Asian history Books

Book SynopsisThis book shows that the Western treatment of World War II, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War as separate and distinct misrepresents their overlapping connections and causes. S. C. M. Paine emphasizes the fears and ambitions of Japan, China and Russia, and the pivotal decisions that set them on a collision course in the 1920s and 1930s.Trade Review'Paine's study offers new perspectives on imperialist wars and interventions in twentieth-century Asia. Based on multi-archival research, it addresses a range of issues in the fraught relations of Japan, China, Russia, and the United States. Students of comparative history will find Paine's analytical framing particularly interesting.' Herbert P. Bix, Binghamton University'The author has written a highly original and provocative work, organized around the thesis that 'nested' civil, regional, and international wars defined East Asian politics and international relations over the first half of the twentieth century. By artful use of the latest Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and U.S. primary and secondary sources, Professor Paine succeeds in showing how war changed the face of East Asia.' Stephen R. MacKinnon, Arizona State University'The first integrated study of Asia's forty years of war. A major intellectual contribution.' Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania'… a fascinating account of how modern East Asia was shaped by war. By disaggregating the three main wars in the first half of the twentieth century, the author succeeds in showing how their causes and conditions were linked but still separate.' O. A. Westad, author of Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750'This excellent and ambitious book deals with state-building and warfare in twentieth-century Asia. It underlines the critical role of war in modern Asian history and shows how often war trumped diplomacy. It shows too the terrible toll that warfare has exacted on China, Japan, and Russia. Paine gives an original, perceptive, and long-overdue reinterpretation of twentieth-century Asia.' Diana Lary, author of The Chinese People at War'… Paine's book provides us with an important tool through which we can learn the lessons of the past. This in turn will hopefully allow us to plot a safer course in order to avoid any future wars for Asia.' Tosh Minohara, Pacific Affairs'An excellent one-volume survey of Chinese military history in the first half of the twentieth century, The Wars for Asia, 1911–1949 will be of value to anyone interested in World War II and particularly the causes of the Pacific War.' A. A. Nofi, Editor, The NYMAS ReviewTable of ContentsPart I. Fear and Ambition: Japan, China, and Russia: 1. Introduction: the Asian roots of World War II; 2. Japan 1931–6: the containment of Russia and national restoration; 3. China 1926–36: chaos and the quest for the mandate of heaven; 4. Russia 1917–36: impending two-front war and world revolution; Part II. Nested Wars: A Civil War within a Regional War within a Global War: 5. Flashback to 1911 and the beginning of the long Chinese Civil War; 6. The regional war: the Second Sino-Japanese War; 7. The global war: World War I; 8. The final act of the long Chinese Civil War; 9. Conclusion: civil war as the prologue and epilogue to regional and global wars.

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Book SynopsisSima Qian tells the story of the First Emperor, founder of the Qin dynasty, in whose reign the Great Wall was built and whose tomb was guarded by the famous terracotta warriors excavated in 1974. His account details the ruthless exercise of power but also the creation of an empire that endured until 1911.Trade Review...vivid, near contemporary account... * CH, The Independent *Its vast scope can guide you to places they never reach - such as third-century BC China, with imperial historian Sima Qian, * Boyd Tonkin, The Independent *Table of ContentsThe Birth of the First Emperor ; An Assassination Attempt ; The Biography of the Chief Minister of Qin ; The Builder of the Great Wall ; The Annals of Qin ; The Treatises ; The Story of the Rebel Xiang Yu ; The Story of the Rebel Chen Sheng

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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

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Book Synopsis'The product of many years of detailed archival research, Wilson’s book is without question the best one-volume history of the Raj currently in print.' - William Dalrymple, The Guardian‘The core of the book is a virtuoso takedown of cherished shibboleths of Raj mythology’ Financial Times ‘A forceful reminder that Britain has its own messy past to come to terms with’ Guardian  In the nineteenth century, imperial India was at the centre of Britain’s global power. But since its partition between India and Pakistan in 1947, the Raj has divided opinion: some celebrate its supposed role in creating much that is good in the modern world; others condemn it as the cause of continuing poverty. Today, the Raj lives on in faded images of Britain’s former glory, a notion used now to sell goods in India as well as Europe. But its real character has been poorly Trade Review‘This is an inspirational book, a challenging source of controversy and an invaluable corrective to the many histories of British India that have scarcely escaped the self-reverential platitudes of imperial rule’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘Wilson understands the complexities of India, illuminating the cultures of the courts, the rivalries of the Marathas, the emergence and destinies of Pindari gangs of peasant-warriors.’ * Literary Review *‘The core of the book is a virtuoso takedown of cherished shibboleths of Raj mythology.’ * Financial Times *‘Conquest comes in many forms and Jon Wilson’s polemical India Conquered is a forceful reminder that Britain has its own messy past to come to terms with.’ * Guardian *‘He delves into every aspect of Indian life, from law to religion, the economy to education, to show how the interaction between rulers and the ruled played out in unexpected and often calamitous ways’ * Guardian *‘It’s a neat and modern telling that feels as necessary as a bucket of water in the face after a dizzying trip to the bazaar.’ * The Times *

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Presenting the grand sweep of Indian history from antiquity to the present, A History of India is a detailed and authoritative account of the major political, economic, social and cultural forces that have shaped the history of the Indian subcontinent. Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund provide a comprehensive overview of the structural pattern of Indian history, covering each historical period in equal depth. Fully revised throughout, the sixth edition of this highly accessible book has been brought up to date with analysis of recent events such as the 2014 election and its consequences, and includes more discussion of subjects such as caste and gender, Islam, foreign relations, partition, and the press and television.This new edition contains an updated chronology of key events and a useful glossary of Indian terms, and is highly illustrated with maps and photographs. Supplemented by a companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/kulke), it is a valuable resour

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Book SynopsisThe Raj was, for two hundred years, the jewel in the British imperial crown. Although founded on military expansionism and undoubted exploitation, it developed over the centuries into what has been called ''benign autocracy'' - the government of many by few, with the active collaboration of most Indians in recognition of a desire for the advancement of their country.Charles Allen''s classic oral history of the period that marked the end of British rule was first published a generation ago. Now reissued as the imperial century closes, this brilliantly insightful and bestselling collection of reminiscences illustrates the unique experience of British India: the sadness and luxury for some; the joy and deprivation for others.Trade ReviewIf you read one book about the empire, let this be it -- Michael WoodOne of the most enjoyable books I have read ... It is an authentic record of the survivors of British India ... a book which takes on where Kipling left off * ANTONIA FRASER *Both a guide and an entertaining companion ... Humour, drama and regret fill its pages * MAIL ON SUNDAY *A lovely and compelling account of what India meant to the British between 1900 and 1947 ... One of the best * THE TIMES *

