Asian history Books
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan
Book SynopsisTrade Review“A historical bombshell…Compelling…The most controversial book yet on Japan’s previous emperor.” — The Economist “The author’s virtuoso scholarship and accessible narrative invite us into Hirohito’s world and change the way we think of recent history; his portrayal of a monarch rationalizing evil is superb.” — The New Yorker “”The triumph of Mr. Bix is that of a tailor able to assemble disparate scaps of material and sew them into a seamless whole.”” — The New York Times “Myth-shattering…[T]his superb biography should jog loose a few suppressed memories.” — Newsweek “Nothing published since the Berlin Wall’s fall quite comes up to Herbert Bix’s new book…It’s a startling work—awesomely ambitious, faultlessly researched, daring in its thesis, and profound in its implications.” — Business Week “Persuasive. . . . Bix proves, in an immensely readable 800 pages, that good imperial biography is still possible.” — The Times Literary Supplement
£13.49
Vintage Publishing Underground
Book SynopsisMurakami tells the true story behind an act of terrorism that turned an average Monday morning into a national disaster.In spite of the perpetrators'' intentions, the Tokyo gas attack left only twelve people dead, but thousands were injured and many suffered serious after-effects. Murakami interviews the victims to try and establish precisely what happened on the subway that day.He also interviews members and ex-members of the doomsdays cult responsible, in the hope that they might be able to explain the reason for the attack and how it was that their guru instilled such devotion in his followers.''Not just an impressive essay in witness literature, but also a unique sounding of the quotidian Japanese mind'' IndependentTrade ReviewMurakami shares with Alfred Hitchcock a fascination for ordinary people being suddenly plucked by extraordinary circumstances from their daily lives * Sunday Telegraph *Not just an impressive essay in witness literature, but also a unique sounding of the quotidian Japanese mind * Independent *A scrupulous and unhistrionic look into the heart of the horror * Scotsman *The testimonies he assembles are striking. From the very beginning Underground is impossibly moving and unexpectedly engrossing * Time Out *There is no artifice or pretension in Underground. There is no need for cleverness. What Murakami describes happens to ordinary people in a frighteningly ordinary way. And it is all the more bizarre for that * Observer *
£10.44
Nabu Press In the Footsteps of Marco Polo Being the Account
Book SynopsisThis is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
£16.49
Pan Macmillan Judgement at Tokyo
Book SynopsisThe definitive account of the Tokyo war crimes trials of 1946-8 and the impact the settlement has had on post-war China and Japan, and on the wider the world right up to the present day.
£11.69
John Murray Press The Great Game On Secret Service in High Asia
Book Synopsis'Peter Hopkirk is truly the Laureate of the Great Game' Jan MorrisTrade Review'Brilliant' * Patrick Leigh Fermor, Daily Telegraph *'There can be few more fascinating subjects, or few authors better qualified to write about it' * Fitzroy Maclean, Independent *'Immensely readable and magisterially detached. A gripping and impressive narrative of adventure and war' * Financial Times *'Hopkirk's brilliant and engrossing account remains the classic text on how to handle the various and often dangerous people who inhabit the region, fill of tips and warnings for the Game's current players.' * BBC History Magazine *'Fans of political history and adventure are in for a treat as publishing house John Murray reissues its Peter Hopkirk series' * Siân Gibson, Geographical Magazine *
£11.24
Arcturus Publishing The Samurai
Book Synopsis
£16.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Cultural Revolution
Book SynopsisAcclaimed by the Daily Mail as ''definitive and harrowing'', this is the final volume of The People's Trilogy'', begun by the Samuel Johnson prize-winning Mao''s Great Famine.''The seminal English language work on the subject' Sunday TimesA major contribution to scholarship on modern China, one that is unequalled, certainly in the English language both revealing and rewarding reading for specialists and non-specialists alike'' Literary ReviewAfter the economic disaster of the Great Leap Forward that claimed tens of millions of lives between 1958 and 1962, an ageing Mao launched an ambitious scheme to shore up his reputation and eliminate those he viewed as a threat to his legacy. The stated goal of the Cultural Revolution was to purge the country of bourgeois, capitalist elements he claimed were threatening genuine communist ideology. But the Chairman also used the Cultural Revolution to turn on his colleagues, some of them longTrade ReviewDefinitive and harrowing -- Book of the Week * Daily Mail *Dikötter never allows his intense account to degenerate into melodrama. Networks of power and information are carefully traced, revealing a movement that spiralled into general score-settling on such a scale that Mao and his allies had only intermittent control … A fascinating account of how people twisted or resisted the aims of Mao’s movement * Daily Telegraph *Definitive and harrowing -- Roger Lewis, Book of the Week * Daily Mail *Magnificent ... The author gives full acknowledgement to memoirs and scholarly works but it is his own archival research, allied to a piercing critique, that lifts the book to a higher level. He has mastered the details so well that with the most sparing use of description he weaves a vivid tapestry of China at the time … This brilliant book leaves no doubt that Mao almost ruined China and left a legacy of paranoia that still grips its modern dictatorship under the latest