Asian history Books

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Book SynopsisThis edited volume presents the latest research on the intersection of religion and medicine in Asia. It features chapters by internationally known scholars, who bring to bear a range of methodological and geographic expertise on this topic. The book’s central question is to what extent ‘religion’ and ‘medicine’ have overlapped or interrelated in various Asian societies. Collectively, the contributions explore a number of related issues, such as: which societies separated out religious from medical concerns, at which times and in what ways? Where have medicine and religion converged, and how has such knowledge been defined by scholars and cultural actors? Are ‘religion’ and ‘medicine’ the best terms by which scholars can grapple with knowledge about the sacred and the self, destiny and disease?Table of ContentsForeword by Dagmar SchäferAcknowledgementsIntroduction Michael Stanley-BakerPart I East Asia1 Religion and health care in middle-period ChinaNathan Sivin2 Religion and medicine in pre-modern JapanKatja Triplett3 Female alchemy in late imperial and modern ChinaElena ValussiPart II South Asia4 Religion and medicine in Sanskrit literature: the Ramaya?a and the politics of an epic plantAnthony Cerulli5 From ‘medical men’ to ‘local health traditions’: the secularisation of medicine in portrayals of health care in IndiaHelen Lambert6 Sound medicine: towards a nomadology of medical mantras in seventeenth to twentieth-century BengalProjit Bihari Mukharji Part III Himalayas, Southeast Asia7 Sowa Rigpa, Tibetan medicine, Tibetan healingGeoffrey Samuel8 Homeopathy and Islam in Malaysia: Encounters of religion and complementary medical traditions in a modern Asian multi-ethnic societyConstantin Canavas9 Questioning the boundaries between medicine and religion in contemporary MyanmarCéline CodereyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis deeply knowledgeable book provides a concise introduction to North Korea. Two leading experts, Kongdan Oh and Ralph Hassig, trace the country’s history from its founding in 1948 and describe the many facets of its political, economic, social, and cultural life.The authors illuminate a hidden nation dominated by three generations of the secretive Kim regime, a family dynasty more suited to the Middle Ages than the contemporary era. North Korea has a robust if outmoded military force, including a growing arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, to deter and defend against foreign attacks and to maintain independence and isolation from the rest of the world. The struggling economy, disconnected from the global marketplace, operates under harsh international sanctions. All North Koreans, from the highest party cadres to the youngest children living in prison camps, are essentially servants of the leader. Despite Kim Jong-un’s despotic control, the authors argue that North Korea cannot continue on its current path indefinitely. Kim treats even his closest associates harshly, and the gap is widening between his elite supporters, numbering a million or so, and the other twenty-four million North Koreans. The economic and technological gap between South Korea and North Korea is increasing as well, and younger people are becoming disenchanted as they gradually learn more about the outside world.

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Book SynopsisTaiwan is a place of contradictions. Its successful economic and political modernization has stimulated the imaginations of most observers. Still, its nation-state status has been constricted and weakened. It covets and pursues peace, yet it is a vortex actor in global strategic/military competition. It is small, yet its importance far exceeds its size. It has long occupied a crucial place in history even though it has not sought this status, yet it appears inevitable that it will continue to do so.Historical Dictionary of Taiwan (Republic of China), Fifth Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 600 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country's politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Taiwan.

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Book SynopsisIn this volume, Hui Zou analyzes historical, architectural, visual, literary, and philosophical perspectives on the Western-styled garden that formed part of the great Yuanming Yuan complex in Beijing, constructed during the Qing dynasty. Designed and built in the late eighteenth century by Italian and French Jesuits, the garden described in this book was a wonderland of multistoried buildings, fountains, labyrinths, and geometrical hills. It even included an open-air theater. Through detailed examination of historical literature and representations, Zou analyzes the ways in which the Jesuits accommodated their design within the Chinese cultural context. He shows how an especially important element of their approach was the application of a linear perspective to create the jing, the Chinese concept of the bounded bright view of a garden scene. Hui Zou's book demonstrates how Jesuit metaphysics fused with Chinese cosmology and broadens our understanding of cultural and religious encounters in early Chinese modernity.

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Book SynopsisTells the story of General MacArthur's November 1950 attack to the Yalu River, an attack that was repulsed by 200,000 Chinese 'volunteer' infantry.Trade ReviewThe research is meticulous, the narrative enlightening, and the lessons profound. Appleman knows the war intimately, and he conveys it with authority.... balanced, candid, and engrossing. - Union News Sunday Republican ""Appleman's full, authoritative Disaster thus fills a vital gap in the history of American arms and the Korean War. It is a candid and compelling story, chock full of lessons for battlefield commanders."" - Parameters

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Book SynopsisZhu Xiao-Mei was born to middle-class parents in post-war China, and her musical proficiency became clear at an early age. Taught to play the piano by her mother, she developed quickly into a prodigy, immersing herself in the work of classical masters like Bach and Brahms. She was just eleven years old when she began a rigorous course of study at the Beijing Conservatory, laying the groundwork for what was sure to be an extraordinary career. But in 1966, when Xiao-Mei was seventeen, the Cultural Revolution began, and life as she knew it changed forever. One by one, her family members were scattered, sentenced to prison or labor camps. By 1969, the art schools had closed, and Xiao-Mei was on her way to a work camp in Inner Mongolia, where she would spend the next five years. Life in the camp was nearly unbearable due to horrific living conditions and intensive brainwashing campaigns. Yet through it all Xiao-Mei clung to her passion for music. And when the Revolution ended, it was the piano that helped her to heal. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, The Secret Piano is the incredible true story of one woman’s survival in the face of unbelievable odds—and in pursuit of a powerful dream.

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Book SynopsisBaudelaire's work entered China in the twentieth century amidst political and social upheavals accompanied by a "literary revolution" that called for classical models and modes of expression to be replaced by vernacular language and contemporary content. Chinese writers welcomed their meeting with the West and openly embraced Western literature as providing models in developing their "new" literature. Baudelaire's reception in China provides a representative study of this "meeting of East and west." His work, which has been declared to stand between tradition and modernity, also lies at the intersection between classical and modern literature in China. Many of the best known and most highly regarded writers in twentieth-century China were drawn to Baudelaire's work, and some addressed it directly in their own writings. Bien draws upon H.R. Jauss's theory of the shifting and expanding horizons of expectation in the reading and interpretation of a literary work, and upon James J.Y. Lin's notion of "worlds" received and created by both author and reader, to show how poetic lines, images, and ideas, as well as Chinese critics' comments, eventually weave into a rich picture of Baudelaire's reception in China.Table of ContentsContents Introduction Part I. The Critical Reception Chapter 1. Baudelaire and Traditional Chinese Poetry Chapter 2. Horizons Chapter 3. Baudelaire in Chinese Translation Chapter 4. Baudelaire in Chinese Literary Criticism Part II. The Creative Response Chapter 5. Lu Xun & Xu Zhimo Chapter 6. The Decadents Chapter 7. Chinese Symbolists Chapter 8. From Symbolism to Modernism Chapter 9. Other comparisons Summary and Conclusions Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Works cited – English and French Works cited—Chinese About the Author Index