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Book Synopsis''Of ways you may speak, but not the Perennial Way;By names you may name, but not the Perennial Name.''The best-loved of all the classical books of China and the most universally popular, the Daodejing or Classic of the Way and Life-Force is a work that defies definition. It encapsulates the main tenets of Daoism, and upholds a way of being as well as a philosophy and a religion. The dominant image is of the Way, the mysterious path through the whole cosmos modelled on the great Silver River or Milky Way that traverses the heavens. A life-giving stream, the Way gives rise to all things and holds them in her motherly embrace. It enables the individual, and society as a whole, to harmonize the disparate demands of daily life and achieve a more profound level of understanding.This new translation draws on the latest archaeological finds and brings out the word play and poetry of the original. Simple commentary accompanies the text, and the introduction provides further historical and inte

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Book SynopsisDescribes how newly modernized Japan waged war against China in its first overseas campaign, marking its rapid transition into Asia''s leading military power only 30 years after emerging from centuries of feudalism.After the Meiji restoration of the Japanese imperial regime in 186877, modernization along Western lines of Japan''s industry, communications and land and naval forces advanced with remarkable speed and, by the 1890s, the rejuvenated nation was ready to flex its muscles overseas. The obvious opponent was the huge but medieval Chinese Empire, and the obvious arena for war was Korea, a nearby Chinese protectorate that Japan had long coveted. (A secondary campaign would be fought on Formosa/Taiwan, an autonomous Chinese island protectorate.) In this study, author Gabriele Esposito describes the bloodthirsty course of the Japanese campaign in China, using colour illustrations and photos to showcase the organization, equipment and appearance of the varioTrade Reviewthis is an outstanding and concise history of this campaign, the organisation of the armies involved, their uniforms and equipment. The author has done a significant amount of research and the fruits of his work illustrate this. Given the high-quality of this new Men at Arms addition it can be confidently said that this volume should be read by all parties interested in this conflict. -- Nick Stroud * Military Archive Research *Table of ContentsHISTORICAL BACKGROUND The opening of Korea – The ‘Imo incident’, 1882 – The ‘Gapsin coup’ and its aftermath, 1884–86– The ‘Donghak rebellion’, 1894 CHRONOLOGY MILITARY OPERATIONS Naval battle of Pungdo, 25 July 1894 – Battle of Seonghwan, 28 July 1894 – Battle of Pyongyang, 15 September 1894 – Naval battle of the Yalu river, 17 September 1894 – Japanese invasion of Manchuria, October–November 1894 – Liaodong Peninsula: capture of Port Arthur, 21 November 1894 – Shandong Peninsula: battle of Weihaiwei, 18 January–2 February 1895 – Manchuria: battle of Niuzhuang, 28 February 1895 – Treaty of Shimonoseki, and occupation of Pescadores, 20 March–17 April 1895 – Japanese occupation of Formosa, 29 May–21 October 1895 JAPANESE ARMY Conscription – Formations and strength – Imperial Guard– Infantry, cavalry and artillery units – Engineer, train and Gendarmerie units – Basic Japanese order of battle, 1894–95– Weapons CHINESE ARMIES Army of the Eight Banners – Beijing Bannermen – Army of the Green Standard – Yung-ying armies – Huai army – Other modernized forces – Weapons KOREAN ARMY Chinese domination, 1880s – Japanese reorganizations, 1896–1907 DEFENDERS OF FORMOSA Chinese garrison – Aboriginal forces SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX

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Book SynopsisMany studies of China''s relations with and influence on Southeast Asia tend to focus on how Beijing has used its power asymmetry to achieve regional influence. Yet, scholars and pundits often fail to appreciate the complexity of the contemporary Chinese state and society, and just how fragmented, decentralized, and internationalized China is today. In The Ripple Effect, Enze Han argues that a focus on the Chinese state alone is not sufficient for a comprehensive understanding of China''s influence in Southeast Asia. Instead, we must look beyond the Chinese state, to non-state actors from China, such as private businesses and Chinese migrants. These actors affect people''s perception of China in a variety of ways, and they often have wide-ranging as well as long-lasting effects on bilateral relations. Looking beyond the Chinese state''s intentional influence reveals many situations that result in unanticipated changes in Southeast Asia. Han proposes that to understand this increasingly

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative examination of Xi Jinping Thought--now the official dogma of the Chinese Communist Party--that marshals Xi''s personal words and writings to reveal his plan to make the China Dream of national rejuvenation a reality in the coming decades.Over the course of the last half dozen years, China''s supreme leader Xi Jinping has made extraordinary changes which have profound implications not only for the Chinese people but nations throughout the world. Given how swiftly and fundamentally China''s relations with the rest of the world are changing under Xi''s rule, it is imperative that we know what Xi Jinping Thought is, how it evolved, and why it is so important.In The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung provide an authoritative overview of what Xi Jinping Thought is and is not and what it means for both China and the world. Xi, now effectively leader for life, has worked to ensure that Xi Jinping Thought becomes cemented as the new state ideology. CTrade ReviewThis is the first book-length study that not only offers a clear, systematic, and comprehensive reading of Xi Jinping's political thought, but further links it to the key policy initiatives that have shaped his tenure. Tsang and Cheung offer an impressively clear and comprehensive map of contemporary Chinese politics and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand what China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong actually thinks, and why. * Patricia M. Thornton, University of Oxford China Centre *While many authors attempt to explain the nature of Xi Jinping's ideas and power, few if any do so better than Tsang and Cheung. By looking carefully at his actual words and policies through a careful reading of numerous Chinese-language sources, they provide an indispensable guide to understanding how Xi's thought is transforming rule in China. * Michael Auslin, Stanford University *A vivid and persuasive close reading of the words of CCP leader Xi Jinping which brilliantly clarifies Xi's ambitions for himself and the PRC. A marvelous analysis. * Edward Friedman, University of Wisconsin *This book is not a simple introduction to Xi Jinping's political thought, it brings to life of Xi's vision and ambition for China's totalitarian system and big power aspiration. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand China's totalitarian turn internally and increasingly assertive international behavior in Xi Jinping's new era. * Suisheng Zhao, Editor of Journal of Contemporary China *Tsang and Cheung make a very timely and valuable contribution to the study of contemporary China, with a solid and comprehensive analysis of 'Xi Jinping Thought' and also a masterful demonstration of how to read and translate Beijing's dogmata. * Fei-Ling Wang, Author The China Order, The China Record, and the forthcoming The China Race: Global Competition for Alternative World Orders *Tsang and Cheung have delivered this year's must-read China book. In clear and concise prose, they demystify 'Xi Jinping thought' -providing a road map for understanding Xi's thinking, how that thinking becomes policy, and why some Xi-directed policies succeed while others fall short. A fascinating account of one of the most important and least well-understood aspects of China today. * Elizabeth C. Economy, Council on Foreign Relations *[The Political Thought of Xi Jinping] will appeal to readers interested in current-day China, especially Chinese political philosophy. * Mark Jones, Library Journal *Table of ContentsDedication Figures and Tables Abbreviations Acknowledgments Preface Introduction 1. Political Thought of Xi Jinping 2. Reinvigorating the Chinese Communist Party 3. The Party Leads Everything 4. Building a Moderately Well-Off Society Comprehensively 5. Developing a Socialist Market Economy 6. Creating a Patriotic Chinese People 7. Building