autocrat, Xi Jinping -- Michael Sheridan * Sunday Times *The murderous frenzy of the times, which tore apart friends and families, not to speak of the Communist party itself, is powerfully conveyed -- Book of the Week * The Times *Given the tortuous nature of the event, what contribution does Frank Dikötter’s new book make to our understanding of the Cultural Revolution? The answer is an immense one. He sheds important new light on what has long been a dark (in several respects) period in Chinese history ... The Cultural Revolution exposes, in measured prose and well-documented analysis, the impact of communist rule in a period of extraordinary stress, tension and violence, most of it unleashed by the Party itself. Together, these three books, which Dikötter calls the ‘People’s Trilogy’, constitute a major contribution to scholarship on modern China, one that is unequalled, certainly in the English language … There is something simply unanswerable about many of his judgments on the effects of almost seventy years of communism in China. Much of this has to do with his use of documents from official archives in China, to which access is difficult … his patience and endurance must be considerable and his Chinese-language skills formidable …. both revealing and rewarding reading – for specialists and non-specialists alike * Literary Review *Gripping, horrific … A significant event in our understanding of modern China * International New York Times *A fine, sharp study of [a] tumultuous, elusive era … Excellent follow-up to his groundbreaking previous work … Dikötter tells a harrowing tale of unbelievable suffering. A potent combination of precise history and moving examples * Kirkus *Outstanding * The Week *Searing * Irish Times *During ten years of insanity, between 1.5m and 2million people lost their lives. It is all chillingly documented in Frank Dikötter’s brilliant new book. -- Niall Ferguson * Sunday Times *Magisterial * New Statesman *His “people’s trilogy” … has been hailed as the seminal English language work on the subject. The trilogy’s enduring value lies in its unstinting description of the horrors of life under Mao … Dikötter has done much to ensure that we see the full horror of what happened under Mao * Sunday Times *A significant event in our understanding of modern China * Scotland on Sunday *It includes colourful sketches of famous individuals, a fast-paced account of key political events, and some interesting discussions of how ordinary people experienced and contributed to specific Cultural Revolution episodes … Impressive chapters on the early 1970s that explore and celebrate grassroots developments * Financial Times *A detailed, sober, bleak reminder of the horror and chaos unleashed by Mao Zedong * Tablet *Superb * Tribune *What sets Dikötter apart from many other historians of this period is his obsession with detail and insistence on bringing the story back to the individual account … The level of research in Dikötter’s book is astonishing ... but the book wears this research lightly, with the human story coming through strongly * Irish Times *Dikötter’s well-researched and readable new book on the Cultural Revolution’s causes and consequences is a crucial reminder of the tragedies, miscalculations and human costs of Mao’s last experiment * Guardian *A tragic and salutary history * Catholic Herald *The concluding volume of Dikotter’s superb trilogy on Mao Tse-tung’s China is deeply disturbing * Sunday Times *‘An eye-opener and a page-turner’ * Daily Mail *A revelatory look at a seismic upheaval that has left an indelible imprint on the country * The Sunday Times *
£13.49
State University of New York Press State Power and Governance in Early Imperial
Book SynopsisState Power and Governance in Early Imperial China delves into the governance and capacity of the state by providing an empirical historical study of the collapse of China''s Qin Empire. In contrast to the popular view that the Qin fell suddenly and dramatically, this book argues that the collapse was rooted in persistent structural problems of the empire, including the serious resource shortages experienced by local governments, inefficient communication between administrative units, and social tensions in the new territories. Rather than reducing Qin rulers to heartless villains who refused to adjust their policies and statecraft, this book focuses on the changes that the regime did make to meet these challenges. It reveals the various measures that Qin rulers devised to solve these problems, even if they were ultimately to no avail. The paradox of the Qin Empire seemed to be that, although the regime''s policies and reforms could theoretically have strengthened the state''s power and improved the governance of the empire, their ramifications simultaneously exacerbated the misfunction of local governments and triggered the military failures that eventually destroyed the empire.
£24.23
Headline Publishing Group Japans War
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£12.28
MQ - University of Nebraska Press Building the Nation
Book SynopsisHeather Selma Gregg argues that the U.S.-led efforts to nation build in both Iraq and Afghanistan failed to focus on the population and build national unity as part of its state building efforts.
£19.19
State University of New York Press Lineages of Brahman Power
Book Synopsis
£91.80
Chronicle Books The Vanishing Sea
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£12.59
Flame Tree Publishing Korean Ancient Origins
Book SynopsisThe origins of Korea in history see the people of this beautiful land fight hard to maintain their independence from their powerful neighbours, particularly from China and Japan. The myths, folk and fairy tales so popular today have grown from this unique sense of individuality and determined identity found throughout the history of Korea.