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Book SynopsisThe Tet Offensive of January 1968 was the most important military campaign of the Vietnam War. The ancient capital city of Hue, once considered the jewel of Indochina’s cities, was a key objective of a surprise Communist offensive launched on Vietnam’s most important holiday. But when the North Vietnamese launched their massive invasion of the city, instead of the general civilian uprising and easy victory they had hoped for, they faced a devastating battle of attrition with enormous casualties on both sides. In the end, the battle for Hue was an unambiguous military and political victory for South Vietnam and the United States. In Fire in the Streets, the dramatic narrative of the battle unfolds on an hour-by-hour, day-by-day basis. The focus is on the U.S. and South Vietnamese soldiers and Marines–from the top commanders down to the frontline infantrymen–and on the men and women who supported them. With access to rare documents from both North and South Vietnam and hundreds of hours of interviews, Eric Hammel, a renowned military historian, expertly draws on first-hand accounts from the battle participants in this engrossing mixture of action and commentary. In addition, Hammel examines the tremendous strain the surprise attack put on the South Vietnamese-U.S. alliance, the shocking brutality of the Communist “liberators,” and the lessons gained by U.S. Marines forced to wage battle in a city–a task for which they were utterly unprepared and which remains highly relevant today. Re-issued in the fiftieth anniversary year of the battle, with an updated photo section and maps this is the only complete and authoritative account of this crucial landmark battle.Trade ReviewHighly recommended, with detailed maps of the city and some good quality photographs." - Winner of the 'Miniature Wargames Recommends' Award for June 2018. * Miniature Wargames - Chris Jarvis *If you have an interest in the Vietnam War or simply general military history, this book is well worth reading. * Army Rumour Service *

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Book SynopsisB-1-5 was a unique company in the Korean War. The Baker Bandits fought at Inchon, Naktong, Chosin Reservoir, Guerrilla Hunts and the many numbered hills. Theyinspired one B Company Commander, Gen. Charlie Cooper to the extent that when he became Commanding General of the Marines First Division in 1977, his time with B-1-5 inspired his “Band Of Brothers Leadership Principles” used widely in the Corps for many years. Emmett Shelton was a 19-year-old Marine Reservist in 1950. He was called to duty after graduating Austin High School and, within six months, he was a rifleman in Korea. The Korean winter of 1950 was brutal and Emmett was evacuated shortly after Chosin due to frostbite. After the war, Emmett got on with life, then in the 1980s he attended a Chosin Few Reunion. He was overwhelmed by a need to reconnect with his old Company, his Baker Bandits. Emmett tracked down B Company members one-by-one and started a newsletter, The Guidon, to share stories and reconnect. For 20 years Emmett published The Guidon, monthly. The contributing readership grew to a high of 300, including a number of young B Company Marines fighting in Afghanistan. Chosin Brothers brings together first-hand accounts from The Guidon, written by the men of B-1-5 about their time in Korea: their battles, their fallen commanders, deathin the foxhole, lost platoons, injuries and what happened to them after the war.Trade Review...an invaluable and singularly appreciated addition to community, college, and university library 20th Century American Military History collections in general, and Korean War supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction All We Wanted Was To Be Marines Pusan Perimeter Inchon Kimpo Wosan Sept/Oct 1950 Chosin Reservoir Campaign Nov/Dec 1950 Bean Patch Jan 1950 Guerilla Hunts Begin Jan–Feb 1951 Ha-Hoe-Dong Hwachon—Hill 313 April 1951 Hill 907 June 1951 The Road Back Home Reconnecting 40 Years Later B-1-5 Honored Dead in the Korean War Index of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisXinjiang, named in 1759 by Emperor Qianlong (乾隆 1711-1799) of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty of China, was ruled by the Qing from the final phase of the Dzungar-Qing Wars when the Dzungar Khanate was conquered, and lasted until the fall of the imperial dynasty in 1912. Based on rare ancient maps and historical archives, the book tells stories of Xinjiang during the Qing. It involves Emperor Qianlong, Fragrant concubine (xiangfei 香妃, Uyghur concubine married with Emperor Qianlong), Lady Catherine (the wife of the British consul-general in Kashgar at the end of the 19th century, and lived in Xinjiang for nearly two decades), Swedish missionaries (persisted in spreading Christianity for 38 years among Uyghurs who believed in Islam), Guan Gong temples (the belief in Lord Guan, a religious tradition of the Han and Manchus) and so on.Table of ContentsPreface Part One Old Maps and the Imperial Rule 1.Emperor Qianlong, the Jesuit missionaries, and land surveying 2.The legend of the Emperor's "fragrant concubine" from the western territories 3.The tumultuous journey of the Map of Hami Part Two Old Maps and Scholars 1.Zhang Mu, Maps of the Western Territories, and a forum of frontier scholars 2.The Manchurian Pilgrimage to the West: Qi Shiyi and his Sights and Sounds of the West 3.Not just a tale of the Han Dynasty: Li Guangting and the Visual Appraisal of the Western Territories 4.The Insouciant Disciple, the "Gengxu year", unscrupulous merchants and the Complete Atlas of Xinjiang Part Three Early Cartography and the West 1.An ever-changing exotic realm: Kashgar through the eyes of Lady Catherine 2.The story of Chini-Bagh and its proprietor 3. The story behind a simple book tag: Arthur W. Hummel and the Library of Congress' Complete Atlas of Xinjiang Part Four Old Maps and Folk Beliefs 1.The martyr Huang Guifang and the "Fang deity" temples of Xinjiang 2."Guardian of Xinjiang": the "Guan Gong temples" of Xinjiang 3.Reaping what one not sows: the Swedish missionaries of Kashgar Part Five Old Maps and Ethnicities 1.The warriors of Xinjiang: garrison soldiers of the Eight Banner Army on the western frontier 2.The western migration of the Xibe people: protecting the western frontier for the sake of the emperor 3.The Torghut tribe's return to the east: a Mongolian cavalry's migration from the Volga River to the Kaidu River Part Six Old Maps and Geography 1.A visual representation of Xinjiang's major cities 2.A tale of twin cities: the new and old settlements of Aksu 3.A desolate ancient path winding through the western Tianshan ranges: the Illustrated Account of the Expedition along Nalin River from Ili to Kashgar 4. Immortalizing the Qing Empire's achievements: the stone tablet on the Complete Atlas of Xinjiang

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Book SynopsisProfessor Xu Xiaoyue, a top-notch scholar specializing in ancient Chinese philosophies and religions, displays essential constituents of Chinese humanism before readers. According to him, key concepts such as Confucian ten virtues, Daoist Way and Buddhist metaphysical voidness play quite a significant role in shaping the Chinese humanism, which not only is historically indispensable to the creation of traditional Chinese culture but it also realistically matters to present-day China’s cultural reconstruction in the world that is being remolded by the roots.Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Chinese Humanism 1.1 The Chinese Humanism 1) The Humanistic Sprit of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism 2) The Confucian Humanism and Reconstruction of Chinese Civilization 1.2 Ten Virtues 1) Ren, or benevolence 2) Yi, or righteousness 3) Li, or proprieties 4) Zhi, or wisdom 5) Xin, or faithfulness 6) Xiao, or filial piety 7) Ti, or fraternal duties 8) Zhong, or loyalty 9) Lian, or incorruptibleness 10) Chi, or sense of shame Chapter 2 Three Great Teachings I. 2.1 Confucianism (1) Confucian School (2) Confucius and his idea of ren (benevolence) (3) An intellectual exploration of Mencius 2.2 Daoism (1) Daoist School and Daoism as a religion (2) Laozi and his Dao, or the Way (3) Daoist discourses on the adjustment of controversies and idea of freedom 2.3 Buddha and his teachings (1) Buddhism (2) The Buddhist “kong,” or the metaphysical emptiness/voidness Chapter 3 Three Great Teachings II. 3.1 The roles that Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism historically played 3.2 Essences and core values of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism 3.3 The Unity of Confucian, Daoist and Buddhist Values and Methodologies 3.4 Confucian and Daoist Ecological Thoughts Chapter 4 Guoxue, or the National Learning 1) What is guoxue, or the National Learning? 2) Where does guoxue lie in? 3) A historical sketch of conventional Chinese scholarship and thoughts