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Book SynopsisBrave and vivid.New York Review of BooksThese enchanting stories from early modern Bengal reveal how Hindu and Muslim traditions converged on timeless themes of human morality, social culture, and survival. The Bengali stories in this collection are first and foremost tales of survival. Each story in Needle at the Bottom of the Sea underscores the need for people to work togethernot just to overcome the challenges of living in the Sundarban swamps of Bengal, but also to ease hostilities born of social differences in religion, caste, and economic class. Translated by award-winning scholar of early modern Bengali literature Tony K. Stewart, Needle at the Bottom of the Sea brims with fantasy and excitement. Sufi protagonists travel through a world of wonder where tigers talk and men magically grow into giants, a Hindu princess falls in love with a Muslim holy man, and goddesses rub shoulders with kings and merchants. Across religion, class, and gender, what binds these fabulous stories together is the characters' pursuit of living honorably and morally in a difficult, corrupt world.Trade Review"Brave and vivid . . . [Stewart's translation] helps the anglophone reader enter this world in which karma supplies the ultimate explanation of the often bizarre adventures of the human spirit so richly explored in these stories." -- Wendy Doniger * The New York Review of Books *“Needle at the Bottom of the Sea allows access to local stories of quotidian struggles of common people and their belief system. The kathas in this anthology are useful for locating the time and space in South Asian history that led to the incorporation of Islamic cultural strands into the socio-literary corpus of Bengali. The translation of these tales entailed meticulous research. . . . Overall, this is a work of great scholarship, which will interest literary historians as well as avid readers having interest in traditional South Asian romances.” * Asian Review of Books *Table of ContentsContents Introduction The Auspicious Tale of the Lord of the Southern Regions The Rāy mangal of Krsnarām Dās Scouring the World for Cāmpāvatī Gāji kālu o cāmpāvatī kanyār puthi of Ābdul Ohāb Glorifying the Protective Matron of the Jungle Bonbibī jahurā nāmā of Mohāmmad Khater Wayward Wives and Their Magical Flying Tree Satya nārāyaner puthi of Kavi Vallabh Curbing the Hubris of Moses Khoyāj Khijir’s Instruction to Musā in Nabīvamśa of Saiyad Sultān translated with Ayesha A. Irani Glossary Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThe second edition of the definitive book on how modern Japan works, now fully updated up to include the new ''Reiwa'' Era and the year of the Olympics''A superb book that, better than any other I have read, manages to get the reader inside the skin of Japanese society ... astutely observed ... a great read brimming with insights'' Japan TimesDespite years of stagnation, Japan remains one of the world''s largest economies and a country which exerts a remarkable cultural fascination. David Pilling''s new book is an entertaining, deeply knowledgeable and surprising analysis of a group of islands which have shown great resilience, both in the face of financial distress and when confronted with the overwhelming disaster of the 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami.Bending Adversity is a superb work of reportage and the essential book even for those who already feel they know the country well.

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023Johnson's stories bring this history chillingly alive' Christina Patterson, Sunday Times''An indelible feat of reporting and an urgent read ... It''s a privilege to read books like these'' Te-Ping Chen, author of Land of Big NumbersA documentary filmmaker who uncovered a Mao-era death camp; an independent journalist who gave voice to the millions who suffered through Covid; a magazine publisher who dodged the secret police: these are some of the people who make up Sparks: China''s Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future, a vital account of how some of China''s most important writers, filmmakers, and artists have overcome crackdowns and censorship to challenge the Chinese Communist Party on its most sacred ground - its monopoly on history.In traditional China, dynasties rewrote history to justify their rule by proving that their predecessors were unworthy of holding power. The Chinese Communist Party builds on these ideas to whitewash its misdeeds and justify its rule.But in recent years, critical thinkers from across the land have begun to challenge this state-led disremembering. Using digital technologies to bypass China''s legendary surveillance state, their samizdat journals, guerilla media posts, and underground films document a pattern of disasters: from past famines and purges to the ethnic clashes and virus outbreaks of the present.Based on years of research in Xi Jinping''s China, Sparks challenges stereotypes of a China where the state has quashed all free thought, revealing instead a country engaged in one of humanity''s great struggles of memory against forgetting - a battle that will shape the China that emerges in the mid-21st century.

