Asian history Books

Book Synopsis13 December 1937. The Japanese army storms Nanjing, the capital of China at the time. What follows is one of the most violent and controversial periods in history, its consequences still affecting Sino-Japanese relations to this day. Some even deny that it ever happened. Appalled by such reactions and fearing that the horrors of the massacre may be forgotten, author He Jianming sets out to chronicle the truth behind the many war crimes. These include the massacre of every captured Chinese man under the guise of ‘mopping up’ defeated soldiers, the widespread plague of rape and murder that terrorised the female population of the city, and the looting of cultural relics and a national fortune. He compiles records from Chinese, Japanese and international sources, from those who witnessed, survived and committed the atrocities, In the hope that the Nanjing Massacre will never be forgotten.Table of Contents1. The Decisive Battle Before the Massacre 2. The First Day of the Massacre 3. Nanjing Is Suffocated 4. Rape: Screams on Mochou Lake 5. John Rabe and the International Safety Zone 6. A Foreign Lady Clings to the Island of Life 7. Trials and Testimonies 8. Another Unresolved Injustice 9. Between Man and Devil: The Confessions of the Japanese About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisLove Letters from Golok chronicles the courtship between two Buddhist tantric masters, Tare Lhamo (1938–2002) and Namtrul Rinpoche (1944–2011), and their passion for reinvigorating Buddhism in eastern Tibet during the post-Mao era. Holly Gayley retrieves the personal and prophetic dimensions of their courtship and its consummation.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary set of letters between a man and woman lie at the heart of this study of love, religious transcendence, and cultural trauma in post-Cultural Revolution Tibet. I know of no body of material that gives a more intricate picture of how Tibetan Tantric Buddhism could penetrate and transform worldly troubles and politics into the sublime aspirations of tantric vision. Gayley offers us an unparalleled view of 20th century Tibetan religion as it touched every aspect of human life. Plus an astonishing account of a female master whose romance with another master elevated them both into heroes for Eastern Tibet during most challenging times. -- Janet Gyatso, Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies, Harvard University Holly Gayley has that rarest of gifts, a scholar's eye and a story-teller's ear. Her book is filled with nuance and insight about the power of Tibetan cultural narratives of gendered spiritual prowess and the navigation of coded relationships. Never merely theoretical, Gayley grounds every observation in dynamic detail and a story-line compelling as any novel. -- Anne C. Klein, Professor Rice University and co-Founder, Dawn Mountain Author of Meeting the Great Bliss Queen, translator of Khetsun Sangpo's Strand of Jewels Gayley weaves together life writing, ethnography, and letters in an unprecedented fashion, and it pays off: her treatment of difficult primary sources - translated here for the first time - is inviting and engaging. Love Letters from Golok addresses issues of real and abiding concern in contemporary China. -- Kurtis R. Schaeffer, Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia and Chair of the Religious Studies departmentTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration and Translation Introduction: Journey to Golok 1. Daughter of Golok: Tare Lhamo's Life and Context 2. Local Heroine: The Hagiography of Cultural Trauma 3. Inseparable Companions: A Buddhist Courtship and Correspondence 4. Emissaries of Padmasambhava: Tibetan Treasures and Healing Trauma 5. A Tantric Couple: The Hagiography of Cultural Revitalization Epilogue: The Legacy of a Tantric Couple Appendix A: Catalogue of the Letters of Namtrul Rinpoche Appendix B: Catalogue of the Letters of Tare Lhamo Abbreviations Notes Glossary of Tibetan Names Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a terrific book?moving, clear, and compassionate. It not only illustrates the way psychiatric illness is shaped by culture, but also suggests that social environments can be used to improve the course and outcome of the illness. Well worth reading. T. M. Luhrmann, author of Of Two Minds: An Anthropologist looks at American PsychiatryBethel House, located in a small fishing village in northern Japan, was founded in 1984 as an intentional community for people with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Using a unique, community approach to psychosocial recovery, Bethel House focuses as much on social integration as on therapeutic work. As a centerpiece of this approach, Bethel House started its own businesses in order to create employment and socialization opportunities for its residents and to change public attitudes toward the mentally ill, but also quite unintentionally provided a significant boost to the distressed local economy. ThrTrade ReviewIn every respect, Nakamura has produced two films and a book that work against stigma and call attention to mental illness as a disability and to the humanity of those who suffer from it. These texts will be of broad interest beyond the world of Japan studies, particularly to clinicians and human rights activists who are looking for ways to do better for the mentally ill. -- Amy Borovoy * The Journal of Japanese Studies *Written in plain language and told in a narrative style, accompanied by a DVD containing two documentary videos and filled with a host of pictures, this easily accessible and deeply engaging work combines broad historical, social, and cultural context with intimate personal experiences and poignantly articulated vignettes to immerse the reader in the lives of members of Bethel House, the professional staff who work with them and the residents of the town of Urakawa located on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. -- Michael Rembis * Years Work in Critical and Cultural Theory *In A Disability of the Soul: An Ethnography of Schizophrenia and Mental Illness in Contemporary Japan, anthropologist and professor of East Asian Studies, Karen Nakamura provides the type of thick description and careful analysis called for by Mehrotra [author of Disability, Gender and State Policy: Exploring Margins]. Written in plain language and told in a narrative style... this easily accessible and deeply engaging work combines broad historical, social, and cultural context with intimate personal experiences and poignantly articulated vignettes to immerse the reader. * disability studies quarterly *Table of ContentsChapter 1. ArrivalsLife Story 1. Memory and Catharsis: Kiyoshi's StoryChapter 2. Psychiatry in JapanLife Story 2. Coming of Age in Japan: Rika's StoryChapter 3. Christianity in Japan and the Establishment of Hokkaido Chapter 4. The Founding of BethelLife Story 3. UFOs and Other Mass Delusions: Kohei's StoryChapter 5. The Doctor and the HospitalLife Story 4. 37 Years of Institutionalization: Why Did Yuzuru Never Want to Leave the Hospital?Chapter 6. Bethel TherapiesLife Story 5. Peer Support and a Meaningful Life: Gen's StoryChapter 7. DeparturesChapter 8. Beyond Bethel: A PostscriptNotes References Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBeginning with the history of Xinjiang and its unique population of Chinese Muslims, Gardner Bovingdon follows fifty years of Uyghur discontent, particularly the development of individual and collective acts of resistance since 1949, as well as the role of various transnational organizations in cultivating dissent.Trade ReviewThe Uyghurs: Strangers in Their Own Land adds substantially to the comprehension of the wider implications of contentious politics in Xinjiang. -- Henryk Szadziewski * Asia Sentinel *A fascinating book, delving into the historical identity of the Uyghurs and their position within the modern Chinese state. -- Andrew Galbraith * China Economic Review *...the book is strongly recommended to anyone interested in nationalism, ethnic identities and inter-ethnic relations in China and Central Asia. * China Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsNote on RomanizationAbbreviationsIntroduction1. Using the Past to Serve the Present2. Heteronomy and Its Discontents3. Everyday Resistance: Guerrilla Actions in the Battle over Public Opinion4. Collective Action and Violence5. Uyghur Transnational OrganizationsConclusionEpilogue: Ürümci's "Hot Summer" of 2009Appendix: Organized Protests and Violent Events in Xinjiang, 1949–2005NotesReferencesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"The richly illustrated catalog is handsome and instructive."---Karen Wilkin, Wall Street Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe legend of Mulan--the daughter who disguises herself as a man, dons her father's armor, and heads off to war in his place--remains one of the most popular Chinese folktales despite (or because of) its lack of supernatural demonstrations or interventions.This volume offers lively translations of the earliest recorded version of the legend and several later iterations of the tale (including the screenplay of the hugely successful 1939 Chinese film Mulan Joins the Army), illustrating the many ways that reinterpretations of this basic story reflect centuries of changes in Chinese cultural, political, and sexual attitudes.An Introduction traces the evolution of the Mulan legend and its significance in the history of Chinese popular culture. Annotation explaining terms and references unfamiliar to Western readers, a glossary, and a comprehensive bibliography further enhance the value of this volume for both scholars and students.Trade ReviewIdema's scholarship . . . [and his] ability to translate popular texts into comparably idiomatic English are outstanding achievements.--Hugh R. Clark, Ursinus CollegeThe plots and the elaborations of the Mulan narratives reproduced (and summarized) here demonstrate the many ways in which the Mulan figure has spoken to succeeding generations with differing heroic characteristics and in the idiom that each audience understood; they offer excellent texts for a deep background for any consideration of Mulan in contemporary culture. For scholars of European fairy tales, the narratives offer striking points of comparison with European crossdressing heroines of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries.--Ruth B. Bottigheimer, Stony Brook University