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Book SynopsisThis is an account of the battle of Kham Duc, one of the least known and most misunderstood battles in the American Phase of the Second Indochina War (1959 to 1975). At the time it was painted as a major American defeat, but this new history tells the full story.The authors have a unique ability to reassess this battle – one was present at the battle, the other was briefed on it prior to re-taking the site two years later. The book is based on exhaustive research, revisiting Kham Duc, interviewing battle veterans, and reading interview transcripts and statements of other battle participants, including former North Vietnamese Army (NVA) officers.Based on their research, the authors contend that Kham Duc did not 'fall' and was not 'overrun'. In fact, it was a successful effort to inflict mass attrition on a major NVA force with minimum American losses by voluntarily abandoning an anachronistic little trip-wire border camp serving as passive bait for General Westmoreland's 'lure and destroy' defensive tactics, as at Khe Sanh.

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Book SynopsisIn The Making of Modern Japan, Myles Carroll offers a sweeping account of post-war Japanese political economy, exploring the transition from the post-war boom to the crisis of today and the connections between these seemingly discrete periods.Carroll explores the multifarious international and domestic political, economic, social, and cultural conditions that fortified Japan's post-war hegemonic order and enabled decades of prosperity and stability. Yet since the 1990s, a host of political, economic, social and cultural changes has left this same hegemonic order out of step with the realities of the contemporary world, a contradiction that has led to three decades of crisis in Japanese society. Can Japan make the bold changes required to reverse its decline? Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTSLIST OF TABLE AND FIGURES1. Introduction Analytical approach Outline of the argument Outline of chapters2. Lineages of Japanese political economy Creative conservatism and the developmental state: Japan’s post-war boom Institutional approaches to the study of Japanese politics The long decline: Theorizing crisis in Heisei Japan The welfare state and social reproduction in post-war Japan Conclusion3. Towards a Gramscian understanding of Japanese political economy Historical materialist methodology Hegemony Hegemony and hegemonic order Social reproduction Conditions for hegemonic order Historic bloc Explaining change: Conjunctural and organic Organic crisis World order, forms of state, social forces Relations of force Caesarism, passive revolution and trasformismo Political ecology Towards a Gramscian feminist approach to the Japanese post-war order Conclusion4. The post-war hegemonic order The post-war hegemonic order Conditions of post-war hegemonic order  Geopolitics: The Yoshida Doctrine and the US-Japan Security Treaty (Anpo)  Global political economy: The Bretton Woods System  The electoral and party system: The rise of LDP dominance  The state form: The rise of bureaucracy-driven governance  Production and capital: Japanese developmentalism and the keiretsu  Production and labour: Enterprise unionism and lifetime employment  Production and the petit bourgeoisie: Clientelism and the old middle class  Gender and the family: Extended families and the gender division of labour  Demography and welfare: Young society, small welfare state  Nation and ideology: The pacifist nationalism of the post-war era  Environment and national resources: Cheap oil The post-war Japanese historic bloc Conclusion5. Contradictions and transitions of the Shōwa era Structural changes to world order  The Nixon shocks  The oil shocks  American trade frictions and the Plaza Accord Structural demographic changes  The beginning of an aging society  The decline of extended families  The rise of women in the workforce Political changes Institutional changes  The heyday of the kōenkai  The rise of factions and the PARC  Institutional changes and continuities in Japanese business relations  Lifetime employment and the dual system  Clientelism and the construction state Implications of these changes for hegemonic order  Economic implications  Political implications  Social implications Conclusion6. The organic crisis of the Heisei era Historical background to the crisis  1989-1993: Two electoral shocks  1993-1996: Coalition governments, political reform  1996-2001: LDP’s return to power, administrative and financial reform  2001-2006: Rise of Koizumi, postal privatization  2006-2009: LDP impasse  2009-2012: Rise and fall of the DPJ Conditions of the crisis  Geopolitics: Security Alliance in a post-Cold War world  Global political economy: Japan in a global neoliberal era  The electoral and party system: Crisis, reform, and the end of LDP rule  The state form: Institutional decay and administrative reform  Production and capital: The Americanization of Japanese capitalism?  Production and labour: Deregulation and the rise of the working poor  Production and the petit bourgeoisie: End of the pork-barrel system?  Gender and the family: The end of the male breadwinner model and shōshika  Demography and welfare: The rise of the ‘pension state’  Nation and ideology: ‘Normal country’ or tan’itsu minzoku?  Political ecology: Climate change, the nuclear turn and 3/11 Implications of the crisis  Summary of the economic accumulation crisis  Summary of the political legitimation crisis  Summary of the social reproduction crisis Conclusion7. Caesarism, passive revolution and the return of the LDP under Abe Abe’s political comeback Breaking the deadlock: The Caesarism of “Abenomics”  Breaking the deadlock through expansionary Keynesian policy  Breaking the deadlock through neoliberal economic reform  Breaking the deadlock through welfare state expansion  Implications of Caesarism under Abe The real Abe? Passive revolution, militarism and soft authoritarianism  Asserting control over the LDP  Passive revolution in administrative reform  Passive revolution in domestic security policy  Abe’s passive revolution Consequences of Abe’s reign for the hegemonic order  Capital accumulation  Political legitimation  Social reproduction Conclusion8. Whither post-Abe Japan? Four scenarios for the future The neo-conservative option  Overview  Relations of force behind neo-conservatism  The neo-conservative solution to organic crisis  Challenges and contradictions of neo-conservatism The neo-liberal path  Overview  Relations of force behind neo-liberalism  The neo-liberal solution to organic crisis  Challenges and contradictions of neo-liberalism Back to the future? Neo-communitarianism  Overview  Relations of force behind neo-liberalism  The neo-liberal solution to organic crisis  Challenges and contradictions of neo-liberalism Counter-hegemony and a democratic socialist future  Overview  Relations of force behind democratic socialism  The democratic socialist solution to organic crisis  Challenges and contradictions of democratic socialism Conclusion9. Conclusion Contradictions for hegemonic order: Political legitimation Contradictions for hegemonic order: Capital accumulation Contradictions for hegemonic order: Social reproduction Overarching theoretical implications of the argumentBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisAntony Cummins and Yoshie Minami have brought the teachings of the famed samurai school Natori-Ry? back to life through The Book of Samurai series, and present the lost arts of the samurai in the English language for the first time. BOOK ONE is a translation of two secret scrolls and establishes the Fundamental Teachings of a samurai student, revealing the basic traditions of Natori-Ry?. The first scroll, Heika J ?dan, contains 290 lessons that define the baseline for samurai during times of peace, a time which is considered as preparation for war, focusing each student on expanding their own ability and conduct, giving them the mind-set needed for any battles to come. The second scroll, Ippei Y?k?, moves the student onto the field of battle, giving them an understanding of what is expected of them during a campaign of war and providing the necessary guidance for samurai who are to take up arms for the first time. These first two Natori-Ry? documents are an in-depth and detailed account of the practicality of samurai warfare, opening up the lost world of these Japanese warriors to all modern readers.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2020, a vivid work of history that explores the life of an unconventional woman in Edo - now known as Tokyo - and a portrait of a great city on the brink of momentous change'Compelling... Deeply absorbing' GuardianThe daughter of a Buddhist priest, Tsuneno was born in 1804 in a village in Japan's snow country and was expected to lead a life much like her mother's. Instead - after three divorces and with a temperament much too strong-willed for her family's approval - she ran away to follow her own path in Edo, the city we now call Tokyo.Stranger in the Shogun's City is a rare, captivating portrait of one woman as she endeavours to recreate herself and her life, and provides a window into the drama and excitement of Japan at a pivotal moment in history.'Marvellous... Stanley builds up a picture of Tsuneno's world, immersing us in an experience akin to time travel' TLS* Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography 2020 ** Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Biography 2021 ** Winner of the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography ** Longlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown *Trade ReviewHow did it feel to live in what was even then one of the largest cities in the world, a place of vivid and brilliant creativity, isolated by decree from the world at large? This is the question that Amy Stanley has set herself in this quietly ambitious book... She has extracted a touching and accessible story about leaving the provinces for the thrilling loneliness of the big city, about making mistakes and making the same mistakes again... a minor miracle of documentary and literary archaeology -- Richard Lloyd Parry * The Times *At the heart of Stanley's book is the extraordinary and terrible story of Tsuneno... Using detailed documentation, Stanley builds up a picture of Tsuneno's world, immersing us in temple, village and town life in an experience akin to time travel... Tsuneno's story takes us into virtually every corner of this remarkable society on the brink of change -- Lesley Downer * Times Literary Supplement *Stanley's book - a stunning work of academic persistence, reconstruction and luck - weaves the hard-won details of Tsuneno's life into the final years of the Edo period, brilliantly highlighting the clues that both Japan, and the city that would become Tokyo, were on the brink of change... Few western writers have managed to capture the DNA strands from this fabulously colourful moment of Tokyo's past and weave them so adroitly -- Leo Lewis * Financial Times *The great achievement of this revelatory book is to demolish any assumption on the part of English language readers that pre-modern Japan was all blossom, tea ceremonies and mysterious half-smiles... Tsuneno is interesting and admirable precisely because she was of her time and had to make the best of the hand she had been dealt. It is her ordinariness, and her multiple failures at not getting what she wanted, that make her story so deeply absorbing * Guardian *A visit to the past that is a refreshing antidote to the histories of great men-and the occasional great woman-at times of flux... Tsuneno's life was not a heroic one. The heroism lies rather in Ms Stanley's efforts to decipher her story... the paper trail Tsuneno left behind is remarkable * Economist *