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Book SynopsisThe Silk Road conjures up an image a lone traveler carrying silk as he sits atop a camel and moves along a desert highway. This book offers concrete evidence for what he was really carrying and where he was heading, looking at the key sites along the multiple silk roads, using newly discovered documents preserved in the sands of the Taklamakan Desert.Trade ReviewRichly illustrated, The Silk Road: A New History is a monumental work of synthesis... It is a celebration of the drudgery of sifting ancient trash, of the painstaking work of recovering multilingual documents found in fragments, clumps, and, at the Mogao Caves, one great bibliographical hoard... Whether in Sogdian, Khotanese, Kuchean, or Uighur languages that make the discoveries of early Chinese texts seem almost pedestrian it is the decipherment of these lost languages that allows Hansen to bring the Silk Road so fully to life.... Summarizing more than a century of research, it is unlikely to be surpassed till the discoveries of another generation demand incorporation. * Nile Green, Los Angeles Review of Books *A much-needed critical synthesis of scholarship that will appeal to scholars, students, and general readers. [Hansen's] lively writing brings each town to life. The clear prose, numerous maps and illustrations, and animated tales of the Silk Road's travelers and explorers will make Hansen's book a classroom favorite. * CHOICE *Hansen's debunking of the myth displays scholarship of the highest order ... This remarkable book not only disposes of a false image of the Silk Road, it restores a lost world to our understanding * Dominic Green, Minerva *Every thread in the history of the legendary Silk Road is exposed in this new history which used archaeological evidence to give a new perspective * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *the author wastes no time debunking everything you knew about this ancient trade route * Laura Cole, Geographical *An impressively well-researched book exploring the documentation of many different cultures and people along the many routes known as the Silk Road. Readers of Asian or world history will learn much from and thoroughly enjoy this book." * Library Journal *The Silk Road: A New History...is well worth a serious look by historians of other regions and periods for its thoughtful and innovative consideration of the historical craft of turning the raw materials of many media into a compelling historical account. * Carla Nappi, Tang Studies *This book meets the challenge of being lively, readable, and at the same time extremely learned and up-to-date. In all respects a success. * Etienne de la Vaissière, EHESS, Paris *Valerie Hansen overturns the traditional view of the 'straight and well-travelled' Silk Road, as well as the notion that silk was of prime significance. Instead she reveals in detail the life, history, and culture of the different oasis centers of Central Asia, making the latest work by Chinese, Russian, Japanese, and other scholars available to us all. It is a triumph. * Frances Wood, Curator of the Chinese Collections, British Library *Erudite and engaging, this is no romantic tale of the Silk Road. Hansen challenges many of the conventional narratives of the crossroads of Eurasia. In place of large long distance commercial caravans, she finds subsistence living and local barter. Instead of merchants, she finds the Chinese military played the most important role in bringing silk onto the Silk Road. But the region is no less fascinating for all her debunking of old tropes. She skillfully weaves ancient records with modern explorations of the Silk Road to bring that past alive, especially the tolerant religious diversity of the region before Islam came to dominate around the year 1000. A wonderful read that will send you packing your bags! * Gray Tuttle, Columbia University *Valerie Hansen's The Silk Road is the most readable and reliable historical account of the fabled trade routes that cut across the center of Eurasia in medieval times. Based upon original sources and the best scholarship, the author's narrative is enriched by first-hand investigations in the field and extensive examination of artifacts in numerous museums. Handsomely illustrated, this volume brings to life as never before the men and animals who travelled from one Central Asian oasis to the next, conveying goods, ideas, art, music, and religions. * Victor H. Mair, University of Pennsylvania *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; 1. At the Crossroads of Central Asia: The Kingdom of Kroraina ; 2. Gateway to the Languages of the Silk Road: Kucha and the Kizil Caves ; 3. Midway Between China and Iran: Turfan ; 4. Homeland of the Sogdians, the Silk Road Traders: Samarkand and Sogdiana ; 5. The Cosmopolitan Terminus of the Silk Road: Historic Chang'an, Modern-day Xi'an ; 6. The Time Capsule of Silk Road History: The Dunhuang Caves ; 7. Entryway into Xinjiang for Buddhism and Islam: Khotan ; Conclusion: The History of the Overland Routes through Central Asia ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisStraddling the equator, Southeast Asia comprises Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, as well as Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, and East Timor. Despite its extraordinary diversity of ethnicities, religions, and political systems, Southeast Asia plays a key role in global economies and geopolitics, especially in light of its strategic position bordering China and India. This Very Short Introduction explores the contemporary character of Southeast Asia''s national societies through the lens of their historical evolution, from the eras of indigenous kingdoms and colonies under Western rule to the present''s independent nation states. Deftly combining historical analysis and geopolitical insights, the book paints a bird''s eye view of contemporary Southeast Asia as a community of diverse societies and traditions as well as a political theater-of-action nested between India and China and tangled in global economic traffic patterns, balance of powers, and environmental forces.As James R. Rush explains, archaic structures, such as religious and ethnic rivalries, tenacious feudal hierarchies, and age-old trade and migration patterns, remain rooted in today''s Southeast Asia beneath the surface of modern national governments. The book draws on a wide range of examples from the major nations, including the ethno-religious violence in Myanmar, the Muslim-led rebellion in the southern Philippines, the Thai-Cambodian territorial rivalries, the Confucian-inspired governance in Singapore, the military rule and democratization in Indonesia, the environmental consequences of agribusiness, mining, and unchecked urbanization, and the big-power alignments and tensions involving the United States, China, and Japan. By delving into the cultural, political, and geographical background of Southeast Asia, Rush shows that Southeast Asia is unquestionably modern, but it is modern in distinctively Southeast Asian ways.Trade ReviewJames R. Rush's book no doubt serves as an essential introduction to the study of Southeast Asia. * Singapore Review of Books *Table of ContentsList of illustrations Introduction 1: What is Southeast Asia? 2: Kingdoms 3: Colonies 4: Nations 5: The past is in the present References Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisGandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts. During his time as a lawyer in South Africa he developed his strategy of non-violence: the idea of opposing unjust laws by non-violent protest, which he made the basis of his successful struggle against British rule in India.In this Very Short Introduction to Gandhi''s life and thought, Bhikhu Parekh outlines both Gandhi''s major philosophical insights and the limitations of his thought. He looks at Gandhi''s cosmocentric anthropology, his spiritual view of politics, his unique form of liberal communitarianism, and his theories of oppression, non-violent action, and active citizenship. He also considers how the success of Gandhi''s principles was limited by his lack of coherent theories of evil, and of state and power, and how his hostility to modern civilization impeded his appreciation of its complexity.Gandhi''s life and thought has had an enormous impact both within and outside India, and he continues to be widely revered, as one of the greatest moral and political leaders of the twentieth century.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations ; 1. Life and Work ; 2. Religious thought ; 3. Human Nature ; 4. Satyagraha ; 5. The Critique of Modernity ; 6. The Vision of a Non-Violent Society ; 7. Critical Appreciation ; Glossary ; Further Reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume deals specifically with the contentious issue of sewa, organised service to humanity that was Vivekananda's legacy to his followers. It is a good study of the Ramakrishna movement and argues that its idea of organised service also partly had its roots in philanthropy specifically in the South Asian context.Table of ContentsABBREVIATIONS ; LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ; FRONTISPIECE ; INTRODUCTION: 'A PRECIOUS ACQUISITION IN THE WORLD'S STOREHOUSE OF RELIGIOUS SADHANAS' ; PART ONE SEVA IN THE RAMAKRISHNA MATH AND MISSION: ITS DEVELOPMENT AND APPEAL CHAPTER 1 : THE BIRTH OF THE RAMAKRISHNA MATH AND MISSION ; CHAPTER 2: THE RAMAKRISHNA MATH AND MISSION AND SERVICE TO HUMANITY ; CHAPTER 3: UNDERSTANDINGS OF SEVA AND CONTINUITY WITHIN THE RAMAKRISHNA MATH AND MISSION ; PART TWO RAMAKRISHNA AS THE INNOVATOR OF THE SADHANA OF SERVICE TO HUMANITY CHAPTER 4: RAMAKRISHNA AS THE INSTIGATOR OF A SADHANA OF SERVICE TO HUMANITY: HIS ACTIONS ; CHAPTER 5: RAMAKRISHNA'S TEACHINGS ON THE SUBJECT OF SERVICE AND PHILANTHROPY: HIS JUDGMENT ON THE NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS ; CHAPTER 6: RAMAKRISHNA AND SEVA: SOME CONCLUSIONS ; PART THREE VIVEKANANDA AND 'ORGANISED SEVA' CHAPTER 7: SETTING A 'FRAME' AROUND VIVEKANANDA'S ORGANISATION OF SEVA ; CHAPTER 8: VIVEKANANDA'S EARLY EXPOSURE TO IDEAS OF SERVICE ; CHAPTER 9: THE BEGINNINGS OF ; AN IDEA IN INDIA: FROM THE QUEST FOR SELF-PERFECTION TO SEVA ; CHAPTER 10: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA IN ACTION: A NEW RESPONSE TO THE PRESSING SOCIAL PROBLEM OF MODERN FAMINE ; CHAPTER 11: VIVEKANANDA IN THE UNITED STATES AND SWAMI AKHANDANANDA IN INDIA ; CHAPTER 12 : A PLANNED PROGRAMME OF PRACTICAL VEDANTA ; CONCLUSION ; APPENDIX ; BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisThis volume situates the historiography of science in India within a social theory of science. Focussing on several strands from the corpus of writing over the last 150 years, it examines the paradigm shift within science studies, the move away from a West-centric theory of science, and future trends and possibilities. The book explores ideas about the interplay between scientism and romanticism, internal and external accounts of science, creative tension between scientism and romanticism, model of colonial science and its relationship with the emergence of national science, and distortions of nationalist historiography. These ideas are analysed in the light of contemporary researches in the sociology of sciences, human sciences as well as from a global perspective.Table of ContentsBIBLIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisCricket is an Indian game accidentally invented by the English, it has famously been said. But India was represented by a cricket team long before it became a nation.Conceived by an unlikely coalition of imperial and local elites, it took twelve years and four failed attempts before the first Indian cricket team made its debut on the playing fields of imperial Britain. Drawing on an unparalleled range of original archival sources, Cricket Country is the story of this first ''All India'' national cricket tour of Great Britain and Ireland. It is also simultaneously the extraordinary tale of how the idea of India took shape on the cricket pitch long before the country gained its political independence.Replete with a highly improbable cast of characters, the tour took place against the backdrop of anti-colonial protest and revolutionary terrorism in the high noon of Edwardian imperialism, with an Indian team that included the young, newly enthroned ruler of the most powerful Sikh state in India as its captain and, remarkably for the day, two Dalit cricketers as well.Over the course of their historic tour in the blazing Coronation summer of 1911, these Indian cricketers participated in a collective enterprise that epitomizes the way in which sport - and above all cricket - helped fashion the imagined communities of both nation and empire.Trade ReviewCricket Country marks a very significant departure from the conventional writings on Indian cricket in "setting its narrative within a transnational frame"...It also significantly contributes to the genre of exploring neglected episodes of Indian sporting history and reconstructing the fascinating narratives of those episodes in the context of colonial and postcolonial India. * Kausik Bandyopadhyay, Journal of Modern History *For scholars involved in the humanities and social sciences of sport, there is much to learn and use from the findings reported by Kidambi from his archival research. For the philosophers of sport, this material should also prompt further reflection on the implications of spreading sports over large geographical areas while sticking to formally unified technical frameworks. * Jacob Kornbeck, The International Journal of the History of Sport *Shortlisted for the 2020 Wolfson History PrizeSelected as a 2019 Sport Book of the Year in The Financial TimesPrashant Kidambi tells the intriguing story of the first "All-India", and largely forgotten, team to reach British shores ... Kidambi's achievement is to retrieve from obscurity the backbone of the team, including a Dalit, or low-caste, bowler Palwankar Baloo, and Muslim cricketers from the Islamic educational centre of Aligarh. * James Lamont, The Financial Times *5* review: This book is an engagingly written and deeply researched social history of the last days of imperial Britain, and the first days of Modern India. The 1911 tour is used as a framing device through which the author explores the ties that bound the colony together and the slow beginnings of an Indian nationhood. It is a history book, not a cricket book, and all the better for it. * Theo Barclay, The Daily Telegraph *Kidambi's forensic eye and vast array of sources make for a ... nuanced revisionism. Not that he pulls his punches. * Shomit Dutta, The Times Literary Supplement *Cricket Country explores both the history of imperial British cricket in India and colonial Indian cricket in Britain, as well as cricket as a vehicle for nation-building, cultural diplomacy, imperial pedagogy and masculinity, but at its heart tells the tale of a group of men in search of sporting glory... Prashant Kidambi traces the story with great detail, which will delight cricket enthusiasts. * Shompa Lahiri, BBC History Magazine *You don't have to know a lot about cricket, or even be an enthusiast, to enjoy this book ... [Kidambi] uses a lot of archival material, and presents a lot of original research, but writes it in a very engaging way. * Richard Evans, Five Books (The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist) *Kidambi has produced a masterly piece of sports scholarship, fit to be considered alongside books on more weighty historical subjects. The depth of his research is extraordinary and his knowledge of Indian history [...] is just as important as his knowledge of cricket ... this is a terrific book. * Richard Whitehead, The Cricketer *This is a richly detailed, rewarding, fascinating book. * Alex Massie, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2020 *The book is 10 years' work and it shows, in its elegance and detail. By going somewhere so unexplored, and producing something so original, Kidambi lays claim to being a Rahul Dravid among cricket historians. * Gideon Haigh, The Australian *a formidable piece of scholarship that recreates the time in staggering detail. * Sharda Ugra, ESPNcricinfo *The work that has gone into Cricket Country is astonishing... there is still a particular pleasure to be had from the experience of reading a book as well edited and produced as this one... Cricket Country goes well beyond the usual parameters of cricket writing... for those who are interested in where the Indian game has come from it really is a 'must read'. * Martin Chandler, Cricket Web *Meticulously researched and impeccably sourced, this is a first-rate book of serious history that also happens to be about cricket... A well written and important book on a little-known tour. * Richard Lawrence, The Cricket Statistician *A serious contribution to the literature on Indian cricket history and cricket's position in the British Empire. Beyond that, it is an engrossing and thoroughly engaging read. * Neil Robinson, MCC Magazine *With a nod to Edmund Blunden's famous book in his title, Kidambi tells the little-known tale of the first Indian cricket team to tour England, in the summer of 1911. This may well become a classic to rank alongside the very best of cricket books. * Mike Sansbury, The Grove Bookshop *This magnificent book recreates the forgotten story of the first All India cricket team, which toured England in 1911. Featuring Brahmins and Dalits, Parsis and Muslims, and led by a Sikh, this team was forging the idea of India on the sporting field while Mohandas K. Gandhi was still an expatriate in South Africa. It is a fascinating tale, and Prashant Kidambi tells it beautifully. He juxtaposes vivid quotations from primary sources with deft sketches of personalities, close accounts of cricket matches won and lost with thoughtful meditations on imperialism and nationalism. Scholars, students, history and sports buffs, will all find reading Cricket Country an enormously educative as well as hugely enjoyable experience. I certainly did. * Ramachandra Guha, author of Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948 *More than a hundred summers ago, an All-India cricket team toured England for the first time. Prashant Kidambi's wonderful account of that pioneering team and its bid to represent a sub-continent is the story of a motley band of cricketers calling India into being. Through the history and itinerary of this would-be 'Indian' team, Kidambi cunningly explores the meaning of belonging and representation in British India. Cricket Country s easily the most enjoyable non-fiction book you'll read this year. * Mukul Kesavan, author of Men in White: A Book of Cricket *Kidambi tells an intriguing story exceptionally well. * Shreedutta Chidananda, The Hindu *heavily researched and stylishly written * The Tribune *Cricket Country tells [its] riveting story with passion and authority. * Suresh Menon, The Hindu *A beatifully researched history * Supriya Nair, Mumbai Mirror *Cricket Country ... is as much about the country as it is about cricket. It is a book of history that uses cricket as a framing device... [It] offers ... fascinating insights. * Salil Tripathi, Mint *Remarkably researched... The account of the tour is engrossing * Uddalak Mukherjee, Telegraph India *As you get pulled into the book, there is melodrama, rioting, political manoeuvring and sneering condescension in a tight partnership with nauseating sycophancy, drunkenness, sporting skulduggery and back-stabbing. * Ruchir Joshi, India Today *Table of ContentsPreface 1: Parsi Pioneers 2: Imperial Wanderers 3: Elusive Quest 4: Reviving the Dream 5: Men in White 6: The Captain's Story 7: City of the World 8: Indian Summer 9: Lost and Won 10: Beyond the Boundary 11: Ends and Beginnings Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOne of the best early explorations of Japanese culture and samurai ethics written in the English languageInazo Nitobe's book, the most influential ever written on Bushido, or the samurai Way of the Warrior, argues that the philosophy of Bushido is the true key to understanding the soul of Japan.Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives--and upended them. Now Penguin brings you a new set of the acclaimed Great Ideas, a curated library of selections from the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisYang Jisheng''s Tombstone is the book that broke the silence on of one of history''s most terrible crimesMore people died in Mao''s Great Famine than in the entire First World War, yet this story has remained largely untold, until now. Still banned in China, Tombstone draws on the author''s privileged access to official and unofficial sources to uncover the full human cost of the tragedy, and create an unprecedented work of historical reckoning.''A book of great importance'' Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans''The first proper history of China''s great famine ... So thorough is his documentation that some are already calling Yang China''s Solzhenitsyn'' Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag: A HistoryTrade ReviewA book of great importance -- Jung Chang, author of 'Wild Swans'The first proper history of China's great famine ... So thorough is his documentation that some are already calling Yang "China's Solzhenitsyn" -- Anne Applebaum, author of 'Gulag: A History'In 1989 hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Chinese died in the June Fourth massacre in Beijing, and within hours hundreds of millions of people around the world had seen images of it on their television screens. In the late 1950s, also in Communist China, roughly the inverse happened: thirty million or more died while the world, then and now, has hardly noticed. If the cause of the Great Famine had been a natural disaster, this double standard might be more understandable. But the causes, as Yang Jisheng shows in meticulous detail, were political. How can the world not look now? -- Perry Link, University of California, RiversideThough a sense of deep anger imbues Yang Jisheng's book, it is all the more powerful for its restraint ... Tombstone meticulously demonstrates that the famine was not only vast, but manmade; and not only manmade but political, born of totalitarianism -- Tania Branigan * Guardian *Tombstone is not just a history but a political sensation ... rich with details ... there is no doubting Yang Jisheng's immense political courage in compiling and writing it ... His book is not just a tombstone for his father and other famine victims, but for the reputation of the Communist party's leadership at a time when they should have acted -- Rana Mitter * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA senior scholar''s comprehensive analysis of the dramatic increase in and impact of cultural expression-enormous art exhibitions and pop culture-in relation to expanded capitalist energy and investment, i.e., the so-called East Asian Miracle--