£10.44
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd The Pearl of Khorasan
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£18.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd Soldier Five: The Real Truth About The Bravo Two
Book SynopsisSOLDIER FIVE is an elite soldier's explosive memoir of his time within the Special Air Service (SAS) and, in particular, his experiences during the 1991 Gulf War. As a member of the Special Forces patrol now famously known by its call sign Bravo Two Zero, he and seven others were inserted hundreds of kilometres behind enemy lines. Their mission to reconnoitre targets, undertake surveillance of Scud missil sites and sabotage Iraqi communications links was to end in desperate failure.From the outset, the patrol was dogged by problems that contributed both directly and indirectly to the demise of the mission. The patrol's compromise, and subsequent attempts to evade Iraqi troops, resulted in four members of Bravo Two Zero being captured and a further three killed. One escaped. But the story goes further that the Gulf War itself. Despite numerous books, films and articles on the same subject, the British Government has done its utmost to thwart the release of SOLDIER FIVE, at one stage claiming the book in its entirety was confidential. A campaign of harassment that took some four and a half years of litigation to resolve has now resulted in this controversial publication. SOLDIER FIVE is a gripping and suspenseful account of one man's experiences as a Special Forces soldier. Revealing his conflicts and loyalties, and the relationships he forged both on and off the battlefield, this book is the resolution of a soldier's determined fight to see his story told.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Vietnam
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERHis masterpiece' Antony Beevor, SpectatorA masterful performance' Sunday TimesBy far the best book on the Vietnam War' Gerald Degroot, The Times, Book of the YearVietnam became the Western world's most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and less familiar battles such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh's warriors. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed 2 million people.Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom forty died for every American. US blunders and atrocities were matched by those committed by their enemies. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings and murders carried out by the communists. The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners' victory in privation and oppression. Here is testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bargirls and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, Marines from North Carolina, Huey pilots from Arkansas.No past volume has blended a political and military narrative of the entire conflict with heart-stopping personal experiences, in the fashion that Max Hastings' readers know so well. The author suggests that neither side deserved to win this struggle with so many lessons for the 21st century about the misuse of military might to confront intractable political and cultural challenges. He marshals testimony from warlords and peasants, statesmen and soldiers, to create an extraordinary record.Trade Review SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY 2019 ‘Masterpiece … manages with great skill to combine the accumulation of strategic and political disaster with the real experience of those fighting on the ground’ Antony Beevor, Spectator ‘Will surely set the benchmark for years to come… This may be his best … Exhaustively researched and superbly written, it is both a balanced account of how and why the war unfolded as it did, and a gripping narrative on what it was like to take part…History as it should be: objective, immersive and compelling’ Daily Telegraph, 5* ‘Magnificent… One by one, the sacred canons of right and left are obliterated. The war is laid bare, with all its uncomfortable truths exposed’ The Times ‘Powerful and chilling… Hastings is masterful at describing the conditions faced by young American soldiers… [he] is second to none in his ability to describe military strategy with a clarity that makes things entirely understandable to the layman’ Mail on Sunday, 5* ‘An altogether magnificent historical narrative’ Tim O’Brien ‘A masterpiece’ Frank Scotton ‘Magnificent, his best work … full of extraordinary and compelling detail and thoroughly informed by his own personal experience of so much of the war. It's written in unputdownable style, with a dispassionate, liberal-minded understanding of the detail of the war, which draws on testimony from every side and doesn't favour anyone. I've never read a better history of the wars in Vietnam, and it’s hard to see how anyone will be able to improve on this’ John Simpson ‘Neophytes and experts alike will find Hastings’s book stimulating, informative – and above all, riveting’ New Statesman ‘This fabulous work offers up a gut-wrenching glimpse of the reality of war’ The Sun, 5* ‘Impressive… A fast-paced, poignant and eye-opening read’ Literary Review
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Tamerlane
Book SynopsisA powerful account of the life of Tamerlane the Great (1336-1405), the last master nomadic power, one of history's most extreme tyrants, and the subject of Marlowe's famous play. Marozzi travelled in the footsteps of the great Mogul Emperor of Samarkland to write this wonderful combination of history and travelogue.The name of the last great warlord conjures up images of mystery and romance: medieval warfare on desert plains; the clash of swords on snow-clad mountains; the charge of elephants across the steppes of Asia; the legendary opulence and cruelty of the illiterate, chess-playing nemesis of Asia. He ranks alongside Alexander as one of the world's great conquerors, yet the details of his life are scarcely known in the West.He was not born to a distinguished family, nor did he find his apprenticeship easy at one point his mobile army consisted only of himself, his wife, seven companions and four horses but his dominion grew with astonishing rapidity. In the last two decades of the fourteenth century and the beginning of the fifteenth, he blazed through Asia. Cities were razed to the ground, inhabitants tortured without mercy, sometimes enemies were buried alive more commonly they were decapitated. On the ruins of Baghdad, Tamerlane had his princes erect a pyramid of 90,000 heads.During his lifetime he sought to foster a personal myth, exaggerating the difficulties of his youth, laying claim to supernatural powers and a connection to Genghis Khan. This myth was maintained after his death in legend, folklore, poetry, drama and even opera, nowhere more powerfully than in Marlowe's play he is now as much a literary construct as a historical figure. Justin Marozzi follows in his path and evokes his legacy in telling the tale of this fabulously cruel, magnificent and romantic warrior.Trade Review‘Using many contemporary sources, Marozzi creates a convincing portrait of a complex man…An engaging mixture of history, travelogue and contemporary reportage. Well written and skilfully put together.’ Jonathan Sumption, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year ‘He has brought the mighty warrior in from the cold and allowed him to stalk these pages with bloody magnificence.’ Sunday Times ‘Walking…about the dazzling buildings that are Tamur’s legacy, [Marozzi] brilliantly conveys how everything goes in cycles, both in nature and in human affairs.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Excellent…Provides a superbly rounded and vivid portrait of one of history’s most fascinating personalities.’ Evening Standard ‘As well researched in libraries as with boots on the ground in some of the world’s more impenetrable places, this is a fine study of a neglected but linchpin historical figure.’ Daily Mail ‘Robust, enthusiastic and richly detailed…full of fascinating, if often gruesome, anecdotes.’ Literary Review
£13.49
John Murray Press Smoke And Ashes
Book SynopsisThe Booker-shortlisted author of the Ibis trilogy explores the impact of opium on global history, economies, cultures, and his own understanding of self.
£10.44
Tuttle Publishing Japanese Shibori Gift Wrapping Papers 12 Sheets
Book SynopsisThese fine-quality tear-out sheets feature 12 prints inspired by the centuries-old art of Japanese shibori - a process of hand-dyeing fabric.
£11.39
Faber & Faber Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2023WINNER OF THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2023A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKAn indelible exploration of the Cultural Revolution and how it shapes China today, Red Memory uncovers forty years of silence through the rarely heard stories of individuals who lived through Mao's decade of madness.'Very good and very instructive.' MARGARET ATWOOD'Written with an almost painful beauty.' JONATHAN FREEDLAND'Took my breath away.' BARBARA DEMICK'Haunting.' OLIVER BURKEMAN'A masterpiece.' JULIA LOVELLA 13-year-old Red Guard revels in the great adventure, and struggles with her doubts. A silenced composer, facing death, determines to capture the turmoil. An idealistic student becomes the 'corpse master' . . .More than fifty years on, the Cultural Revolution's scar runs through the heart of Chinese society, and through the souls of its citizens. Stationed in Beijing for the Guardian, Tania Branigan came to realise that this brutal and turbulent decade continues to propel and shape China to this day. Yet official suppression and personal trauma have conspired in national amnesia: it exists, for the most part, as an absence.Red Memory explores the stories of those driven to confront the era, who fear or yearn for its return. What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over?
