingdom on the banks of the River Hoogly.ittle byittle he brought in theaknawi way ofife to this area of Bengal, so much so that Metiabruz came to be called Chotaucknow''. Extensively researched and evocatively written, this bookooks at a forgotten king and how he turned his exile into a victory of sorts.
£8.99
Vivida Japanese Folk Magic
£11.39
Orient Blackswan Pvt Ltd The Alternative Leadership: Speeches, Articles,
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£12.50
Orient Blackswan Pvt Ltd Wives and Widows at Work: Women's Labour in
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£43.22
Orient BlackSwan Explorations in Colonial Bengal
Book SynopsisBengal was the primary centre of East-West interaction and the first region in India to be influenced by and resonate with British culture during colonial times. Explorations in Colonial Bengal sheds light on some important, yet relatively less-explored aspects of sociocultural changes that took place in Bengal in the colonial milieu. The essays engage with two major themes: Vaishnavism, and the society and culture of nineteenth and twentieth-century Bengal.The contributing authors show how Vaishnavism attracted the attention of multiple ethnic communities and institutions in contemporary society. They also study relatively unknown aspects of this culture, such as the role of women in the evolution of Bengali Vaishnava traditions.The second section addresses the society, economy, and politics of colonial Bengal and explores subjects as diverse as the close connection between history and literature; Tagore's concepts of nationalism and his liberal humanism.
£49.88
Maxwell Press Mediæval India
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£36.89
OM Books International Shamans of the Himalayas
£999.99
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd Ram Sethu
Book SynopsisMemoirs of an Enchanted Bridge, Arup K. Chatterjee brings this fabled structure to life, weaving together sacred lore, colonial history, cutting-edge science and the voices of coastal communities who live in.
£17.50
Aleph Book Company The Colonial Subjugation of India
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£26.09
Hong Kong University Press Pilgrimages Memories of Colonial Macau and Hong Kong
£14.43
Landmark Books Pte.Ltd ,Singapore There Was a Time: Singapore 1959-1965 From
Book SynopsisThis collection of 328 photographs shows the rhythm of daily life in Singapore between 1959 and 1965 – the pivotal time in its history when the city-state was granted internal self-rule by the British colonial government to the year it became a sovereign nation. This was when Singapore began its process of great development. Kampong folk moved into high-rise housing, new careers came with factories built in Jurong, the trading of stocks and shares began in Raffles Place, television was introduced to Singapore, and the new red-brick National Library opened on Stamford Road. Yet, some things remained unchanged. Bumboats still jostled on the fetid waters of the Singapore River, children played on five-foot-ways, families enjoyed the sea air along Queen Elizabeth Walk, and eating out at street-side hawker stalls was a way of life. For those who remember these scenes, this book will evoke a lost time. And for those who do not, it is a window to a simpler, unhurried life.
£24.00
Springer Verlag, Singapore Travel, Translation and Transmedia Aesthetics:
Book SynopsisThis book examines the works of four contemporary first-generation Chinese migrant writer-artists in France: François CHENG, GAO Xingjian, DAI Sijie, and SHAN Sa. They were all born in China, moved to France in their adulthood to pursue their literary and artistic ambitions, and have enjoyed the highest French and Western institutional recognitions, from the Grand Prix de la Francophonie to the Nobel Prize in Literature. They have established themselves not only as writers, but also as translators, calligraphers, painters, playwrights, and filmmakers mainly in their host country. French has become their dominant—but not only—language of literary creation (except for Gao); yet, linguistic idioms, poetic imagery, and classical thought from Chinese cultural heritage permeate their French texts and visual artworks, reflecting a strong translingual and transmedial sensibility. The book provides not only distinctive literary and artistic examples beyond existing studies of intercultural encounter, French postcolonial, and Chinese diasporic enquiries; more importantly, it formulates a theoretical model that captures the creative dynamics between the French/francophone and Chinese/sinophone spaces of articulation, thereby contributing to contemporary debates about literary and artistic production, interpretation, and circulation in the global development of comparative/world literature, as well as intermediality studies.Trade Review“The book is overflowing with trendy concepts. … Li’s scintillating monograph is a must read for all those interested in a singular body of non-postcolonial, diasporic literature/ visual arts by a group of authors who straddle the Francophone and the Sinophone, yet stubbornly resist labels of any sort.” (Yunfei Bai, Recherche littéraire - Literary Research, Vol. 38, 2022)Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Diverse Forms of Travel and Translation in Franco-Chinese Fiction.- Chapter 3: Translingual Rewriting and Transhistorical Fabulation.- Chapter 4: Sinograph, Calligraphy, and Novelistic Aesthetics.- Chapter 5: Translational (Anti-)Storytelling and Transmedia Aesthetics.- Chapter 6: Conclusion.