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Book SynopsisShao-yun Yang challenges assumptions that the cultural and socioeconomic watershed of the Tang-Song transition (8001127 CE) was marked by a xenophobic or nationalist hardening of ethnocultural boundaries in response to growing foreign threats. In that period, reinterpretations of Chineseness and its supposed antithesis, barbarism, were not straightforward products of political change but had their own developmental logic based in two interrelated intellectual shifts among the literati elite: the emergence of Confucian ideological and intellectual orthodoxy and the rise of neo-Confucian (daoxue) philosophy. New discourses emphasized the fluidity of the Chinese-barbarian dichotomy, subverting the centrality of cultural or ritual practices to Chinese identity and redefining the essence of Chinese civilization and its purported superiority. The key issues at stake concerned the acceptability of intellectual pluralism in a Chinese society and the importance of Confucian moral valuTrade Review"[A]n important contribution to an evolving discourse on a critical era in both Chinese history specifically and East Asian history more broadly." * Journal of Chinese Studies *"The book would be worth reading just for its thoughtful accounts of how various writers (Han Yu, Sun Fu, Liu Chang, Cheng Yi, etc.) addressed the distinction in their studies of the Annals, but it has a much larger argument to make." * Journal of Chinese History *"[A]n important contribution to the study of ethni‐city and changing rhetorical strategies involving the ever-evolving construction of Chinese identity in premodern China." * H-Net *"Yang has expertly painted a picture of Confucian ideological and intellectual orthodoxy, the rise of Neo-Confucianism, and the subsequent intellectual discourse that took place during the Tang-Song transition period. Those with an interest in Chinese religion have much to gain from this." * Religious Studies Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A comprehensive and valuable survey of the threats facing China’s economy.”—Edward Chancellor, Wall Street Journal“George Magnus offers a forensic take on why the Chinese economy will continue to be bedevilled by politics and why it matters.”—Isabel Hilton, New Statesman“Red Flags lands with exquisite timing"—Richard McGregor, Financial Times“Magnus offers the vision of a dispassionate outsider on the state of China” — Martin Wolf, Financial Times (Books of the Year 2018)"For insight into the dilemmas and decisions China’s leaders, notably Xi Jinping, will face in the next decades, it would be hard to beat Red Flags."—Diane Coyle, author of GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History"An excellent, tightly argued and fluently written analysis of the challenges that lie behind the China Dream."—Jonathan Fenby, author of Will China Dominate the 21st Century?"An immensely important and powerful book from one of our premier commentators on economics."—Rana Mitter, author of China’s War with Japan, 1937–1945"A nuanced, historically informed and highly readable account of why we should never be complacent about the People’s Republic."—Kerry Brown, author of CEO, China"Compelling, ominous and thought-provoking, George Magnus has written a book that should be essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of what is happening in China— and why it will have a global impact."—Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