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Book SynopsisIn late-eighteenth-century India, the glory of the Mughal emperors was fading, and ambitious newcomers seized power, changing the political map forever. Enter the legendary Maharajah Ranjit Singh, whose Sikh Empire stretched throughout northwestern India into Afghanistan and Tibet. Priya Atwal shines fresh light on this long-lost kingdom, looking beyond its founding father to restore the queens and princes to the story of this empire’s spectacular rise and fall. She brings to life a self-made ruling family, inventively fusing Sikh, Mughal and European ideas of power, but eventually succumbing to gendered family politics, as the Sikh Empire fell to its great rival in the new India: the British. Royals and Rebels is a fascinating tale of family, royalty and the fluidity of power, set in a dramatic global era when new stars rose and upstart empires clashed.Trade Review'A clear-eyed account … Atwal charts all of this history with flair and economy.’ -- The Wall Street Journal‘[A] valuable book.’ -- The Washington Post'A brilliant book [that] is full of surprising stories … Atwal has managed to craft a very fresh and page-turning history of the origins and demise of the Sikh Kingdom.’ -- BBC History Magazine'The book is a tour-de-force, as Atwal brings her careful reading of a wide range of historical material to reveal the contingencies of the past in all its complexity.' -- LSE Review of Books‘Priya Atwal’s regal history combines academic finesse with lucid prose to examine the role women played in the Sukerchakia dynasty. … Atwal brilliantly combines cultural analysis with an intricate dissection of Orientalist gender stereotypes.’ -- The Wire‘An intricate masterpiece laden with gems as old as the empire itself, “Royals and Rebels” is a welcome and necessary addition to the South Asian history repertoire.’ -- Brown Girl Magazine‘Shattering the stereotype of the ‘crude’ warrior, Dr. Atwal exposes how culture was central to the Sikh imperial project… [and] challenges our traditional, monolithic concept of Empire itself.’ -- Artmag'Smart, timely and fresh, from an exciting new voice in history writing.' -- Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator, Historic Royal Palaces, and presenter of 'Royal History's Biggest Fibs''Priya Atwal's lyrical and authoritative retelling will ensure that this fascinating bit of history commands the attention it deserves.' -- Dan Snow, historian and broadcaster'A wonderfully vivid appraisal of a fascinating period of Indian history. Atwal's work is serious and captivating. A welcome new voice, with much to teach us.' -- Anita Anand, broadcaster and author of 'The Patient Assassin', 'Sophia', and 'Koh-i-Noor''I wish all histories were written like this one. Priya Atwal blasts through centuries of Orientalist and misogynist history to shed brilliant new light on women in the high politics of empire. A thrilling, richly detailed and important book.' -- Hannah Jewell, pop culture host, The Washington Post, and author of '100 Nasty Women of History''Gripping! A dramatic tale of the Sikh Empire taking on the British, especially its forgotten but influential queens and princes. A new history that marvellously expands the horizons of our knowledge.' -- Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and author of 'Inglorious Empire''Priya Atwal has produced an important book, one that is a delight to peruse, complete with carefully chosen images, while at the same highly innovative and informative in terms of its historical perspective.' -- H-Diplo'A wonderfully engaging, intimate history of India's Sikh Empire, accompanied by previously unseen images of the Sikh court. We meet the extraordinary women and men who shaped its culture, and established their own remarkable relationships with Britain's royal family.' -- Rosalind O'Hanlon, Professor of Indian History and Culture, University of Oxford'A path-breaking, thought-provoking and highly original study that will reign supreme over literature on the Sikh Kingdom. This ambitious and compelling book will inspire both scholars and general audiences even fifty years from now.' -- Pashaura Singh, Distinguished Professor and J.S. Saini Chair in Sikh Studies, University of California, Riverside