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis magnificent collection of eleven early [1250–1450] Chinese plays will give readers a vivid sense of life and a clear understanding of dramatic literature during an extraordinarily eventful period in Chinese history. Not only are the eleven plays in this volume expertly translated into lively, idiomatic English; they are each provided with illuminating, scholarly introductions that are yet fully intelligible to the educated lay reader. A marvelous volume.--Victor Mair, University of PennsylvaniaTrade Review"An exciting new resource for undergraduate teaching. The translated plays were clearly chosen for their literary value as well as their significance to the history of Chinese drama, and each is preceded by an introduction providing its historical context In their lucid introduction, West and Idema describe the historical background of early drama, discussing its urban setting, the theater, the actors, and the sources to trace the transformation of Yuan drama from urban popular performance into an elite reading form by the end of the Ming dynasty". --Kimberly Besio, Colby College, in The Journal of Asian StudiesWest and Idema's Monks, Bandits, Lovers, and Immortals represents a milestone in the reception of early Chinese drama in the West. Not only do the translations of eleven plays take precision, readability, and range to new heights, but the substantial yet accessible Introduction, together with a number of useful appendices, illustrations, and tables, make it the anthology of choice for courses in Chinese literature, world literature, and theater.--Patricia Sieber, Ohio State UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Mending a Broken Lineage: Women, Writing, Theology; Fear & Women's Writing: Choosing the Better Part; 'A Wretched Choice?': Evangelical Women & the Word; 'My God Became Flesh': Angela of Foligno Writing the Incarnation; Speaking Funk: Womanist Insights into the Lives of Syncletica & Macrina; 'A Moor of One's Own': Writing & Silence in Sara Maitland's "A Book of Silence"; With Prayer & Pen: Reading Mother E J Dabney's "What It Means to Pray Through"; Writing a Life, Writing Theology: Edith Stein in the Company of the Saints; Writing Hunger on the Body: Simone Weil's Ethic of Hunger & Eucharistic Practice; The Body, to be Eaten, to be Written: A Theological Reflection on the Act of Writing in Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's "Dictee"; Not with One Voice: The Counterpoint of Life, Diaspora, Women, Theology, & Writing; Embodying Theology: Motherhood as Metaphor/Method; Postscript: Wounded Writing / Healing Writing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn relating the story of his life on the island of Deshima and in the port of Yokohama during the late 1850s, Dutch merchant C. T. Assendelft de Coningh provides both an unprecedented eyewitness account of daily life in the Japanese treaty ports and a unique perspective on the economic, military, and political forces the Western imperial powers brought to bear on newly opened Japan.A general Introduction provides essential historical and cultural background as well as a brief biography of De Coningh; substantial footnotes explain those terms, names, and cultural references that may be unfamiliar to modern readers. Thirteen illustrations are included, as are a chronology of events, a bibliography, and an index.Trade ReviewA great read--I couldn't put it down! A Pioneer in Yokohama truly brings the earliest months of the Japanese treaty port to life. From the brief Japanese 'Gold Rush' to duels and terrorist attacks, from the perils of international commerce to hilarious problems of translation and miscommunication, Dutchman De Coningh's memoir provides vivid insights into both nineteenth-century trade and Yokohama’s international community. Moreover, the extraordinary sleuth work done by translator Chaiklin to identify even the most preposterous-seeming events and characters adds the spice of historical confirmation to the drama. . . . A great resource for researchers, classrooms, and casual readers alike. --Sarah Thal, University of Wisconsin-MadisonA marvelous translation. We're all lucky to now have [this work] in English. . . . Chaiklin's introduction is especially good: based on solid research in primary and secondary works, it finds a nice balance between information for specialists and for the general reader. --Joshua Fogel, York UniversityThis is a fresh and distinct account of Japan in the last years of shogunal rule. De Coningh's prose reads almost like a novel, brimming with the thrill of discovery, the despair of homesickness and isolation, and moments of genuine terror. His stories, such as an account of making new friends in a foreign land over stiff drinks, have a wonderful immediacy, as though they were pulled from contemporary student’s blog posts. De Coningh's memoir gives insight into Dutch manners, mores, and politics, while his observations about Japan are astute, nuanced, and appreciative. His account is especially valuable because it contrasts Japan before and after the opening of the treaty ports: De Coningh relates both the cloistered isolation of old Dutch trading post in Nagasaki and the tumult and mayhem of the new port of Yokohama. This is a delightful read for anyone interested in nineteenth-century Japan, but Pioneer also offers insights into European political and economic rivalries. For teaching, it could be used in survey courses, or paired with other [contemporary] memoirs. --Mark Ravina, Emory University