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Book SynopsisThe Prophet Muhammad taught the word of God to the Arabs. Within a generation of his death, his followers - as vivid a cast of heroic individuals as history has known - had exploded out of Arabia to confront the two great superpowers of the seventh-century and establish Islam and a new civilization. That the protagonists originated from the small oasis communities of central Arabia gives their adventures, their rivalries, their loves and their achievements an additional vivacity and intimacy. So that on one hand, THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD is a swaggering saga of ambition, immense achievement, self-sacrificing nobility and blood rivalry, while on the other it allows us to understand some of the complexities of our modern world. For within this fifty-year span of conquest and empire-building, Barnaby Rogerson also identifies the seeds of discord that destroyed the unity of Islam, and traces the roots of the schism between Sunni and Shia Muslims to the rivalry of the two individuaTrade ReviewA natural storyteller, [Rogerson] achieves his purpose not by viewing the first great schism of Islam from the outside, but by immersing his readers in the master narrative of events as these came to be viewed ... An absorbing narrative that captures the epic quality of an era to which Muslims of all persuasions look for inspiration * SUNDAY TIMES *THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD vividly illustrates how the debates, the decisions and the sometimes bloody conflicts that resulted from trying to discern God's will in the absence of God's Prophet ultimately gave birth to the varied and wonderful trad * GUARDIAN *