£59.99
Talisman Publishing A History of Money in Singapore
Book SynopsisThis signature book describes the multiplicity of currencies that have been used in and around the island over the centuries, and how these culminate in the Singapore dollar today. The authors trace the impact, sometimes dramatic, of political and economic events and technological forces shaping these currencies. Singapore has followed its own development path, from the days when, in the first few decades of the colonial settlement, local merchants resisted currency reforms imposed on the island by the East India Company. Greater monetary autonomy was achieved in the second half of the 19th century when Singapore became a Crown colony in its own right. The drive towards self-representation culminated in full internal self-government in 1959, independence from British colonial rule in 1963 as part of the Federation of Malaysia, and the status of a sovereign nation in 1965. The introduction of Singapore's own currency in 1967 was a national milestone. In 1971, Singapore established the Monetary Authority of Singapore with the sovereign power to undertake monetary policy as it deemed most appropriate. Money has evolved from coins minted from precious metals to those struck from baser metals, to notes issued first by commercial banks and later by governments. The journey from commodity-based money to a purely fiat money has unfolded in parallel. The use of money in its electronic and more 'weightless' forms has also become increasingly common. The powerful effects this trend will have on the nature of money and banking are still unfolding. All these issues, and more, are examined in this book, published to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of Singapore's central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), in January 1971.
£24.00
Springer Verlag, Singapore Splendors of Quanzhou, Past and Present
Book SynopsisThis open access book explores the past and present of Quanzhou (Zayton) and the rich diversity and tolerance that kindled Quanzhou’s innovativeness and helped it prosper both commercially and culturally—values that are today being embraced by China’s global trade partners. Quanzhou (Zayton), Marco Polo’s port of departure and Columbus’ goal in China, was not only the start of the Maritime Silk Road and the Middle Age’s greatest port but also centuries ahead of its time in its tolerance and diversity. The fabled “City of Light” had 7 mosques for its 40,000 Muslims, some of whom served in government, as well as 3 Franciscan cathedrals funded in part by the emperor, Jewish synagogues, and centers for Nestorian Christians, Hindus, Taoists, Manicheans, Jains, etc. As Franciscan Bishop Andrew of Perugia wrote in 1322, “Tis a fact that in this vast empire, there are people of every nation under heaven, and every sect, and all and sundry are allowed to live freely according to their creed.” In 2021, UNESCO designated “Quanzhou, Emporium of the World,” as a world heritage site, and the city is now the hub of the Belt and Road Initiative, the 21st Century Silk Road, which was inspired by ancient Quanzhou.Table of ContentsQuanzhou at a Glance.- The Story of Zaytun.- Exploring Quanzhou Maritime Museum.- Exploring the Ancient Maritime Silk Road in Today’s Quanzhou.- Quanzhou: Home of Miraculous Chinese Puppets!.