Read more less

Book SynopsisImperial Japanese soldiers were notorious for blindly following orders, and their enemies in the Pacific War derided them as cattle to the slaughter. But, in fact, the Japanese Army had a long history as one of the most disobedient armies in the world. Officers repeatedly staged coups d''états, violent insurrections, and political assassinations; their associates defied orders given by both the government and the general staff, launched independent military operations against other countries, and in two notorious cases conspired to assassinate foreign leaders despite direct orders to the contrary.In Curse on This Country, Danny Orbach explains the culture of rebellion in the Japanese armed forces. It was a culture created by a series of seemingly innocent decisions, each reasonable in its own right, which led to a gradual weakening of Japanese government control over its army and navy. The consequences were dire, as the armed forces dragged the government into more and more oTrade Review[Orbach] ties together the many violent events from the 1870s through the 1930s that were often studied in isolation to argue that both a culture of insubordination in the army that originated among the pro-emperor zealots of the 1860s and ideological hopes for the country facilitated unsanctioned violence connected to the army. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. * CHOICE *Draws on multi-lingual primary sources with an innovative re-interpretation through a 21st-century military and political lens that connects historical incidents, especially on the late Tokugawa shishi and their outsized influence on 20th-century Japan. * The Japan Times *Orbach’s book pulls off the difficult trick of talking to two audiences at once. Those only casually familiar with Japanese history will appreciate how thoroughly Orbach demolishes the hoary orientalist trope that Japanese soldiers were insect-like drones, mindlessly obedient to state propaganda. Specialists will be more interested in Orbach’s answer to what is still for many the great question of modern Japanese history: why did the country embark on a disastrous war of aggression in the mid-twentieth century?.... Orbach’s book is not just an important contribution to the historiography of Japan; it adds a key piece to the puzzle of understanding state-military relations across the global nineteenth century. * Pacific Affairs *Orbach's is a bold book.... I appreciated Orbach's original interpretation, his extensive research, and the fervor of his prose. Curse on this Country makes an important contribution to both military history and the history of Japan. * The Journal of Asian Studies *Well-researched and enlightening. * Asian Review of Books *Masterful.... Well-crafted and lucidly explained, Curse on This Country takes us on a journey from the bakumatsu era through a series of acts of insubordination, unauthorized military actions abroad, civil-military clashes, and rebellion.... Most of these incidents are well known to a historian of modern Japan, but Orbach shines new light on each incident and the circumstances surrounding them. However, the book's greatest contribution is that—to the best of this reviewer's knowledge—for the first time it ties all these together in one historical narrative, and as aspects of an evolving, but nevertheless single, phenomenon of Japan's modern army: its 'culture of subordination.'... Curse on This Country is a rich and sophisticated history that deserves to be read widely by students of modern Japanese history and military history. * Japan Review *Danny Orbach has written a splendid book in which he complicates our understanding of the road to war by demonstrating how a tradition of insubordinate military actions from below led modern Japan from the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s to World War II in the late 1930s.... His book is a gripping read. * Monumenta Nipponica *An interesting and well-written book which will be useful to both specialists and students. * The Journal of Japanese Studies *Despite the oft-displayed blind obedience and discipline of its soldiers in combat, the Imperial Japanese Army was, in fact, " one of the most disobedient armed forces in modern history." This statement provides the intriguing starting point for Danny Orbach's highly readable book Curse on This Country. * The Journal of Military History *Table of ContentsPart I: Age of Chaos: 1868–18782. Jewel in the Palace: The New Political Order, 1868–18733. "By Not Stopping": Military Insubordination and the Taiwan Expedition, 1874 4. Fatal Optimism: Rebels and Assassins in the 1870sPart II: Age of Military Independence: 1878–19135. Gold-Eating Monsters: Military Independence and the Prerogative of Supreme Command6. Three Puffs on a Cigarette: Miura Goro and the Assassination of Queen Min7. Coup D'etat in Three Acts: The Taisho Political Crisis, 1912–1913Part III: Into the Dark Valley, 1928–19368. The King of Manchuria: Komoto Daisaku and the Assassination of Zhang Zuolin, 19289. Cherry Blossom: From Resistance to Rebellion, 193110. Pure as Water: The Incident of February 1936 and the Limits of Military Insubordination Conclusion: The Dreadful and the Trivial