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Book SynopsisIndia''s lost emperor Ashoka Maurya has a special place in history. In his quest to govern India by moral force alone he turned Buddhism from a minor sect into a world religion, and set up a new yardstick for government. But Ashoka''s bold experiment ended in tragedy and he was forgotten for almost two thousand years.In this beautifully written, multi-layered journey Charles Allen describes how fragments of the Ashokan story were gradually discovered, pieced together by a variety of British Orientalists: antiquarians, archaeologists and epigraphists. In doing so, they did much to recover India''s ancient history itself. The Lost Emperor tells the story of the man who was arguably the greatest ruler India has ever known.

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Book SynopsisLion City tells the extraordinary story of Singapore - the world''s most successful city state. In 1965, Singapore''s GDP per capita was on a par with Jordan. Now it has outstripped Japan. After the Second World War and a sudden rupture with newly formed Malaysia, Singapore found itself independent - and facing a crisis. It took the bloody-minded determination and vision of Lee Kuan Yew, its founding premier, to take a small island of diverse ethnic groups with a fragile economy and hostile neighbours and meld it into Asia''s first globalised city. Jeevan Vasagar, former Singapore correspondent for the Financial Times, masterfully takes us through the intricate history, present and future of this unique diamond-shaped island one degree north of the equator, where new and old have remained connected. Lion City is a personal, insightful and essential guide to the city, and how its remarkable rise is shaping East Asia and the rest of the worlTrade ReviewUnexpectedly moving...a good introduction for the general reader suddenly turns to questions of love, grief, deceit and identity -- Sholto Byrnes * The TLS *Vasagar gives Singapore a fair-and detailed-shake * Asian Review of Books *A comprehensive look at the sleek city-state that strongman Lee Kuan Yew forged into a model society of authority and order. * Kirkus Reviews *[An] enlightening look at how Singapore has become what it is today. * Washington Independent Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe Seven Military Classics is one of the most profound studies of warfare ever written, a stanchion in sinological and military history. It presents an Eastern tradition of strategic thought that emphasizes outwitting one''s opponent through speed, stealth, flexibility, and a minimum of force -- an approach very different from that stressed in the West. Safeguarded for centuries by the ruling elite of imperial China, even in modern times these writings have been known only to a handful of Western specialists. This volume contains seven separate essays, written between 500 BCE and 700 CE, that preserve the essential tenets of strategy distilled from the experience of the most brilliant warriors of ancient China.