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Book SynopsisHints on the Art and Science of Government was the first treatise on statecraft produced in modern India. It consists of lectures that Raja Sir T. Madhava Rao delivered in 1881 to Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III, the young Maharaja of Baroda. Universally considered the foremost Indian statesman of the nineteenth century, Madhava Rao had served as dewan (or prime minister) in the native states of Travancore, Indore and Baroda. Under his command, Travancore and Baroda came to be seen as 'model states', whose progress demonstrated that Indians were capable of governing well. Rao's lectures summarise the fundamental principles underlying his unprecedented success. He explains how and why a Maharaja ought to marry the classical Indian ideal of raj dharma, which enjoins rulers to govern dutifully, with the modern English ideal of limited sovereignty. This makes Hints an exceptionally important text: it shows how, outside the confines of British India, Indians consciously and creatively sought to revise and adapt ideals in the interests of progress. This landmark edition contains both the newly rediscovered, original lecture manuscripts; and an authoritative introduction, outlining Rao's remarkable career, his complicated relationship with Sayaji Rao III, and the reasons why his lectures have been neglected-until now.Trade Review'The Progressive Maharaja introduces us to Raja Sir Madhava Rao’s fascinating manifesto on statecraft, Hints on the Art and Science of Government. In rich detail, drawing on his extensive investigation of historical sources, Sagar delves into the story behind the man and the thoughtful text he produced, bringing us a fine, original and unjustly overlooked contribution to Indian political thought.' -- Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and author of Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India'This book illustrates what historians do--masterful research identifying significant aspects of the past. Sagar's admirable talents recount the life of India's most successful political operator of the nineteenth century and reproduce his handbook on how to be a ruler. Machiavelli meets the British Empire!' -- Robin Jeffrey, Professor, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore'A unique Indian contribution to the genre of Art of Government treatises, that skilfully fuses liberal constitutionalism with raj dharma. Sagar's excellent introduction provides the context for this ambitious pedagogical experiment in producing an enlightened monarch proficient in statecraft.' -- Niraja Gopal Jayal, Avantha Chair, India Institute, King's College London'Sagar intervenes brilliantly in debates on good governance by bringing to light a hitherto unknown, but still immensely relevant, nineteenth-century treatise on statecraft. This beautifully written book would appeal to all those interested in the richness and plurality of Indian political thought.' -- Nandini Gooptu, Associate Professor of South Asian Studies, University of Oxford'Illuminating the interface between princely India and British officialdom, this is a valuable contribution to knowledge about princely states in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century India.' -- T.C.A. Raghavan, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, and author of History Men: Jadunath Sarkar, G.S. Sardesai, Raghubir Sinh and Their Quest for India's Past'This hitherto neglected but important nineteenth-century Indian political treatise on what makes a good ruler will fascinate anyone interested in Indian colonial history and political theory. Scrupulously researched, this is a clear, concise summary of the history of the princely states and their relationship with the British Raj.' -- John Zubryzcki, author of The House of Jaipur

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Book SynopsisCovid-19 has given renewed, urgent attention to ‘the pandemic’ as a devastating, recurrent global phenomenon. Today the term is freely and widely used—but in reality, it has a long and contested history, centred on South Asia. Pandemic India is an innovative enquiry into the emergence of the idea and changing meaning of pandemics, exploring the pivotal role played by—or assigned to—India over the past 200 years. Using the perspectives of the social historian and the historian of medicine, and a wide range of sources, it explains how and why past pandemics were so closely identified with South Asia; the factors behind outbreaks’ exceptional destructiveness in India; responses from society and the state, both during and since the colonial era; and how such collective catastrophes have changed lives and been remembered. Giving a ‘long history’ to India’s current pandemic, the book offers comparisons with earlier epidemics of cholera, plague and influenza. David Arnold assesses the distinctive characteristics and legacies of each episode, tracking the evolution of public health strategies and containment measures. This is a historian’s reflection on time as seen through the pandemic prism, and on the ways the past is used—or misused—to serve the present.Trade Review'Spanning two hundred years, Arnold's reflective study expertly reconstructs the dilemmas and decisions of India's ruling classes in trying conclusions with those four horsemen of the epidemiological apocalypse: cholera, plague, flu, coronavirus.' -- Pratinav Anil, Himal Southasian'An authoritative account of what pandemics are and how they can be understood through a historical focus on India. It brilliantly demonstrates the impossibility of grasping the novel coronavirus outside the particularities and histories of place. A must-read for anyone interested in understanding India or pandemics or both.' -- Nayanika Mathur, Associate Professor in the Anthropology of South Asia, University of Oxford'A significant contribution to the social history of medicine in India—a field that the author himself has done a great deal to develop. Arnold provides a fascinating discussion about the pandemic’s medical, political and social configurations, analysing how India’s historical experience of pandemics has been applied to the present situation.' -- Benjamin Kingsbury, historian, and author of The Dark Island: Leprosy in New Zealand and the Quail Island Colony'A powerfully argued, well-researched and well-presented study of pandemics during the British colonial and post-independence periods in India, insightfully framed within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.' -- Michael H. Fisher, Robert S. Danforth Professor Emeritus of History, Oberlin College, and author of An Environmental History of India

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Book Synopsis'Another India' tells the story of the world's biggest religious minority. Weaving together vivid biographical portraits of a wide range of Indian Muslims--elite and subaltern, secular and clerical, activist and apolitical--it brings the experience of the country's Muslims under a single focus; and, by throwing light on the Indian Muslim condition during the first thirty years of independence, reflects on the true character of democratic India. What we have here is a rather different picture from received accounts of the 'world's largest democracy'. Challenging traditional histories of Nehru's India, Pratinav Anil shows that minority rights were neglected right from independence. Despite its best intentions, the Congress regime that ruled for three decades was often illiberal, intolerant and undemocratic. Muslims had to contend with discrimination, disadvantage, deindustrialisation, dispossession and disenfranchisement, as well as an unresponsive leadership. Anil demonstrates how the Muslim elite encouraged depoliticisation, taking up seemingly noble but largely inconsequential causes with little bearing on the lives of ordinary members of the community. There was no room for mass protests or collective solidarity in this version of Muslim politics. Another India explores this elite betrayal, whose consequences are still felt by India's 200 million Muslims today.Trade Review'['Another India'] successfully punctures the myth that the secularism of Nehru's India was a golden age for Indian Muslims.' -- The Spectator'A devastating demolition of the myth created by dominant historiography that Nehru was the "generous and magnanimous torch-bearer of secularism."' -- Frontline‘Anil’s book raises… important questions that are worth answering.’ -- Open Magazine‘An eye-opener.’ -- The Indian Express‘Provides a unique perspective on the history of India’s Muslim minority following the tumultuous decades following the country’s independence in 1947.’ -- International Journal of Asian Studies'Meticulously researched, engaging and fun to read, Another India revokes the myth that Muslims were merely objects of Indian history. It is rare to come across writing brimming with this level of analytical clarity, insight and humour.' -- Adeel Hussain, Assistant Professor of Legal and Political Theory, Leiden University, and author of 'Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan''Anil's powerful intervention demolishes the caricature of the Indian Muslim's voice as an essay on victimhood. This richly textured analysis restores authorship to Indian Muslims in the complex story of their engagement with what ought to constitute the priorities of the minority community.' -- Pallavi Raghavan, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Ashoka University, and author of 'Animosity at Bay: An Alternative History of the India-Pakistan Relationship''An important and ambitious study unpacking the idea of Muslim agency to make sense of the complex history of postcolonial Muslim politics.' -- Hilal Ahmed, Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, and author of 'Muslim Political Discourse in Postcolonial India''Anil details convincingly the story of Indian Muslims before and after Partition, exploring their (unsuccessful) struggle to secure political and cultural rights as well as recovering Muslim agency in the story of postcolonial India. A must-read.' -- Katharine Adeney, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Nottingham, and author of 'Federalism and Ethnic Conflict Regulation in India and Pakistan'