£9.49
British Museum Press Samurai
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£36.00
Little, Brown Book Group Party of One
Book Synopsis''Compelling and informative... a useful gateway into [Xi Jinping''s] mind'' Rana Mitter, Literary ReviewFrom one of the most admired reporters covering China today, a vital new account of the life and political vision of Xi Jinping, the authoritarian leader of the People''s Republic whose hard-edged tactics have set the rising superpower on a collision with Western liberal democracies.Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China''s Superpower Future shatters the many myths and caricatures that shroud one of the world''s most secretive political organizations and its leader. Many observers misread Xi during his early years in power, projecting their own hopes that he would steer China toward more political openness, rule of law, and pro-market economics. Having masked his beliefs while climbing the party hierarchy, Xi has centralized decision-making powers, encouraged a personality cult around himself, and moved toward indefinite
£12.34
Bloomsbury Academic Rock Art and Its Legacy in Myth and Art
Book SynopsisChristoph Baumer is a leading explorer and historian of Central Asia, Tibet and the Caucasus and the author of many well-received books in the fields of history, religion, archaeology and travel. These include, among others, The Church of the East: An Illustrated History of Assyrian Christianity (2006), Traces in the Desert: Journeys of Discovery across Central Asia (2008), China's Holy Mountain: An Illustrated Journey into the Heart of Buddhism (2011) and the seminal History of Central Asia in four volumes (20122018), all published by I.B.Tauris. Dr Baumer is President of the Society for the Exploration of EurAsia, Senior Research Fellow at the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences, and a member of the Explorers' Club, New York, the Royal Asiatic Society, the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, London. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sir Percy Sykes Medal, awarded to him by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs in 2015. Therese Weber is one of the most important protagonists of Paper Art. She weaves photography, drawing, object and performative actions into an innovative visual language. Expeditions to Central and Southeast Asia have shaped her artistic research focus over the past thirty years. Professor emerita Weber has been awarded art prizes in Germany and Japan.
£31.88
Saqi Books Across The Green Sea
Book SynopsisA history of two centuries of interactions among the areas bordering the western Indian Ocean, including India, Iran and Africa.
£33.75
Old Street Publishing The Shortest History of Japan
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Hodder Education Access to History China 18391997
Book SynopsisExam Board: AQA, Edexcel, OCR & WJECLevel: A-levelSubject: HistoryFirst Teaching: September 2015First Exam: June 2016Give your students the best chance of success with this tried and tested series, combining in-depth analysis, engaging narrative and accessibility. Access to History is the most popular, trusted and wide-ranging series for A-level History students.This title:- Supports the content and assessment requirements of the 2015 A-level History specifications- Contains authoritative and engaging content- Includes thought-provoking key debates that examine the opposing views and approaches of historians- Provides exam-style questions and guidance for each relevant specification to help students understand how to apply what they have learntThis title is suitable for a variety of courses including:- AQA: The Transformation of China, 1937-199
£26.97
HarperCollins Publishers 1434 The Year a Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and
Book SynopsisIn his bestselling book 1421:The Year China Discovered the World, Gavin Menzies revealed that it was the Chinese that discovered America, not Columbus. Now he presents further astonishing evidence that it was also Chinese advances in science, art, and technology that formed the basis of the European Renaissance and our modern world.In his bestselling book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, Gavin Menzies presented controversial and compelling evidence that Chinese fleets beat Columbus, Cook and Magellan to the New World. But his research has led him to astonishing new discoveries that Chinese influence on Western culture didn't stop there.Until now, scholars have considered that the Italian Renaissance - the basis of our modern Western world - came about as a result of a re-examining the ideas of classical Greece and Rome. A stunning reappraisal of history is about to be published.Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that a sophisticated Chinese delegation visited Italy inTrade Review‘Menzies has come up with something entirely new…it is a startling claim.’ Guardian
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co The Tunnels of Cu Chi
Book SynopsisThe story of an extraordinary campaign in the Vietnam War - fought in a 200-mile labyrinth of underground tunnels and chambers.
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd On China
Book SynopsisIn 1971 Henry Kissinger took the historic step of reopening relations between China and the West, and since then has been more intimately connected with the country at the highest level than any other western figure. This book distils his unique experience, examining China''s history from the classical era to the present day, describing the essence of its millennia-old approach to diplomacy, strategy and negotiation, and reflecting on these attitudes for our own uncertain future.