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSound bites about China, spoken by either the media or politicians, can fall into the trap of oversimplification. This can result in assumptions that, like the tip of an iceberg, do not reveal the myriad complexities below the surface… [The China Questions] provides a more nuanced and accessible perspective of the issues China is facing, ranging from political and economic to cultural and societal. -- Bernice Chan * South China Morning Post *This collection is impressive for its comprehensiveness, with contributors providing numerous pointed observations…This is a highly informative, readable collection for scholars and nonscholars alike. * Publishers Weekly *This book cuts through the cacophony of information, misinformation, and nonsense on China that circulates in our modern world to give us reliable answers to crucial questions about one of the world’s most important nations. Written by a who’s-who of experts on a variety of topics, it’s also a pleasure to read. With stylish essays on everything from elite politics to the classical Chinese novel, it should be on the shelf of anyone seeking to understand this fast-rising superpower. -- Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of ChinaThe China Questions is packed with erudite yet accessible commentaries on issues ranging from literature to ethnic diversity. The topical reach is impressive; readers will come away with information concerning novel ways of thinking about everything from early philosophical traditions to modern visions of utopia and dystopia, from international relations to struggles for political legitimacy. -- Jeffrey Wasserstrom, author of China in the 21st Century

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe earliest phase of Thai history is an exciting but little understood period that bridged the gap between protohistory and the fully developed historical period. Ten international scholars examine the inception of the Dvāravatī period in the fifth century with a focus on archaeology and consider the art and architecture of the sixth to tenth centuries. Defining Dvāravatī provides an overview of the art historical characteristics of Dvāravatī style; collates the epigraphic evidence, including previously unpublished texts; considers the importance of trade and religion in cementing relationships between early Southeast Asian societies and as paramount incentives for its expansion and development; and discusses the end of the period.

Read more less

Book SynopsisImagining the divine as female is rareeven controversialin most religions. Hinduism, by contrast, preserves a rich and continuous tradition of goddess worship. A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses conveys the diversity of this tradition by bringing together a fresh array of captivating and largely overlooked Hindu goddess tales from different regions. As the first such anthology of goddess narratives in translation, this collection highlights a range of sources from ancient myths to modern lore. The goddesses featured here battle demons, perform miracles, and grant rare Tantric visions to their devotees. Each translation is paired with a short essay that explains the goddess's historical and social context, elucidating the ways religion adapts to changing times.Trade Review"The volume offers impactful contributions to discussions of religion, culture, history, literature, and gender. The artful translations and studies remain accessible to the lay audience for which the work is intended (though perhaps slightly challenging in the more academic sections), while also offering unique content that will appeal to specialists in the field." * Religion *"A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses is a welcome supplement to the crowded subfield of studies on Hindu goddesses. It is certain to adorn syllabi and reading lists of both undergraduate classes on Hinduism and more advanced seminars on female divinities. Its contributors deserve many garlands and accolades for being part of this fine work." * Reading Religion *"A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses is a resplendent work on lesser explored goddess traditions that, through these English translations, are rendered accessible to a larger audience. It is laudable for reading the diverse traditions in their own light. . . . a valuable source to students, scholars, and readers of the Indian goddess traditions, South Asian studies, Indology, and Hindu studies." * Asian Affairs *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part One. Demons and Battle 1. Bhadrakālī: Slaying the Demon in the Backwaters Noor van Brussel 2. Cāmundi and Uttanahalli: Sisters of the Mysuru Hills Caleb Simmons 3. Kauśikī: The Virgin Demon Slayer Judit Törzsök 4. The Seven Mothers: Origin Tales from Two Early Medieval Purānas Shaman Hatley Part Two. Miracles and Devotees 5. Svasthānī: Goddess of One’s Own Place Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz 6. Kailā Devī: The Great Goddess as Local Avatar of Miracles R. Jeremy Saul 7. Bahucarā Mātā: She Who Roams Widely Darry Dinnell 8. Rāstrasenā: Hawk Goddess of the Mewar Mountains Adam Newman Part Three. Tantras and Magic 9. Rangda in the Calon Arang: A Tale of Magic Thomas M. Hunter and Ni Wayan Pasek Ariati 10. Tvaritā: The Swift Goddess Michael Slouber 11. Kāmeśvarī: Visualizing the Goddess of Desire Anna A. Golovkova 12. Avyapadeśyā: Indefinable Kālī Olga Serbaeva Glossary List of Deities and Characters Primary Sources References List of Contributors Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"[O]ffers a fascinating and rich historical analysis of South Korea’s class of skilled workers and their role in the country’s heavy and chemical industrialization (HCI) programme." * European Journal of Korean Studies *"Kim’s book is essential reading for historians and social scientists of modern Korea, and it could be useful as a course material pertaining to the political economy of labor and development of postwar East Asia. The fruits of Kim’s own labors found here will surely reward the inquiry of anyone seeking a fresh perspective beyond benchmark models of the developmental state and searching for deeper insights into the significant indigenous factors at work in South Korea’s rapid industrialization and socio-political transformation." * Journal of Social History *"This book will be useful to students and scholars who are interested in economic development, class politics, labor movements, and labor-management relations in Korea. Undoubtedly the story of Korean HCI workers’ changing sociopolitical trajectory will present a fresh perspective on the story of Korea’s remarkable economic and national development." * Asian Ethnology *"[A] fascinating historical analysis of the creation of Korea’s first generation of skilled HCI workers and the transformation of their sociopolitical trajectory...This book will be useful to students and scholars who are interested in economic development, class politics, labor movements, and labor-management relations in Korea." * Asian Ethnology *"Deeply researched, brimming with interesting and useful historical information, and full of insight." * Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1917 Annie Besant (1847-1933), a white Englishwoman, was elected president of the Indian National Congress, the body which, under the guidance of Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), would later lead India to independence. Besant - in her earlier career an active atheist and a socialist journalist - was from 1907 till her death the president of the Theosophical Society, an international spiritual movement whose headquarters' location in Madras symbolized its belief in India as the world's spiritual heart. This book deals with the contribution of the Theosophical Society to the rise of Indian nationalism and seeks to restore it to its proper place in the history of ideas, both with regard to its spiritual doctrine and the sources on which it drew, as well as its role in giving rise to the New Age movement of the 20th century. The book is the first to show how 19th century Orientalist study dramatically affected the rise of the Theosophical ideology, and specifically demonstrate the impact of the work of the Anglo-German scholar, Friedrich Max Muller (1833-1900) on Mme Blavatsky (1831-1891), the founder of the Theosophical Society.Table of ContentsChapter 1: In the Footsteps of the Orientalists Chapter 2: Friedrich Max Muller Chapter 3: The Theosophical Society Chapter 4: The Theosophical Doctrine Chapter 5: The Sources of the Theosophical Doctrine Chapter 6. Annie Besant - Her Pre-Theosophical Career Chapter 7. The Struggle Over the Leadership of the Theosophical Society Chapter 8. The Struggle for the Leadership of the Indian National Congress Chapter 9. Krishnamurti - Theosophy and the World Teacher Postscript