£33.74
Independently Published Guerra de Submarinos na Segunda Guerra Mundial: A
Book SynopsisO perigo rondava sob as águas frias e cinzentas do Mar do Norte e as ondas azuis cintilantes do Atlântico tropical durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, enquanto o Terceiro Reich de Adolf Hitler tentava estrangular as rotas de navegação aliadas com ataques de U-boat. Submarinos alemães e britânicos vasculharam o vasto campo de batalha oceânico em busca de presas, enquanto os cientistas desenvolviam novas tecnologias e contramedidas. A guerra submarina começou provisoriamente durante a Guerra Civil Americana (embora os Países Baixos e a Inglaterra tenham feito pequenos protótipos séculos antes, e o sargento americano Ezra Lee pilotou o Turtle sozinho em vão contra o HMS Eagle perto de Nova York em 1776). A invenção do torpedo pelo britânico Robert Whitehead introduziu a arma mais tarde usada com mais frequência por submarinos. Melhorias constantes no design de Whitehead levaram aos torpedos militares implantados contra a navegação durante as duas guerras mundiais. A Primeira Guerra Mundial testemunhou a Primeira Batalha do Atlântico, quando o Kaiserreich lançou seus U-boats contra a Inglaterra. Durante os 52,5 meses de guerra, os submarinos alemães enviaram grande parte da marinha mercante britânica para o fundo. Na verdade, a dependência alemã dos U-boats tanto na Primeira quanto na Segunda Guerra Mundial derivou em grande parte da geografia de seu país. Os alemães acabaram reconhecendo a primazia da Marinha Real e sua capacidade de bloquear a curta costa da Alemanha em caso de guerra. Embora os britânicos pudessem interditar facilmente os navios de superfície, os submarinos escaparam de suas ancoragens em Kiel ou Hamburgo sem serem vistos, podendo atacar os navios mercantes da Inglaterra. Durante a Primeira Guerra Mundial, os submarinos alemães operaram sozinhos, exceto em uma ocasião. Inicialmente, os britânicos e as nações que abasteciam a Inglaterra com alimentos e material espalharam navios isoladamente pelo oceano, tornando-os vulneráveis aos submarinos solitários. No entanto, a ampla retomada do sistema de comboio no final da guerra derrubou as probabilidades a favor dos navios de superfície, conforme descrito por um capitão de submarino: Os oceanos imediatamente ficaram vazios; por longos períodos de tempo, os U-boats, operando individualmente, não veriam absolutamente nada; e então, de repente, surgia uma enorme multidão de navios, trinta ou cinquenta ou mais deles, cercados por uma forte escolta de navios de guerra de todos os tipos. (Blair, 1996, 55). A Primeira Guerra Mundial provou o valor dos submarinos, garantindo seu emprego generalizado no próximo conflito. Além da Alemanha e da Grã-Bretanha, o Japão e os Estados Unidos também construíram extensas frotas de submarinos antes e / ou durante a guerra. Uma inovação crítica nas operações do submarino atlântico da Segunda Guerra Mundial consistia em táticas de matilha de lobos, nas quais o almirante Karl Dönitz confiava muito: Quanto maior o número de U-boats que pudessem ser trazidos simultaneamente para o ataque , os mais favoráveis seriam as oportunidades oferecidas a cada atacante individual. [...] era óbvio que, por motivos estratégicos e táticos gerais , os ataques a comboios devem ser realizados por uma série de U-boats que atuam em uníssono. (Dönitz, 1990, 4). No entanto, mesmo a matilha se mostrou insuficiente para derrotar os comboios do Atlântico e parar o comércio aliado - o oposto exato do teatro do Pacífico, onde as excelentes forças submarinas da América aniquilaram grande parte da marinha mercante do Japão e infligiram graves danos à Marinha Imperial Japonesa. Os submarinos exerceram um impacto decisivo no desfecho do Teatro do Pacífico na Segunda Guerra Mundial. A frota de submarinos dos Estados Unidos, em grande parte, embora não exclusivamente sob o comando geral do vice-almirante Charles Lockwood, ultrapassou as linhas de abastecimento e o tráfeg
£10.28
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Images of Women in Chinese Thought and Culture
Book SynopsisTrade Review. . . this work is a monumental effort on the part of the editor and contributors and can be used in many different ways and for many different purposes. The most rewarding, but also the most demanding, is to read it from cover to cover; this will afford diligent readers a wide perspective and enable them to gain a more profound understanding of the wide variety of ideologies and practices that existed in ancient China regarding women and gender, and the changes and developments in these ideas and practices through the ages. Alternatively, it can be used as a reference to locate specific texts with their translation. Not least, it can be used as a sourcebook for teaching gender in a particular dynasty, school of thought, or literary genre. --Lily Xiao Hong Lee, China Review InternationalWang's comprehensive anthology, utilizing the expertise of contemporary sinologists, historians, and philosophers, is an impressive collection of translated classical writings that provides scholars an invaluable tool for surveying the images of women across the literary landscape of China. . . . Particularly suitable as a source book not just for scholarly research but for classroom teaching as well. --Li-Hsiang Lisa Rosenlee, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy