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating biography of the Indian revolutionary M. P. T. Acharya (1887–1954), Ole Birk Laursen uncovers the remarkable transnational networks, movements and activities of India’s most important anticolonial anarchist in the twentieth century. Driven by the urge for complete freedom from colonialism, authoritarianism, fascism and militarism, which are rooted in the idea and politics of the nation-state, Acharya fought for an international vision of socialism and freedom. During the tumultuous opening decades of the 1900s—marked by the globalisation of radical inter-revolutionary struggles, world wars, the rise of communism and fascism, and the growth of colonial independence movements—Acharya allied himself with pacifists, anarchists, radical socialists and anticolonial fighters in exile, championing a future free from any form of oppression, whether by colonial rulers or native masters. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, private correspondence and other primary sources, Laursen demonstrates that, among his contemporaries, Acharya’s turn to anarchism was unique and pioneering in the struggle for Indian independence. Anarchy or Chaos is the first comprehensive study of M. P. T. Acharya. It offers a new understanding of the global and entangled history of anarchism and anticolonialism in the first half of the twentieth century.Trade Review‘[Anarchy or Chaos] vividly captures the itinerant lives of anticolonial revolutionaries… providing a rare glimpse into the racial Indian diaspora and migrant communities worldwide.’ -- Asian Review of Books'Shining a spotlight on an under-researched area of anarchism in Indian history, this biography places Acharya fully into the historical record--alongside political giants of his generation such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. An exciting tale.' -- Neilesh Bose, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Victoria, and author of 'India after World History''In his impressive biography of one of the main protagonists of Indian leftist activism, Laursen skilfully connects the story of Indian nationalism with the wider global history of communism and anarchism. A compelling, ambitious and highly original book.' -- Harald Fischer-Tiné, Professor for the History of the Modern World, ETH Zurich, and author of 'Shyamji Krishnavarma: Sanskrit, Sociology and Anti-​​Imperialism''A rich and illuminating account of a forgotten but significant presence in the intertwined histories of anticolonialism, socialism and anarchism. Laursen's meticulous research and lucid narration redresses a major gap in the annals of anticolonial resistance and global struggles for justice.' -- Priyamvada Gopal, Professor of Postcolonial Studies, University of Cambridge, and author of 'Insurgent Empire''Carefully researched and lucidly written, this captivating book tracks the political life of a dynamic but peripheral figure in South Asian anticolonialism, uncannily present at many critical events in the global history of Indian nationalism. Placing anarchism at its centre, Laursen nuances the development of leftist thought in South Asia.' -- Kama Maclean, Professor of History, South Asian Institute, University of Heidelberg, and author of 'A Revolutionary History of Interwar India'

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Book SynopsisAs India and the world are roiled by questions of nationalism and identity, this book journeys into the history of one of the world’s newest and most fascinating regions: Northeast India. Having appeared with the stroke of a pen in 1947, as the British Raj was torn asunder and partitioned into India and Pakistan, this is a region of hills inhabited by myriad tribes. Until colonial rule, they had lived in their ancient ways largely unmolested by their neighbours, who were rather keen to avoid their traditions of head-hunting. Samrat Choudhury chronicles the processes by which these remote hill-tribes, and the diverse other peoples inhabiting the valley of the vast Brahmaputra River below, became parts of the ‘imagined nation’ that is India. Through the invention of the Northeast, he explores two other ideas of India that remain in daily competition: Bharat, the Hindu nationalist conception of the country, and Hindustan, the Persian-origin name by which India is still known as far west as Turkey. Taking a long view, this absorbing political history chronicles the separate pathways by which imperialism, Christianity and the British love of tea brought each of the contemporary region’s constituent states, kicking and screaming, into modern India.Trade Review‘A well-written, detailed yet engaging history of northeast India.’ -- Asian Review of Books'A persuasive, fascinating and unputdownable work of history. I have not come across any other book on Northeast India which reads like fiction, yet leaves untouched almost no aspect of the region, its areas and its people.' -- Sajal Nag, Professor of History, Assam University, and author of 'Contesting Marginality: Ethnicity, Insurgency and Subnationalism in North-East India''This book brings great clarity and insight to the history of India's Northeast--a region of mind-boggling diversity, where competing powers have struggled to impose their authority and to delineate boundaries that remain disputed even today. Essential reading, warmly welcomed.' -- James Manor, Professor Emeritus, School of Advanced Study, University of London, and author of 'Politics and State-Society Relations in India''Samrat Choudhury's sweeping political history captures, in one book, India's diverse Northeast, famous for its hundreds of languages and many ethnic groups. His accessible and authoritative history is an excellent primer for anyone trying to understand the region. A monumental achievement.' -- Manoj Joshi, journalist and author of 'Understanding the India-China Border''Woven around the history of Northeast India's seven states, this book offers an interesting perspective on the subcontinent's extremely complex regional cultures and social formations. A highly valuable addition to the contemporary history of India.' -- Surinder S. Jodhka, Professor of Sociology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and editor of 'Interrogating India's Modernity'

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Book SynopsisAt the start of the twentieth century in China, the Hans were married in an elaborate ceremony before they were even born. While their future was arranged by their families, this couple had much to be grateful for. Not only did they come from similar backgrounds – and as such were recognized as a good match - they also had a shared passion in their deep love of ancient Chinese poetry. They went on to have nine children and chose colours portrayed in some of their favourite poems as nicknames for them - Red, Cyan, Orange, Yellow, Green, Ginger, Violet, Blue and Rainbow. Fate, and the sweep of twentieth century history would later divide these children into three groups: three went to America or Hong Kong to protect the family line from the communists; three were married to revolutionaries having come of age as China turned red; while three suffered tragic early deaths. With her trademark wisdom and warmth, Xinran describes the lives and loves of this extraordinary family over four generations. What emerges is not only a moving, beautifully-written and engaging story of four people and their lives, but a crucial portrait of social change in China. Xinran begins with the magic and tragedy of one young couples wedding night in 1950, and goes on to tell personal experiences of loss, grief and hardship through China’s extraordinary century. In doing so she tells a bigger story – how traditional Chinese values have been slowly eroded by the tide of modernity and how their outlooks on love, and the choices they've made in life, have been all been affected by the great upheavals of Chinese history. A spell-binding and magical narrative, this is the story of modern China through the people who lived through it, and the story of their love and loss.Trade ReviewReporting on four generations of one Chinese family and their diverging paths, Xinran shows how the country’s social norms have changed through politics and the rise of modernity. * New York Times *Xinran Xue is a gifted storyteller and The Promise reads like an unputdownable novel. William Spence’s translation from Chinese into English cannot be over-praised. * Washington BookReview *[A] graceful work that restores a lost generation to history. * Kirkus Review *‘An absorbing, often startling, always persuasive exploration of contemporary China.’ -- Hilary Spurling on 'Buy Me The Sky' * The Spectator *One would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved. * The Economist on 'Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother' *Groundbreaking… This intimate record reads like an act of defiance, and the unvarnished prose allows each story to stand as testimony. * The New Yorker on 'The Good Women of China' *‘Right here we see the red lines that many Chinese still draw for themselves in public discourse, or even privately, the boundaries they dare not cross even today. No other style of storytelling could have exhibited them with more clarity or greater rawness.’ -- Oliver August on 'China Witness' * THE TIMES *Exploring love and loss in modern China is a big job but it is in simplifying the overwhelming that Xinran excels. And in the introduction to this compelling and moving book, the author clarifies just how she has managed the task...In these carefully told vignettes, Xinran takes the reader through a century of tumult and change in China, her writing beautifully reflecting the intimate and honest voices of the women whose stories of love she tells. * The Weekend Australian *'Xinran writes with a fine balance of economy, compassion and wisdom, and manages to be at once proud, critical, forward-looking, nostalgic, sad, angry and hopeful.’ * The New Statesman *‘Xinran evokes the multiple, layered cultures and customs of modern China with bright, memorable detail and empathy for her characters.’ * The Guardian on 'Miss Chopsticks' *Xinran’s The Promise is an epical account depicting the emotional life of four generations of a Chinese family. It is an important book that paints a multi-faceted portrait of a society undergoing radical social transition. This book cracks the code of love, loneliness, and belonging of contemporary China. -- Xiaolu Guo, author of 'I Am China'A brilliant storyteller -- Hilary SpurlingTable of ContentsPromises and ‘talking love’: my inspirations for this book Map of China Key Dates Introduction Note on the Text Part I. A Love Coloured by Wars and Political Movements First sister, Red Part II. A Communist Family Tree Second sister, Green Part III. A Bird’s Love during the Cultural Revolution Green’s daughter, Crane Part IV. Diverse ‘Lovers’ The 3D Generation: Lili, Yoyo, Wuhen Afterword: In and Out the Door of Life Author’s Heartfelt Thanks