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough an examination of the creation of the first linguistically organized province in India, Odisha, Pritipuspa Mishra explores the ways regional languages came to serve as the most acceptable registers of difference in post-colonial India. She argues that rather than disrupting the rise and spread of All-India nationalism, regional linguistic nationalism enabled and deepened the reach of nationalism in provincial India. Yet this positive narrative of the resolution of Indian multilingualism ignores the cost of linguistic division. Examining the case of the Adivasis of Odisha, Mishra shows how regional languages in India have come to occupy a curiously hegemonic position. Her study pushes us to rethink our understanding of the vernacular in India as a powerless medium and acknowledges the institutional power of language, contributing to global debates about linguistic justice and the governance of multilingualism. This title is also available as Open Access.Trade Review'This sweeping study clarifies our understanding of the role of language and authority in the Indian nation through Odia speakers' use of literature, education, politics, and identity. Anyone interested in the intersection of language politics and culture, along with its ties to nation and territory, should read Mishra's book.' Rosina Lozano, Princeton University, New Jersey'Intensely engaging, lucidly written and carefully drawn upon rich archival, historical and literary sources, Mishra presents a set of compelling arguments and theoretical insights while analysing the six decades of Odisha as a linguistic state formation. Language and the Making of Modern India shows how regional and national formations are not opposed but reproduce each other in multiple ways.' Asha Sarangi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India'Language and the Making of Modern India will be valuable to scholars of Indian vernacular politics, regionalism, nationalism, and citizenship. Mishra's is a pioneering study that shows how regional linguistic politics are crucial to understanding the history of citizenship in modern India, and how language became the crucial grounds for the constitution of the Indian national subject.' Farina Mir, University of MichiganTable of ContentsIntroduction: nation in the vernacular; 1. How the vernacular became regional; 2. Vernacular publics: a modern Odia readership imagined; 3. The Odia political subject and the rise of the Odia movement; 4. Odisha as vernacular homeland; 5. The invisible minority: history and the problem of the Adivasi; 6. The genius of India: linguistic difference, regionalism and the Indian nation; Postscript.

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book responds to the challenge of the global turn in the humanities from the perspective of art history. A global art history, it argues, need not follow the logic of economic globalization nor seek to bring the entire world into its fold. Instead, it draws on a theory of transculturation to explore key moments of an art history that can no longer be approached through a facile globalism. How can art historical analysis theorize relationships of connectivity that have characterized cultures and regions across distances? How can it meaningfully handle issues of commensurability or its absence among cultures? By shifting the focus of enquiry to South Asia, the five meditations that make up this book seek to translate intellectual insights of experiences beyond Euro–America into globally intelligible analyses.

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisListed in the best books of 2023 by The Economist"Invigorating debut . . . [a] full-throated rallying cry." —Publishers WeeklyOne of Ms. Magazine's "most-anticipated feminist books of 2023"An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea—one that the world should be watching.Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of people in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful men accused of sexual misconduct—including a popular presidential contender. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own patriarchal society as well as challenging stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames. Flowers of Fire takes the reader into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces where spycam porn crimes are rampant, and share tips and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from harassment and how to push authorities to act.Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders, from the elite prosecutor who ignited the country’s #MeToo movement to the young women who led the war against non-consensual photography. Their stories, though long overlooked in the West, mirror realities that women across the world are all too familiar with: threats of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of assault, tech-based sexual abuse, and criminal justice systems where victims’ voices are often met with suspicion and abusers’ downfalls are met with sympathy. These are the issues at the heart of their #MeToo movement, and South Korean women have fought against them vigorously—and with extraordinary success. In Flowers of Fire, Jung illuminates the strength and tenacity of these women, too often sidelined in global conversations about feminism and gender equality.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the West today, Laozi -- who lived sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BC -- is one of the best known ancient Chinese philosophers, owing to numerous modern renderings of his Daodejing (or Tao Te Ching). Eric Cunningham relates the substance of Laozi's classic work to modern philosophers and thinkers, in particular the work of Rudolf Steiner. Cunningham draws significant and surprising parallels and contrasts about Steiner's modern path of inner development and aspects of popular culture. In doing so, he also sheds light on the evolution of consciousness and the universality of Laozi's ancient wisdom.The Luciferic Verses offers fresh perspectives on Laozi's classic guide to life and inner development, describing its relevance and meaning for today’s cultural milieu and modern esoteric thought.