£15.29
Vintage Publishing Mao The Unknown Story
Book SynopsisJung Chang was born in Yibin, Sichuan Province, China, in 1952. She was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen and then worked as a peasant, a 'barefoot doctor', a steelworker and an electrician before becoming an English-language student and, later, an assistant lecturer at Sichuan University. She left China for Britain in 1978 and was subsequently awarded a scholarship by York University, where she obtained a PhD in Linguistics in 1982 - the first person from the People's Republic of China to receive a doctorate from a British university. Her award-winning book, Wild Swans, was published in 1991. Jon Halliday is a former Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King's College, University of London. He has written or edited eight previous books.Trade ReviewThe first great political biography of the twenty-first century -- Frank Johnson * Spectator *This is a bombshell of a book... Jung Chang and Jon Halliday have done this extraordinary country a huge service with this book, which will one day be read as widely within China as it will deservedly be in the outside world -- Chris Patten * The Times *Chang and Halliday cast new and revealing light on nearly every episode in Mao's tumultuous life... Magnificent... It is a stupendous work -- Michael Yahuda * Guardian *Devastating... Awesome... Mesmerising... The most powerful, compelling and revealing political biography of modern times. Few books are destined to change history, but this one will -- George Walden * Daily Mail *A triumph. It is a mesmerising portrait of tyranny, degeneracy, mass murder and promiscuity, a barrage of revisionist bombshells, and a superb piece of research. This is the first intimate, political biography of the greatest monster of them all -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Sunday Times *
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The British in India
Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, SPECTATOR, NEW STATESMAN, TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR''A richly panoramic exploration of the British experience of India ... hugely researched and elegantly written, sensitive to the ironies of the past and brimming with colourful details'' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday TimesThe British in this book lived in India from shortly after the reign of Elizabeth I until well into the reign of Elizabeth II. Who were they? What drove these men and women to risk their lives on long voyages down the Atlantic and across the Indian Ocean or later via the Suez Canal? And when they got to India, what did they do and how did they live?This book explores the lives of the many different sorts of Briton who went to India: viceroys and offcials, soldiers and missionaries, planters and foresters, merchants, engineers, teachers and doctors. It evokes the three and a half centuries of their ambitions and experiences, together witTrade ReviewHugely researched and elegantly written, sensitive to the ironies of the past and brimming with colourful details -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Glorious, human, colourful, teeming and spicy. If you read just one book on imperial India, let it be this -- John Lewis-Stempel * Sunday Express *An exceptional book. It evokes those animated crowd scenes painted by William Frith, full of people going about their workaday lives, or enjoying themselves. ... David Gilmour's canvas is British India and he provides the answers in a penetrating and vivid portrait of the British men and women who ran the show from the mid-18th century to 1947. -- Lawrence James * The Times *
£15.29
British Museum Press Netsuke 100 miniature masterpieces from Japan
Book SynopsisNetsuke have once again come to the fore in the popular imagination of the public. This book brings together one hundred of the beautiful and interesting netsuke from the extensive collection of the British Museum, each of which has its own special charm and story to tell.
£13.49
Granta Books Eat the Buddha: Life, Death, and Resistance in a
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR IN FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, SPECTATOR 'You simply cannot understand China without reading Barbara Demick on Tibet' Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition In 1950, China claimed sovereignty over Tibet, leading to decades of unrest and resistance. Barbara Demick chronicles the Tibetan tragedy from Ngaba, a defiant town on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau. From the stories of Ngaba's last princess and those who experienced the struggle sessions of Mao's revolution to the experiences of today's monks and townsfolk suffering repression under China's rule, Demick paints a riveting portrait of Tibet past and present as it fights for its identity against one of the most powerful countries in the world.Trade ReviewPowerful... a deeply textured, densely reported and compelling exploration of Ngaba... Demick brilliantly unpicks the connections between the self-immolations and Tibetans' past... The richness of this book lies in its nuance as much as its extraordinary detail * Observer *Barbara Demick is a reporter of impressive tenacity and thoroughness -- Joan Bakewell * The Times *An illuminating and important book -- Kapka KassabovaThis is not just another book about the injustice Tibetans suffer at the hands of the Chinese government. As she did in Nothing to Envy, Barbara Demick has pieced together from in-depth interviews not only the reality but the soul of a place, weaving together individual stories with all their contradictions and complexity. Neither heroes or martyrs, they are ordinary people desperately trying to adapt or resist to avoid being destroyed by the forces of history -- Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor Channel 4 NewsSuperb -- Editor's Choice * Bookseller *[Barbara Demick] has achieved something remarkable... Gripping... Demick illuminates [Ngaba] as no other writer has... Seldom is the veil lifted from Tibet - which makes Ms. Demick's chronicles all the more worth reading * Economist *Extraordinarily good. A superb storyteller, Demick melds the personal, the historical and the political seamlessly as she delves into the town's intriguing living legacy of rebellion. The people whose stories she tells [...] leap from the pages, full of life * New Internationalist *Outstanding... Every page packed with insight and gripping detail... [Demick] has written a book not only about modern Tibet but one that helps explain the current, poisonous moment in China... Compelling... Life stories meticulously woven' * Financial Times *Lucid and poignant...beautifully written * Literary Review *A vivid, exhaustively researched, and ground-level view of the impact of history on people's lives... Compelling * New Statesman *This remarkable book offers a unique insight into Tibet's plight, allowing the reader to understand what it is like for its people to be tossed about in a political storm * Daily Mail *Demick is at once an intrepid reporter and scrupulous historian; she tells the story of Ngaba, however, like a novelist * Guardian *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Korean War: An Epic Conflict 1950-1953