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Book SynopsisSeventy years after the Chinese Revolution of 1949, what remains of Mao's communist legacy?Afterlives of Chinese Communism comprises essays from over fifty world-renowned scholars in the China field, from various disciplines and continents. It provides an indispensable guide for understanding how the Mao era continues to shape Chinese politics today. Each chapter discusses a concept or practice from the Mao period, what it attempted to do, and what has become of it since. The authors respond to the legacy of Maoism from numerous perspectives to consider what lessons Chinese communism can offer today, and whether there is a future for the egalitarian politics that it once promised. A joint publication between Verso Books and ANU Press.Trade ReviewAll of the essays are well worth reading, teasing out the theory and reality of a different Maoist concept. -- John Gittings * LA Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisChivalry is a flower no less indigenous to the soil of Japan than its emblem, the cherry blossom; nor is it a dried-up specimen of an antique virtue preserved in the herbarium of our history. It is still a living object of power and beauty among us. To many people, the word samurai conjures images of menacing masks, long blades and elaborate armour. However, this classic text by Inazo Nitobe reveals the greater depths to samurai culture - they were not simply warriors but an aristocratic class who practiced literary and military arts in equal measure. Essential to this way of life was the samurai''s moral code and the quality of bushido, roughly translated as chivalry. The Way of the Samurai provides an intriguing exploration of bushido and other valued qualities such as rectitude or justice, courage, politeness, veracity, honour, loyalty and self-control. It also explores the Samurai''s more violent traditions, such as the chilling act of hara-kiri or self-immolation. This mixture of chivalric principles with brutal warfare is fascinating. While many aspects of Samurai culture have disappeared, its principles still have resonance in modern Japanese society and around the globe.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Classics series brings together high-quality paperback editions of classics works, presented with contemporary graphic cover designs. Together they make a wonderful collection which is perfect for any home library.

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Book SynopsisHan Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220) stone carved tombs were constructed from carved stone slabs or a combination of moulded bricks and carved stones, and were distributed in Central and Eastern China. Such multi-chambered stone tombs were very popular among the Han people, but they were entirely new, and were a result of outside stimuli rather than an independent development within China. The stone carved tombs were a result of imitating royal rock-cut tombs, while the rock-cut tombs were stimulated by foreign examples. Moreover, many details of stone carved tombs also had Western features. These exotic elements reflected the desire to assimilate exotica within Chinese traditions. Some details within stone carved tombs showed high level of stone working technologies with Western influences. But in general the level of stone construction of the Han period was relatively low. The methods of construction showed how unfamiliar the Western system was to the Han artisans. Han Dynasty stone carved tombs were hybrids of different techniques, including timber, brick and stone works. From these variations, Han people could choose certain types of tombs to satisfy their specific ritual and economic needs. Not only structures, but also pictorial decorations of stone carved tombs were innovations. The range of image motifs was quite limited. Similar motifs can be found in almost every tomb. Such similarities were partly due to the artisans, who worked in workshops and used repertoires for the carving of images. But these also suggest that the tombs were decorated for certain purposes with a given functional template. Together with different patterns of burial objects and their settings, such images formed a way through which the Han people gave meaning to the afterworld. As the Han Empire collapsed, stone carved tombs ceased being constructed in the Central Plains. However, they set a model for later tombs. The idea of building horizontal stone chamber tombs spread to Han borderlands, and gradually went further east to the Korean Peninsula. In this book, the origins, meanings and influences of Han Dynasty stone carved tombs are presented as a part of the history of interactions between different parts of Eurasia.Table of ContentsChapter One: Introduction; Chapter Two: The Construction of Stone Carved Tombs; Chapter Three: The Imagery of Stone Carved Tombs; Chapter Four: The Origins of Stone Carved Tombs; Chapter Five: The Legacy of Stone Carved Tombs; Chapter Six: Conclusions; Appendix I: Catalogue of Examined Stone Carved Tombs; Appendix II: Description of the Shilipu Tomb; Bibliography

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Book Synopsis‘Tanbûr Long-Necked Lutes Along the Silk Road and Beyond’ explores the origin, history, construction, and playing techniques of tanbûrs, a musical instrument widely used over vast territories and over many centuries. The diffusion of the tanbûr into the musical cultures along the Silk Road resulted in a variety of tanbûrs with two or more, occasionally doubled or tripled courses, a varying number and variously tuned frets, each having its own characteristic sound, playing technique, and repertory. Since the last century, tanbûrs spread beyond the Silk Road while new versions continue to appear due to changing musical and tonal demands made on them. Similar or identical instruments are also known by other names, such as saz or bağlama, dotâr or dutâr, setâr, dömbra, and dambura.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements ; The Tanbûr Tradition; General Introduction; Chapter 1: Historical background; Chapter 2: Construction; Chapter 3: Playing technique; Chapter 4: Tanbûr; Chapter 5: Dotâr; Chapter 6: Saz; Chapter 7: Setâr; Chapter 8: Dömbra; Chapter 9: Dambura; Glossary of Musical Instruments; Discography; Bibliography; Illustration Credits; Index

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Book SynopsisWinston Churchill was closely connected with India from 1896, when he landed in Bombay with his regiment, until 1947, when independence was finally achieved. No other British statesman had such a long association with the sub-continent—or interfered in its politics so consistently and harmfully. Churchill strove to sabotage any moves towards independence, crippling the Government of India Act over five years of dogged opposition to its passage in the 1930s. As Prime Minister during the Second World War, Churchill frustrated the freedom struggle from behind the scenes, delaying independence by a decade. To this day he is ‘the’ imperialist villain for Indians, held personally responsible for the Bengal Famine. This book reveals Churchill at his worst: cruel, obstructive and selfish. The same man was outstandingly liberal at the Colonial Office, risking his career with his generosity to the Boers and the Irish, and later speeding up independence in the Middle East. Why was he so strangely hostile towards India?Trade Review'[Reid] is a sensitive, diligent historian with an admirably open mind … [and] deserves congratulations for bravely questioning Churchill's attitude towards India and for rightly labelling it racist. This book is a polemic, but a careful and convincing one. … What shines through is a careful, lawyerly logic that leads to painful conclusions.' -- Gerard DeGroot, The Times'[Reid] contextualises numerous controversies around the man who led the fight against Hitler.' -- The Independent, ‘January Books of the Month’'[A] fair and sympathetic examination of Churchill and India … alert to both its subject’s faults and his virtues.' -- The Scotsman‘An important and immensely rewarding account.’ -- Deccan Chronicle'A masterful exposure of Churchill’s views and actions regarding India.' -- The Asian Age‘A thoughtful and even-handed history.’ -- Business Standard‘Judicious, elegantly argued and a joy to read, Fighting Retreat addresses the thorny questions of why Churchill took such a jaundiced view of India and whether his obduracy over Indian independence fed the rancour that led to Partition. As the author of seminal works on both India and Churchill, Walter Reid is well placed to supply the answers. He does so with elan and conviction. This is an important and immensely rewarding account of a hitherto puzzling conundrum.’ -- John Keay‘A splendid book, clear-eyed and dispassionate, which perfectly captures the essence of Churchill’s misguided ire towards India. The presentation of him and his approach to India, the various peoples of India and to Indian nationalism, is compelling. I have really, really enjoyed this. Not only does Reid write beautifully, but the issues are arrayed clinically, and despatched calmly and authoritatively.’ -- Robert Lyman‘History writing at its best. A fascinating and important story, beautifully, clearly and fairly told. An excellent read.’ -- Oliver Everett CVO‘In this day and age, Churchill remains a controversial figure: he is seen as a great patriot in Britain but nothing less than an archetypical imperialist villain in India. Reid has put his hands into a wasp’s nest to examine Churchill’s attitude towards India. To his credit, he has come up with a fair and warts-and-all account that explains Churchill’s attitude, even while it does not excuse it.’ -- Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi‘Walter Reid pulls no punches in this troubling book, and the attentive reader will have much to reconsider.’ -- John Hussey, OBE, Winner of the Templer Medal Prize for Waterloo: The Campaign of 1815‘Reid’s account and assessment is critical and impartial. The real Winston Churchill emerges with blemishes and strengths but not a friend of India.’ -- General T S Shergill, PVSM