Read more less

Book SynopsisXi Jinping''s China is powerful, aggressive and single-minded and this book will become a must-read for the Western world.China has become the powerhouse of the world economy, its incredible boom overseen by the elite members of the secretive and all-powerful communist party. But since the election of Xi Jinping as General Secretary, life at the top in China has changed. Under the guise of a corruption crackdown, which has seen his rivals imprisoned, Xi Jinping has been quietly building one of the most powerful leaderships modern China has ever seen. In CEO China, the noted China expert Kerry Brown reveals the hidden story of the rise of the man dubbed the ''Chinese Godfather''. Brown investigates his relationship with his revolutionary father, who was expelled by Mao during the Cultural Revolution, his business dealings and allegiances in China''s regional power struggles and his role in the internal battle raging between the old men of the Deng era and the neTrade ReviewCEO China: The Rise of Xi Jinping'. That is the new and excellent book by Kerry Brown. Almost all books on China are either bad or mediocre, but this one is the best book I ever have read on the exercise of power in contemporary China. Every page is good.Definitely recommended, one of my favorite non-fiction books of the year so far. I can readily imagine re-reading it. -- Professor Tyler Cowen, Holbert C. Harris Chair of economics at George Mason UniversityXi Jinping, president of China, is now undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in the world. This is the first biography of Xi in English and provides a lucid and readable account of his background, rise to power and political background. -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times *Dazzlingly detailed -- Tom Plate, Distinguished Scholar of Asian and Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Los AngelesOne of our most perceptive and accurate foreign observers of China -- John Simpson, BBC

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisI Have No Enemies is the definitive biography of Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, offering a meticulously researched account of the twists and turns of a remarkable life.Trade ReviewI Have No Enemies is a moving biography of the courageous Liu Xiaobo. Told with affection, insight, and rich details, it shows how a restless boy gradually grew into a man who firmly believed in benevolence and love, "because love produces strength by binding people together." The fluid, exuberant, and well-textured prose make this book a pure pleasure to read. -- Ha Jin, author of A Song EverlastingThis is an extraordinary work: a meticulous portrait of Liu Xiaobo, his intellectual and activist community, and a period in recent Chinese history notoriously hard to research. It is moving—and essential—reading, reflecting people’s incredible tenacity in pursuing their rights and freedoms even in the face of unyielding repression. -- Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch and author of China, Cambodia, and the Five Principles of Peaceful CoexistenceThis is sure to be the work of reference on Liu Xiaobo for many years to come. It is meticulously researched, drawing on unequaled access to sources close to Liu Xiaobo as well as a vast body of references that derive from deep familiarity with China’s intellectual scene over the last fifty years. -- Sebastian Veg, author of Minjian: The Rise of China's Grassroots IntellectualsA moving and well researched biography... meticulously covers an incredible amount of extremely sensitive topics which range from corrupt officials, discrimination against various groups and heavy matters related to human trafficking and police brutality. * East West Notes *Meticulously researched and wonderfully crafted... -- Yang Su * Foreign Affairs *The best biography ever written on the Nobel Peace Prize laureate...an absolute must-read... -- Jean-Philippe Béja * The China Quarterly *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsA Note on NamesChronology1. Arrest, Trial, and the Road to a Nobel Prize2. Rebel in Embryo3. Puppy Love and Serious Reading4. College Years, and the Mask of Mao Falls5. Aesthetics and Human Freedom6. Mutiny! A Dark Horse Soars7. Gods and Demons Wrestle8. Out Into the World9. In Tiananmen Square10. A “Black Hand” Goes to Prison, Feels Deep Remorse11. Picking up and Starting Over12. Love That Jumps Walls13. In the Service of Underdogs14. Cascading Cases Build a Movement15. An Intellectual Transition16. Stability Maintenance17. Observing the World, Growing at Home18. The Gathering Storm19. Charter 0820. The World Watches a PrisonEpilogue: The Legacy of Liu XiaoboA Final Note from Wu DazhiNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisA revisionist history of the idea of progress reveals an unknown story about European engagement with Chinese science. The Enlightenment gave rise not only to new ideas of progress but consequential debates about them. Did distant times and places have anything to teach the here and now? Voltaire could believe that they did; Hegel was convinced that they did not. Early philosophes praised Chinese philosophy as an enduring model of reason. Later philosophes rejected it as stuck in the past. Seeking to vindicate ancient knowledge, a group of French statesmen and savants began a conversation with the last great scholar of the Jesuit mission to China. Together, they drew from Chinese learning to challenge the emerging concept of Western advancement. A Global Enlightenment traces this overlooked exchange between China and the West to make compelling claims about the history of progress, notions of European exceptionalism, and European engagement with Chinese science. To tell this stoTrade Review“A magnificent intellectual history of the late Enlightenment’s interest in Chinese knowledge traditions, revealing their central role in European debates over the meaning and value of ‘progress.’” * Los Angeles Review of Books *“Statman has written a marvelous, engaging, and brilliant book. He is uniquely poised to demonstrate the genuine exchanges between Chinese and Western scholars during this period. His in-depth familiarity with the network of former Jesuit missionaries proves invaluable as he traces with extreme precision intellectual connections between Paris and Beijing. Truly a paradigm-shifting book.” -- Dan Edelstein, Stanford University“This is a wonderful book about wonder—about the Europeans who mediated Chinese thought, history, and technology for their compatriots, and the categories they constructed to house the translated facts and concepts.” -- Haun Saussy, University of Chicago"This erudite and engaging study with its extensive use of archival sources, many of which are studied for the first time, is a welcome addition to the literature on the history of science, the Enlightenment, and Jesuit missionaries in China." * H-France Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction One. The Death of Voltaire’s Confucius Two. The Ex-Jesuit Mission in China Three. The Origins of Esotericism Four. The Yin-Yang Theory of Animal Magnetism Five. The Invention of Eastern Wisdom Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Strangers in the Family, Guo-Quan Seng provides a gendered history of settler Chinese community formation in Indonesia during the Dutch colonial period (18161942). At the heart of this story lies the creolization of patrilineal Confucian marital and familial norms to the colonial legal, moral, and sexual conditions of urban Java. Departing from male-centered narratives of Ooverseas Chinese communities, Strangers in the Family tells the history of community- formation from the perspective of women who were subordinate to, and alienated from, full Chinese selfhood. From native concubines and mothers, creole Chinese daughters, and wives and matriarchs, to the first generation of colonial-educated feminists, Seng showcases women''s moral agency as they negotiated, manipulated, and debated men in positions of authority over their rights in marriage formation and dissolution. In dialogue with critical studies of colonial Eurasian intimacies, th