Book SynopsisThe Korean War is journalist and military historian Sir Max Hastings’ compelling account of the forgotten war.'The best narrative history of the Korean conflict' – GuardianOn 25 June 1950 the invasion of South Korea by the Communist North launched one of the bloodiest conflicts of the last century. The seemingly limitless power of the Chinese-backed North was thrown against the ferocious firepower of the UN-backed South in a war that can be seen today as the stark prelude to Vietnam.Max Hastings draws on first-hand accounts of those who fought on both sides to produce this vivid and incisive reassessment of the Korean War, bringing the military and human dimensions into sharp focus. Critically acclaimed on publication, republished with an introduction from the author, The Korean War remains the best narrative history of this conflict.'A brilliant tour-de-force' – Times Literary Supplement'Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre' – Daily Mail'This book establishes him as one of the leading British military historians.' – New York TimesTrade ReviewThe best narrative history of the Korean conflict * Guardian *Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre * Daily Mail *A brilliant tour-de-force * Times Literary Supplement *A brilliant and compelling book which must rank, even by the standards Max Hastings has set, as a masterpiece. -- Professor Michael Howard * London Review of Books *This book establishes him as one of the leading British military historians. * New York Times *A balanced, perceptive reckoning of what was won and lost in an important clash of arms that excited precious little interest or passion on home fronts. * Kirkus *
£17.09
John Murray Press Trespassers on the Roof of the World The Race for
Book Synopsis'A rich harvest of harrowing adventures recounted in fascinating detail' Daily TelegraphTrade Review'A marvellous book, well researched and beautifully written - a treat for armchair explorers everywhere' * New Statesman *'As vivid and gripping as a John Buchan novel' * Evening Standard *
£11.69
Atlantic Books Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom
Book SynopsisStephen R. Platt received his PhD in Chinese history at Yale and teaches Chinese history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His work has been supported by the Fulbright program, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.Trade ReviewEngaging and exciting ... Finely written * Literary Review *Lucid and gripping ... Highly recommended for anyone interested in China * TES *An impressive, gracefully written account * Wall Street Journal *A splendid example of finely calibrated historical narrative ... It is a tragic and powerful story -- Jonathan Spence, author of The Search for Modern ChinaA refreshing and gripping account ... Powerful, dramatic and unforgettable * San Francisco Chronicle *A marvellous account of a largely forgotten but major event. Combines great scholarship with a driving narrative and sharp characterisation -- Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern ChinaStephen Platt brings to vivid life a pivotal chapter in China's history that has been all but forgotten ... A fascinating work by a first-class historian and superb writer -- Henry Kissinger
£16.19
Penguin Books Ltd Curzon Imperial Statesman
Book Synopsis''A fast-moving, entertaining and finely written story'' Simon Schama''Masterly ... a remarkable portrait of a brilliant complex and tragic genius'' William Dalrymple, Los Angeles TimesGeorge Nathaniel Curzon''s controversial life in public service stretched from the high noon of the British Empire to the traumatized years following the First World War. As Viceroy of India under Queen Victoria and Foreign Secretary under George V, the obsessive Lord Curzon left his unmistakable mark on the era. David Gilmour''s lucid and elegant biography is a brilliant assessment of Curzon''s character and achievements, offering a rich and dramatic account of the infamous vendettas, the turbulent friendships, and the passionate, reckless love affairs that complicated and enriched his life.''A magnificent work ... entirely convincing in its evocation of Curzon''s extraordinary character ... It is, in short, the definitive life'' Trade ReviewIt is a magnificent work ... entirely convincing in its evocation of Curzon's extraordinary character. It is, in short, the definitive life -- David Cannadine * Observer *A superb new biograpahy ... a tragic story, brilliantly told -- Andrew Roberts * Literary Review *Masterly ... a remarkable portrait of a brilliant, complex and tragic genius -- William Dalrymple * Los Angeles Times *
£16.14
Thames and Hudson Ltd India
Book SynopsisAndrew Robinson is the author of twenty-five books in the arts and sciences, nine of them on aspects of Indian history and culture. They include two definitive biographies: Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye, described by V. S. Naipaul as an extraordinarily good, detailed and selfless book', and the co-authored Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad-Minded Man. He holds degrees from Oxford University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, has been a Visiting Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and is currently a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society.
£10.44
John Murray Press Constantinople City of the Worlds Desire 14531924
Book Synopsis'Without question one of the best books ever written by an Englishman on the Turks' William DalrympleTrade Review'An endless treasure chest of fascinating facts and extraordinary revelations ... a cultural and social history as much as a political and military one, Mansel's outstandingly researched portrait of this intriguing imperial city and its exotic denizens is gripping' * Robert Carver, Scotsman *'The victory, the defeat, the magnificence, the squalor, the cruelty and the tolerance of the Ottoman years are all recorded there, Constantinople is one of those cities to which I always long to return, and the longing grows on every page' * Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph *'Marvellous ... the experience of the whole city grows with the book ... you always feel close to the beat of Constantinople's raffish and mysterious heart' * Michael Ratcliffe, Observer *'A happy blend of shcolarship and panache ... If you have visited Constantinople, read it: if not, buy it before you go' Lawrence James, Evening Standard * Lawrence James, Evening Standard *'Plenty of intrigue and bloodshed. The squeamish should skip the city's solution to the stray dog problem... and focus on the convincingly documented and colourful ebb and flow of economy and society' * Charmaine Chan, South China Morning Post *
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Last Mughal
Book SynopsisA stunning and bloody history of nineteenth-century India and the reign of the Last Mughal by the bestselling author of White MughalsTrade Review'Dalrymple is an outstandingly gifted travel writer and historian who excels himself in his latest work' Max Hastings, Sunday Times 'Vivid unmatched revolutionary humane No previous book has delved so deeply into the history of Delhi in those days, nor painted such a vivid portrait of the late Mughal court' Sunday Telegraph 'Brims with life, colour and complexity outstanding one of the best history books of the year' Evening Standard 'Magnificent shames the simplistic efforts of previous writers' Spectator
£14.24
Casemate Publishers Japan Runs Wild 19421943
Book SynopsisA comprehensive view of World War Two in the Asia Pacific.In early 1942, the Japanese Army and Navy were advancing on all fronts, humiliating their US, British and Dutch foes throughout the Asia Pacific. In a matter of just months, the soldiers and sailors of the Rising Sun conquered an area even bigger than Hitler's empire at its largest extent. They seemed invincible. Hawaiians and Australians were fearing a future under Hirohito. For half of mankind, fate was hanging in the balance.Fast forward to the end of 1943, and the tables had been turned entirely. A reinvigorated American-led military machine had kicked into gear, and the Japanese were fighting a defensive battle along a frontline that crossed thousands of miles of land and ocean. Japan Runs Wild, 1942-1943 by acclaimed author Peter Harmsen details the astonishing transformation that took place in that period, setting the Allies on a path to final victory against Japan.The middle installment in the trilogy, Japan Runs Wild, 1
£19.12
Scribe Publications Rebel Island
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Little, Brown Book Group A Brief History of the Samurai
Book SynopsisFrom a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in the advent of the mechanized world.