£17.99
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language
Book SynopsisThe saga of the Three Kingdoms—which recounts the dramatic story of the civil wars (ca. 180–220 CE) that divided the old Han Empire into the Shu, Wei, and Wu states—remains as popular as ever in China, having served as the basis of not only traditional operas and ballads, but also, in more recent years, of movies, television dramas, and video games. Translated into English for the first time here, the Sanguozhi pinghua (thirteenth century CE) provides a complete and fast-paced narrative account of the events of the period, from the beginning of the civil wars to the demise of the Three Kingdoms and the short-lived reunification of the realm by the Jin dynasty. Shorter, clearer, and more accessible to Western audiences than Luo Guanzhong’s later, greatly expanded Romance (Sanguo yanyi)—and beautifully rendered in this edition by two modern-day masters of the art of Chinese literary translation—the Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language provides an ideal introduction to one of the foundational Chinese epic traditions. Tables of major Chinese dynasties and reigns, a guide to understanding formal Chinese naming conventions, a glossary of Chinese names and terms, and reproductions of some woodcuts from the original edition of the text are included.Trade Review"Idema and West have been collaborating on the production of scholarly works on, and translations of, Chinese vernacular literature for decades and work has set a very high standard for scholarly value, accuracy, and readability. This is their second volume on popular treatments of the famous Three Kingdoms period, a fascinating age that, as a topic, has dominated both traditional Chinese fiction and drama. . . . Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language . . . presents a comprehensive introduction to all of the main characters (Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Cao Cao, Zhou Yu, etc.) and events (the Oath in the Peach Garden, The Battle at the Red Cliff, The Single Sword Meeting, etc.) that are so well known in China and deserve to be even better known in the West." —David Rolston, University of Michigan"A rollicking story cycle translated into lively English and ideal for undergraduate instruction. Also a crisp yet well annotated Introduction. Idema and West are two the best!" —Paul R. Goldin, University of Pennsylvania"The anonymous compiler of Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language did not attempt to include all of the rich tapestry of narratives then available on the events of the Three Kingdoms era. Compared to the later Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is significantly shorter . . . action and dialogue are prioritized over description, creating a narrative that is fast-paced and easy to read. "As with their earlier works, West and Idema skillfully navigate the tensions inherent in literary translation. The text succeeds in the difficult task of sticking close to the linguistic contours of the original text while producing a readable and enjoyable English rendering. "Plentiful notes explain historical and cultural references, anachronisms and historical inaccuracies, and discuss translation choices and their rationale. More supporting information is provided in the in-depth introduction to the history and legend of the Three Kingdoms era, the plain tale form in general, and this work in particular, while the thorough bibliography in English and Chinese is a valuable resource for research on the topic. The rigorous approach to the translation further contributes to its value as a resource. "Overall, this is a welcome and high quality addition to the existing English translations of early Chinese narrative literature, and a fantastic resource for research on both the Three Kingdoms story cycle and the plain tale form." —Ewan MacDonald, University of London, in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
£17.09
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc The Rise of the Mongols: Five Chinese Sources
Book SynopsisRise of the Mongols offers readers a selection of five important works that detail the rise of the Mongol Empire through Chinese eyes. Three of these works were written by officials of South China's Southern Song dynasty and two are from officials from North China writing in the service of the Mongol rulers. Together, these accounts offer a view of the early Mongol Empire very different not just from those of Muslim and Christian travelers and chroniclers, but also from the Mongol tradition embodied in The Secret History of Mongols. The five Chinese source texts (in English translation, each with their own preface): Selections from Random Notes from Court and Country since the Jianyan Years, vol.2, by Li Xinchuan "A Memorandum on the Mong-Tatars," by Zhao Gong "A Sketch of the Black Tatars," by Peng Daya and Xu Ting "Spirit-Path Stele for His Honor Yelü, Director of the Secretariat," by Song Zizhen "Notes on a Journey," by Zhang Dehui Also included are an introduction, index, bibliography, and appendices covering notes on the texts, tables and charts, and a glossary of Chinese and transcribed terms.Trade Review"Our modern fascination with the Mongol empire only increases with each passing