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe remains of Dutch East India Company (VOC) forts are scattered throughout littoral Asia and Africa. But how important were the specific characteristics of European bastion-trace fortifications in enabling early modern European expansion? The Company Fortress takes on this question by studying the system of fortifications built and maintained by the Dutch East India Company in present-day India and Sri Lanka. Remaining fortifications in places like Kannur, Sadras, Jaffna and Galle give an impression of the size and complexity of these works, but cities like Kochi, Nagapattinam and Colombo were also fortified by the Dutch company. The book uncovers the stories of the fortifications and their designers, arguing that many of those responsible for building these forts were in fact amateurs and their creations contained serious flaws, to the bewilderment of later engineers tasked with improving them.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Indian subcontinent was once known as Hindustan, a multicultural region with a cohesive political identity. Manan Ahmed Asif explores the abandonment of this pluralism under European influence, such that a place once understood as the home of all faiths is now considered—locally and abroad—the land of the Hindus.Trade ReviewAsif surveys the damage inflicted on the Indian subcontinent by British colonial historiography, with its ideas of immutable religious divisions. Must read! -- Amitav Ghosh[A] remarkable book…Asif’s analysis and conclusions are powerful and poignant. His book also raises certain questions and challenges. Some of these actually are products of the real strength of the book which is his detailed reading and interpretation of Firishta’s Tarikh. -- Rudrangshu Mukherjee * The Wire *Dazzlingly erudite…An intellectual tour de force…Exceptionally stimulating…with its meticulous piecing together of the jigsaw that reveals an entire conceptual universe, complete with its own geography, peoples, history, and archives. -- Vivek Menezes * Mint Lounge *By examining Firishta’s understanding of the history of Hindustan, and how the colonial historians re-ordered his work to fit entirely different narratives, [Asif] argues for a re-examining of our understanding of the pre-colonial past and a need for others in his field to acknowledge the influence of colonial knowledge on the practice of writing history. -- Rohan Venkataramakrishnan * Scroll *An ambitious endeavor to trace the genealogy of the concept of Hindustan and to embark on this quest with a decolonial framework of the philosophy of history…An indispensable work in the field of global intellectual history. -- Sabeena Shaikh * Arc *The brilliance of Asif’s book rests in the way he makes readers think about the name ‘Hindustan’ itself and the various connotations it holds…Asif’s focus is Indian history but it is, at the same time, a lens to look at questions far bigger. -- Soni Wadhwa * Asian Review of Books *A tremendous contribution to how we understand an influential premodern Indian historian, Firishta, and the colonial legacy’s implications for how we encounter the past…This is not only a book that you must read, but also one that you must chew over and debate. -- Audrey Truschke * Current History *Through his archaeology of colonialism’s discourses on the Indic past, Asif provokes us to contemplate what fundamentally rethinking our periodization and emplotment of Indian history might look like…A compelling contribution. -- Elaine M. Fisher * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Remarkable…Asif uncovers how the production of India as a modern nationalist spatial category effaces the Hindustan that appears in Persian and Arabic sources, which in turn were misappropriated to serve European interests and still are largely ignored by Hindu nationalists in the story of Hindustan. -- Patrick J. D'Silva * International Journal of Hindu Studies *In this remarkable and pathbreaking book, Manan Ahmed Asif peels back layer after layer of the colonial histories of Hindustan. The result is a radical rethink of colonial historiography and a compelling argument for the reassessment of the historical traditions of Hindustan. -- Mahmood Mamdani, author of Neither Settler nor NativeThe Loss of Hindustan takes us far beyond critiques of majoritarian nationalisms buttressed by colonial epistemology and reintroduces us to alternative histories of India that once circulated globally. Manan Ahmed Asif has given us nothing short of a master class in the ethics of history writing, illuminating the path to a South Asian future free of intercommunal prejudice and the oppression of minorities. -- Cemil Aydin, author of The Idea of the Muslim WorldA sharp, gripping book. Asif eloquently revitalizes Firishta’s Hindustan while also uncovering the colonial epistemologies that sought to efface it. The Loss of Hindustan is at once a reflection on a place imagined, remembered, and forgotten and a powerful affirmation of the historian’s task in our present world. -- Supriya Gandhi, author of The Emperor Who Never WasHow has the great Indo-Islamic tradition of history-writing been used and misused, bowdlerized or simply effaced, in more recent times? Manan Ahmed Asif delves deep into this question by focusing on the legacy of the important Deccani historian Muhammad Qasim Firishta, a contemporary of Akbar and Jahangir. This is a significant contribution to intellectual history, as well as to the long-term political and cultural history of South Asia. -- Sanjay Subrahmanyam, author of Europe’s India