£10.44
Yale University Press The Great Partition
Book SynopsisA reappraisal of the tumultuous Partition and how it ignited long-standing animosities between India and Pakistan Trade ReviewA 2008 Top Seller in Asian History as compiled by YBP Library Services"Mahatma Gandhi called the traumatic experience of Partition 'the vivisection of India'. In this book, Yasmin Khan shows how this operation was performed. She describes the suffering of the victims with great sensitivity, and traces the perceptions of contemporary observers, most of whom were at a loss when trying to imagine the contours of the new states. To a country that took its territorial unity for granted, the partition of India came as a rude shock; its impact reverberates through the pages of this illuminating book."--Dietmar Rothermund, Professor Emeritus of South Asian History, Heidelberg University, and author of The Routledge Companion to Decolonisation and (with H Kulke) A History of India"This is a compassionate and devastating book. It charts the long, complex and often brutal processes that engulfed millions of unsuspecting people in chaos. Few among the South Asian and British political elite could have imagined what they were letting loose, while many of those swept up even tangentially had no clear idea of what it might mean. Its long aftermath still scars the subcontinent, as India and Pakistan see each other through the lens of carefully constructed nationalist history which feeds on the partially understood history of Partition. This is a book for all who wish to understand attitudes on the subcontinent today."--Judith M Brown, Balliol College Oxford, and author of Nehru"Yasmin Khan makes a significant contribution to the ongoing study of the Partition of India in this lucid account. Her eye for detail strongly evokes the issues, personalities and events at this crucial moment in the subcontinent's modern history. Narrative and sharp analysis go hand in hand in a work which bears all the hallmarks of a first-rate scholar."--Ian Talbot, University of Southampton"Yasmin Khan's The Great Partition vividly and memorably portrays the sheer turmoil of decolonisation. In turning the spotlight away from high-level politics to bitter personal experience, she exposes the bewilderment, brutality and mayhem that followed the hasty British decision to 'divide and quit.' This book will be a touchstone in the retelling of one of the twentieth century's greatest calamities."--David Arnold, University of Warwick and Fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Asiatic Society"This is an exceptional book. Yasmin Khan has written a vivid, authoritative and accessible account of one of the greatest human tragedies and dislocations of the modern era. Her particular achievement is in weaving the lived experience of Partition - the agony, the uncertainty, the conflicting identities and loyalties - into a broader account of the turmoil and confusion which so gravely soured India's and Pakistan's achievement of independence."--Andrew Whitehead, editor of History Workshop Journal and former BBC South Asia correspondent
£13.99
John Murray Press Smoke And Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories
Book Synopsis'The writing is sublime, the research thorough, the eye for story superb' Sunday TelegraphWhen Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels the Ibis Trilogy, he was startled to find how the lives of the 19th century sailors and soldiers he wrote of were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean, but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most surprising at all, however, was the discovery that his own identity and family history was swept up in the story.Smoke and Ashes is at once a travelogue, memoir and a history, drawing on decades of archival research. In it, Ghosh traces the transformative effect the opium trade had on Britain, India, and China, as well as the world at large. The trade was engineered by the British Empire, which exported Indian opium to sell to China and redress their great trade imbalance, and its revenues were essential to the Empire's financial survival. Yet tracing the profits further, Ghosh finds opium at the origins of some of the world's biggest corporations, of America's most powerful families and prestigious institutions (from the Astors and Coolidges to the Ivy League), and of contemporary globalism itself.Moving deftly between horticultural histories, the mythologies of capitalism, and the social and cultural repercussions of colonialism, in Smoke and Ashes Amitav Ghosh reveals the role that one small plant had in making our world, now teetering on the edge of catastrophe.Trade ReviewGhosh has reinvented himself as a superlative commodity historian. In his new role, he has surpassed many seasoned historians in his ability to synthesise a wealth of research with remarkable intellectual clarity and suggestive simplicity . . . There's a quietly subversive element to Smoke and Ashes for which Ghosh deserves to be commended * The Times *The book gave me a deeper chill than any of the TV series about the opioid crisis I had viewed before reading it . . . The writing is sublime, the research thorough, the eye for story superb, and there are splashes of personal back story that underscore the sincerity of the author's arguments * Sunday Telegraph *A riveting new history of opium, a lucrative and destructive flower . . . Amitav Ghosh's sweeping, forcefully written Smoke and Ashes covers centuries in the life of the plant * Washington Post *A sweeping, and personal, account of the immense effect the opium trade has had on world history and how it continues to impact our lives today. * Financial Times *
£18.70
Flame Tree Publishing Japanese Ancient Origins: Stories Of People &
Book SynopsisA gorgeous Collector's Edition covering the history of Japan from prehistoric times to the end of the Heian period. Japan has gripped the imagination of readers of their spiritual and delicate myths, ghost stories and folktales for many generations but there is much more to draw our fascination. From the veneration of Mount Fuji to the long periods of isolation from other countries, to the warring kingdoms and the inception of the martial rule of the Shogunates, this history reveals the origins of the civilization that produced some of Japan's most beautiful art and literature and influences on modern Japanese culture. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction: authors, myths, tales and history without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new Introduction and a Glossary of Terms or lists of Ancient Leaders.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Campaigns of Alexander