year. One global myth even claims that Chinggis Khan’s DNA can be found among most of the races of the world today—a story of genetic seeding that surely testifies to the obsessive awe with which the rulers of the largest empire in the history of the world are still held. The Rise of the Mongols: Five Chinese Sources, is thus a timely, important, and welcome addition to the limited sources on the Mongols currently available to us in English translation. Unlike the Yuanshi—the Chinese history of the Mongol dynasty that is retroactively written—Christopher Atwood’s and Lynn Struve’s five Chinese sources recount the important early days of the Mongol ascension to power through contemporary and even eyewitness accounts situated in both southern and northern China. Whether you're teaching Marco Polo, or The Secret History of the Mongols, or courses in early globalism, you’ll find this invaluable collection of newly-translated Chinese sources indispensable." —Geraldine Heng, author of The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages, and Founder and Director of the Global Middle Ages Project"Christopher Atwood, one of the world's leading Mongolists and an outstanding historian and linguist, has made some of the earliest historical sources on the emerging Mongol empire accessible at last to non-Sinophone readers. The publication of these highly readable translations from classical Chinese, finely illustrated with maps and images, is a landmark event for scholars and teachers of the history of the Mongol conquests." —Shao-yun Yang, Denison University“For scholars of the medieval West used to seeing the Mongols through the eyes of Matthew Paris, William of Rubruck, or Marco Polo, Atwood’s The Rise of the Mongols is a revelation. In five Chinese source texts dating from the time of Chinggis Khan to that of his grandson Qubilai, we see the emergence of the Mongols and their conquest of northern China not as a sudden fait accompli but as a complex process of military exploit and cultural negotiation. Ideal for the World History classroom, the volume's extended introduction offers an invaluable guide to Chinese and Central Asian history and culture.” —Sharon Kinoshita, University of California Santa Cruz"Atwood has produced an excellent volume of primary source translations hitherto inaccessible to many scholars and most students. This volume is ideal for classroom use. With clear and functional maps and other ancillary materials to accompany the lucid translations, Atwood offers instructors everything they could ask for in a classroom textbook. This work can easily accompany other primary sources (Western and/or Islamic) to provide a holistic view of the Mongol Empire. The translations are clear and accompanied by, but not burdened with, informative footnotes so one can use the text as a standalone volume or as an accompanying text. Undoubtedly, this volume of translated Chinese sources will become a standard text that all classes on the Mongols and researchers will put to excellent use." —Timothy May, University of North Georgia"In addition to a highly readable English translation and their authoritative and up-to-date commentary, the editors have contributed the identification of new readings on the basis of a wide range of manuscripts and modern printings. No less valuable are the introductory sections on traditions associated with Chinese state-building and on the conventions of Chinese historical writing. In sum, Atwood and Struve have rendered a signal service to scholarship on the history of the thirteenth-century Mongols. Scholars who (like this reviewer) lack a knowledge of Chinese will warmly welcome this collection."—Peter Jackson, Keele University, in The Medieval Review“Atwood’s scholarly enterprise contributes immensely to a holistic understanding of the emergence of the largest contiguous empire, by making the Chinese records accessible. . . . Taken together, the five sources not only provide many fascinating details about the early Mongols and north China under their rule, but also highlight the collision and coexistence between the Chinese and Mongol ways of life on the eve of the Mongol conquest of the whole of China. The translation is lucid, accompanied by many (but not too many) informative notes, and a full array of aids such as a chronology, maps, tables of dynastic genealogies, reign titles, and even weights and measures, as well as a glossary of Chinese and non-Chinese names and terms, and notes about the texts consulted. All these help the reader contextualize the sources, while the various images scattered across the pages make the reading more appealing. Atwood has done a tremendous service to scholars and students of the Mongol Empire by making these important sources accessible in such a superb way. . . . I’m sure that it will be constantly used for both teaching and research for many years to come.” —Michal Biran, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Journal of Chinese History
£16.14
Bohlau Verlag Archaeology and Conservation Along the Silk Road
Book Synopsis
£47.69
Oxford University Press,Pakistan The Punjab Bloodied Partitioned and Cleansed
Book SynopsisThe book underscores the theoretical aspect of governments in East and West Punjab collaborating to expel unwanted minorities, emphasizing the ethnic cleansing goal during the partition.
£999.99