Read more less

Book SynopsisNicholas Hoover Wilson develops a new account of the changing category of corruption by examining the English East India Company and its transformation from a largely commercial enterprise to a militarized offshoot of British empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.Trade ReviewA brilliant dovetailing of theory and history, Modernity's Corruption is also a deeply generative work for social scientists who work in a broad range of areas—moralities of power, states and societies, and the politics of administration—pertinent to the present day. -- Julia Adams, author of The Familial State: Ruling Families and Merchant Capitalism in Early Modern EuropeThis welcome study of corruption reflects on fundamental distinctions between public and private, abstract and particular, and on how standards of appropriateness emerge. Wilson grounds his analysis in careful research about the English East India Company, that famous organization from the early modern global economy. There is much here to think about. -- Bruce G. Carruthers, author of The Economy of Promises: Trust, Power, and Credit in AmericaWhat is 'corruption'? And what does it have to do with 'modernity'? In this carefully constructed and rigorously argued new book, Nicholas Hoover Wilson traces the historical genesis of modern-day understandings to internecine battles within the shapeshifting architectures of the British East India Company. An exemplary work of social science history. -- Philip Gorski, Frederick and Laura Goff Professor, Yale UniversityThis book will generate a good deal of interest from historians as well as sociologists. It offers a perceptive study of the East India Company when it was frequently under fire for corruption. It persuasively argues that shock at self-interested behavior helped to promote a more 'modern,' public duty-centered ideal for officials. -- Mark Knights, author of Trust and Distrust: Corruption in Office in Britain and its Empire, 1600-1850Modernity's Corruption is model work of historical sociology. Wilson asks a wonderfully rich and puzzling question: Why were notions of corruption transformed from situational ones to more abstract and universal concepts? By focusing on the case of England's East India Company in the late eighteenth century, Wilson advances the claim that the transformation had everything to do with imperial governance, and the fact that ruling at a distance necessitated the implementation of more abstract and political economic standards. What makes Wilson's work so compelling is that these broad theoretical claims, claims that have implications for how we understand the development of moral claims more generally, are so carefully situated in a deep engagement with the archival and pamphlet literature of the era. Empire, in Wilson's hands, becomes a central engine of modernity. -- Steve Pincus, author of 1688: The First Modern RevolutionAn exemplary work of historical sociology. * Sociology of Race and Ethnicity *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: Modernity’s Corruption and the Art of Separation1. Corruption and Moral Orders in Eighteenth-Century Britain and India2. Shifting Grounds: The Transformation of the East India Company3. Consequential Reforms and Changing Corruption4. Modern Selves5. Modern Moral SpacesConclusionNotesReferencesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom sleepy fishing village to samurai capital to vibrant global metropolis, Eiko Maruko Siniawer takes readers through Tokyo''s rich history, revealing four centuries of transformation deeply woven into its fabric. This accessible guide introduces a world of shoguns and Kabuki theater, riots and earthquakes, wartime devastation and reconstruction, booms and busts, bright lights and skyscrapers, all viewed through the lived experiences of those who have inhabited and shaped a city of distinctive neighborhoods and different personalities. Emphasizing the city''s human heart, Siniawer conveys a vivid sense of time, culture, and place through ten moments that have shaped Tokyo''s many lives.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy has Taiwan spent more than three decades pouring capital and talent into China? Going beyond the received wisdom of the “China miracle” and “Taiwan factor,” Wu Jieh-min’s award-winning Rival Partners shows how Taiwan benefits from partnering with its political archrival and helps to cultivate a global economic superpower.Trade ReviewWu has written a superb book that deserves the attention of historians, sociologists, political scientists, and scholars from other disciplines interested in the nuances and paradoxes of China’s post-Mao opening, its global effects, and cross-strait relations. -- Jason M. Kelly * Journal of Chinese History *Anyone wishing to go beyond simplistic formulae summarizing the narrative of China’s so-called economic miracle will have to read this detailed, nuanced, yet overarching research. -- Françoise Mengin * China Quarterly *Wu Jieh-min opens a new door by studying the experience of Taiwanese businesspeople (‘Taishang’) who played a critical role in the early stages of China’s reforms. -- Franz-Stefan Gady * Survival *Rival Partners is a major contribution to the study of Chinese development and global capitalism. Weaving together rich materials on Taiwanese manufacturers, local Chinese officials, and migrant labor, Wu details how China’s export manufacturing model thrived and unraveled, leading to today’s crisis and transformation. It is a meticulous study of the rent-seeking and developmental dual characters of the Chinese state. -- Ho-fung Hung, author of The China BoomBased on decades of theoretically informed and expertly crafted empirical research, this book is an intellectual feast connecting shop-floor realities and local citizenship regimes to cross-strait relations and global political economy. A rare and singularly insightful Taiwan perspective on China’s rise. -- Ching Kwan Lee, author of The Specter of Global China and Hong Kong: Global China’s Restive FrontierWu has written a magnificent monograph on the collaborative construction of development between two seemingly rivaling actors: Guangdong officials and Taiwanese entrepreneurs. It points to the significance of invisible coalitions in developmental theory. -- Nan Lin, Duke UniversityRival Partners explores export-oriented industrialization in China as a chapter of the post-war capitalist development of Taiwan. With its sharp research question and original argument combined with solid fieldwork, meticulous analysis, and comprehensive theoretical dialogue, Rival Partners is a milestone in our understanding of China as the world factory since the 1980s. -- Gwo-shyong Shieh, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

Read more less