Book SynopsisThe most important historical source on one of the most powerful leaders of the ancient world, Arrian''s The Campaigns of Alexander illustrates how Alexander the Great came to rule over a vast empire of his own making, translated from the Greej by Aubrey de Sélincourt, and revised with an introduction and notes by J.R. Hamilton in Penguin Classics.Although written over four hundred years after Alexander''s death, Arrian''s Campaigns of Alexander is the most reliable account of the man and his achievements we have. Arrian''s own experience as a military commander gave him unique insights into the life of the world''s greatest conqueror. He tells of Alexander''s violent suppression of the Theban rebellion, his total defeat of Persia and his campaigns through Egypt, India and Babylon - establishing new cities and destroying others in his path. While Alexander emerges from this record as an unparalleled and charismatic leader, Arrian succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective and fully-rounded portrait of a man of boundless ambition, who was exposed to the temptations of power and was worshipped as a god in his own lifetimeAubrey de Sélincourt''s vivid translation is accompanied by J.R. Hamilton''s introduction, which discusses Arrian''s life and times, his synthesis of other classical sources and the composition of Alexander''s army. This edition also contains appendices, maps, a list for further reading and a detailed index.The details of Arrian''s life (b. 86) are uncertain, though the shape of it indicates a man of wide and varied talents. He was governor to the Emperor Hadrian, the author of a number of works of non-fiction and an Athenian citizen. In 145 he rose to become a chief magistrate of Athens and thereby part of the governing body of the city. His date of death is not known.If you enjoyed The Campaigns of Alexander, you might like Thucydides'' History of the Peloponnesian War, also available in Penguin Classics.
£12.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Nine Lives
Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZEBeautifully written, ridiculously erudite, warm and open-hearted' The TimesCompelling and poignant' GuardianThis is travel writing at its best' Observer Internationally bestselling William Dalrymple takes us to the heart of an undiscovered India.A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death.Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day.Trade ReviewHis most ambitious yet, taking the reader into lurid, scarcely imaginable worlds of mysticism . . . Dalrymple has an inimitable way of conjuring the Indian landscape * Financial Times *Beautifully written, ridiculously erudite, warm and open-hearted . . . A towering talent * The Times *A blend of travelogue, ethnography, oral history and reportage, Nine Lives is compelling and poignant * Guardian *The reader gets the sense that the author is driven by an unquenchable curiosity about a country he loves. Dalrymple never mocks his subjects. Indeed, his prose is often tinged with tenderness and a sense of longing. In dashes of brilliance, Dalrymple’s work reveals an India still rich in religious experience, its spiritual quest – or rather, quests – still very much part of the warp and weft of daily life. Amid all the excitement about economic growth, an older India endures -- Sadanand Dhume * Wall Street Journal *At its best travel writing beats fiction, firing the imagination with tales of foreign peoples drawn close by our common humanity . . . This is travel writing at its best. I hope it sparks a revival -- Ruaridh Nicoll * Observer *Nine Lives remains oddly gripping, and often very moving, in its first-person accounts of spiritually-minded people that Dalrymple meets on his travels across the subcontinent -- Pankaj Mishra * The National *For those who enjoyed Dalrymple’s earlier travel adventures, this latest book is written with the same verve and sense of immediacy . . . In a deft way he shows how the tensions, dilemmas and changes in the lives of these individuals illustrate the vast transformation of Indian society . . . Vibrant and engaging, Dalrymple paints a compelling portrait of this complex sprawling giant of a country at a time of momentous change -- Peter Kirkwood * The Australian *His characteristic wit and sympathy are fully evident in the interviews he has conducted . . . Beautifully illustrates the relationship between tradition and modernity in India * Spectator *A fascinating text . . . It is an index of Dalrymple’s ability as a writer and his complex immersion in Indian cultures that he deftly avoids any hint of “Orientalism” . . . Dalrymple succeeds in juxtaposing the sacred and the secular without diverting the captivating flow of his prose. This is a rich book, teeming with fascinating characters and places worth visiting; it is a travel book that takes the reader not only across the wide expanse of the Indian subcontinent but also into intriguing aspects of India’s past and present -- Tabish KhairDalrymple’s storytelling skills and eye for the bizarre make this a fascinating and entertaining window onto spiritual India -- Anthony Sattin * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *A travel writer of huge talent, even genius * Outlook *A fast-paced book, moving from the perspective of a Jain nun contemplating the slow and voluntary relinquishing of her life, to the dilemma of the Dalit theyyam who shuttles between his job as a prison warden to his life as a man in the grip of religious ecstasy. These are compelling contemporary stories, and Dalrymple seems to be channelling a modern-day avatar of Kipling * Business Standard *In Nine Lives the author is on the road again, but deliberately takes a back seat, allowing his characters to tell their own spellbinding stories. Dalrymple’s exhaustive research and deep feeling for Indian culture and ancient faiths mean he writes with clarity, erudition and engagement. With his guidance and context, each story reads like a rare insight into a multifarious and often impenetrable culture. Nine Lives is India at its most pure but also its most fragile. Dalrymple’s stories always strive for a higher purpose than simply recounting adventures in the manner of so much contemporary travel writing. In Nine Lives, that purpose is to record and conserve these unique, fantastical histories, before they disappear forever -- Kendall Hill * Sydney Morning Herald *Dalrymple is widely read and admired, and Nine Lives is both moving and radiant: an austere, piercing, and exciting book on nine astonishing religious lives -- Pradeep Sebastian * The Hindu *
£11.69