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Book SynopsisThe emotional, social, and economic challenges faced by migrants and their families are interconnected through complex decisions related to mobility. Tangled Mobilities examines the different crisscrossing and intersecting mobilities in the lives of Asian migrants, their family members across Asia and Europe, and the social spaces connecting these regions. In exploring how the migratory process unfolds in different stages of migrants' lives, the chapters in this collected volume broaden perspectives on mobility, offering insight into the way places, affects, and personhood are shaped by and connected to it.

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Book SynopsisHistorians have long regarded fashion as something peculiarly Western. In this surprising, sumptuously illustrated book, Antonia Finnane challenges this view, which she argues is based on nineteenth- and twentieth-century representations of Chinese dress as traditional and unchanging. Fashions, she shows, were part of Chinese life in the late imperial era, even if a fashion industry was not then apparent. In the early twentieth century the key features of modern fashion became evident, particularly in Shanghai, and rapidly changing dress styles showed the effects. The volatility of Chinese dress throughout the twentieth century matched vicissitudes in national politics. Finnane describes in detail how the close-fitting jacket and high collar of the 1911 Revolutionary period, the skirt and jacket-blouse of the May Fourth era, and the military style popular in the Cultural Revolution gave way finally to the variegated, globalized wardrobe of today. She brilliantly connects China’s modernization and global visibility with changes in dress, offering a vivid portrait of the complex, subtle, and sometimes contradictory ways the people of China have worn their nation on their backs.Trade Review'It is clear from these pages how frequently the world of fashion has turned to China for inspiration.' -- Los Angeles Times'[A] beautifully illustrated book... with delightful analysis of how gender, class,and nationalism have influenced Chinese fashions through the ages.' -- The China Beat'Finnane has produced an impressive history of modern Chinese fashion and much more. It will be a vital cores text for students of Chinese cultural history for decades to come.' -- -- The Journal of Asian Studies'Changing Clothes in China is beautifully produced, offering readers a splendid visual presentation of its rich content.' -- Business History Review'This book makes important contributions to scholarship in the areas of both history and fashion.' -- American Historical Review'This attractive and approachable book presents an overview of Chinese dress, both male and female, from the late imperial period to the present. ... It is a significant addition to the literature and ... I know of no immediate competitors with which this can be compared.Its publication is to be welcomed as a contribution to the debates about culture, modernity and gender in twentieth-century China, and, more widely, to the growing body of work on clothing and identity. ' * Verity Wilson, formerly Curator of Costume, Victoria and Albert Museum, London' *'This is the long-awaited, authoritative and definitive study of fashion in modern China, a topic if not a nascent field that has attracted recent scholarly and media attention. The author, a pioneer in this area, has accomplished an incredible feat-producing a vigorously-argued book that would advance intellectual debates while remaining accessible to the general reader. This book has a great many strengths. Previous Anglophone monographs on Chinese dress-by Vollmer, Garrett and Wilson for example-were works of collectors and museum curators. They focus on the material construction of dress and their regional or social variations at the expense of systemic cultural and economic analyses. As a result, the meaning of "fashion" as a cultural-economic phenomenon in China remains dimly understood. This is the first book-length work that situates "fashion" in historical contexts, from the world trading system and urban development to revolutionary movements in modern China. ... The book will launch fashion study as a serious intellectual endeavor in the field of Chinese studies while appealing to scholars in comparative fields (fashion studies, socio-economic history, cultural history, and post-colonial studies) and the general reader alike. It would make an appropriate textbook in an advanced undergraduate class on modern Chinese history or comparative history of fashion.' - * Professor Dorothy Ko, Columbia University *

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Book SynopsisBorn in Shanghai and raised in the city's International Settlement, Gu Weijun, a.k.a. Wellington Koo (1887-1985) became fluent in English during his postgraduate studies abroad - he got a PhD in Law from Columbia in 1912. He was recalled soon afterwards to become the English Secretary to the newly formed Republic of China, and became ambassador to the United States in 1915. He achieved notoriety at the Paris Peace Conference where he sternly resisted Japanese attempts to hold onto seized German colonial territory in mainland China. In protest at their treatment, the Chinese were the only delegates not to sign the subsequent Treaty of Versailles. Koo was China's first representative to the League of Nations, and ended up as acting president of Republican China during the unrest of the period 1926-7.He subsequently served briefly as a Foreign Minister during the peak of the Warlord Era, before returning to Europe, first as a delegate at the League of Nations, and then as China's ambassador to France. With the Nazi occupation, Koo fled to Britain, where he became the Chinese ambassador to the UK until 1946. A founder member of the United Nations, Koo was instrumental in maintaining the position of Republican China on the Security Council - by this time, 'Republican China' was limited solely to the island of Taiwan, while the Communists proclaimed themselves to be the new rulers of China itself.Retiring from the diplomatic service in 1956, the venerable Koo went on to become a judge at the International Court of Justice at the Hague, rising to vice-president before his retirement, aged 80, in 1967. He settled in New York, where his final years were tormented by 'Republican' China's loss of its seat on the United Nations Security Council to the Communists, following Nixon's famous visit to China.Trade Review'[A] beautifully-produced series...Two titles, both by Jonathan Clements, give a wealth of much-needed detail about the Chinese diplomat Wellington Koo and the Japanese statesman Prince Saijoni.' Nigel Jones, Literary Review, November 2008 -- Nigel Jones Literary Review 20081101

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Book SynopsisCity of Kashmir offers readers a journey into the 2,000-year history of Srinagar, exploring its written history, legends and oral traditions to take a living pulse. In exploring the city''s geography, it maps the daily rituals of life and the accompanying material culture, as well as the crafts for which Srinagar is justly famed worldwide. Based on twenty years'' research in Srinagar as a heritage consultant, Sameer Hamdani''s narrative is shaped and populated by glimpses of the historical built environment and other rich personal reflections, as well as selected translations of Sanskrit, Persian and Kashmiri poetry from the medieval and early modern periods.Hamdani provides a detailed overview of the origin and development of Srinagar on a scale never previously attempted, covering the entirety of the pre-Muslim and Muslim eras in medieval Kashmir, with a focus on the cultural life of the city. Richly illustrated with drawings, sketches and other images, this inviting book will be a timely addition to our expanding knowledge of regional cultures across South Asia, especially as witnessed through their material production and legacies.

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