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Book SynopsisA unique survey of seven great Asian empires, powerful forces on the world stage during a thousand years of history and that continue to resonate in regional and global politics today.Trade Review'Winningly straightforward … a reliable and palatable introduction to a fascinating subject' - Geographical Magazine'Passionate … the authors go beyond scholarship to give a bountiful review of Asia’s kingdoms' - The Oxford Times'Splendidly illustrated … vivid and accessible' - Asian LiteTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Distinctiveness of Asian Empires • 1. Central Asia: The Mongols 1206–1405 • 2. China: The Ming 1368–1644 • 3. South East Asia: The Khmer 802–1566 • 4. Asia Minor and Beyond: The Ottomans 1281–1922 • 5. Persia: The Safavids 1501–1722 • 6. India: The Mughals 1526–1868 • 7. Japan: The Meiji Restoration 1868–1945

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Book SynopsisThe magnificent wonders of China, ancient and modern, revealed by an international team of leading scholars from Asia and the West. China is the oldest continuous civilization on earth and holds a unique global place in the 21st century, this book's uniquely wide focus shows what makes it such a special country, with topics stretching from the natural wonders including mountains and rivers to the Silk Road, the technological innovations of printing and the compass and the modern vibrant cities of today as well as famous monuments such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall. In this new and updated edition, a team of leading scholars from Asia and the West provide an unmatched account of this vast country. Beyond the quality of the individual entries, The Seventy Wonders of China provides an unmatched account of Chinese history and culture as well as an essential contribution to understanding and appreciating this vast country.

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Book SynopsisLegal Lessons examines how China's party-state attempted to motivate ordinary citizens to learn laws during the Mao period. Archival records, advice manuals, and colorful propaganda materials reveal how official attempts to promote correct understanding of laws intersected with the interpretations and practical experiences of the people.Trade ReviewWhile the book is focused on China’s two most important urban centers, Altehenger’s careful work in the Beijing and Shanghai archives, complemented by local gazetteers and restricted internal documents, rewards readers with a multilayered depiction of cultural work in the PRC. -- Brian DeMare * China Journal *This terrific book makes a significant contribution to the understanding of propaganda in China as well as to the fields of law, politics and history of the PRC…Altehenger’s analysis contributes mightily to our understanding of the period that she examines, but also is useful in appreciating the dilemmas of law in China today. -- Pitman B. Potter * China Quarterly *A thorough and accessible account of a very complex and important topic, and it deserves wide readership. The book will prove especially helpful for researchers interested in the PRC legal system, Chinese legal history, China’s governance capacity, and its state-society relations. -- Ji Li * China Review International *Drawing upon abundant archival records, internal reports, newspapers, and posters, Altehenger offers a fresh look into the CCP’s campaigns of disseminating legal knowledge. Her vivid accounts not only demonstrate the significant role of mass legal education in China’s socialist governance, but also disclose the complex dynamics between party leaders, propaganda officials, state and private publishers, and cultural workers in various campaigns. -- Weiting Guo * Pacific Affairs *A pioneering account of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) endeavored to use legal propaganda to mold ideological consciousness and valorize the disparate phases of its revolution between 1949 and 1989…Altehenger has filled a key gap in the literature on the PRC legal system with an engaging, richly sourced study that bridges multiple fields of scholarship…Her book will appeal to historians of modern China, culture, and law, as well as to observers of the contemporary PRC, and that is an exceptional feat. -- Glenn Tiffert * Law and History Review *Exhaustively researched and methodologically innovative, Legal Lessons is a must-read not only for PRC historians but also for legal historians of China and elsewhere. It redresses a glaring paucity of scholarship in an important field and provides a deeply textured narrative of the continued tussle between state and society over the varied meanings of law. By crossing important epochal divides, it also places China’s ongoing legal reforms in their proper historical context to demonstrate how they were not exclusively inventions of the post-Mao government seeking to rebuild its political legitimacy and rejoin the global economy. -- Philip Thai * PRC History Review *An important work for scholars interested in the cultural dimensions of the law, Maoist-era mass political campaigns, and the comparative study of socialist states. -- Joshua Hill * Twentieth-Century China *When it seized power in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party abolished the modern legal codes of the Republican era and created ‘socialist law’ for the new People’s Republic. Altehenger places the Chinese experience firmly within the world of the ‘socialist brother countries.’ This is not a book about rule by law, but the story of rule by propaganda. Going far beyond legal history, it is a compelling study of the enduring political culture of a regime that still argues today that it need not abide by its own constitution. -- William C. Kirby, T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies and Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration, Harvard UniversityA major scholarly accomplishment, Legal Lessons masterfully details how the Chinese state over forty years spread knowledge about law. By providing an extraordinarily deft portrayal of the deep internal conceptual and practical tensions that the party-state encountered in endeavoring to use law as a governing instrument, and the intricate ways in which China’s populace received and understood those messages, Altehenger shows that creating law for a new China was far more complex an undertaking than had previously been presumed. -- William Alford, Henry L. Stimson Professor, Harvard Law SchoolThis is a beautifully researched and illuminating study of how the Chinese communist state has struggled to popularize laws since the 1950s through campaigns around the Marriage Laws, various drafts of the constitution, and more general legal awareness. It demonstrates the importance of law to the communist state throughout its history and the crucial role of culture and the media in how law has been understood. -- Henrietta Harrison, Professor of Modern Chinese Studies, University of Oxford China CentreLegal Lessons links the practice of legal education in the early PRC to the larger international project of socialist lawmaking, and raises new questions about the relationship between legal propaganda, legal ‘reform,’ and the quest for new kinds of legal polities in the late twentieth century and beyond. Altehenger’s masterful study provides a critical foundation for understanding the Chinese path to that contested condition we call rule of law. -- Madeleine Zelin, Dean Lung Professor of Chinese Studies, Columbia UniversityWith its wide-ranging implications, Legal Lessons is worth learning! It presents a whole new way to comprehend radical attempts made by the Chinese state to inculcate legal knowledge among the people—and thereby transform society—at pivotal moments in China’s recent past. -- Karl Gerth, Hsiu Endowed Chair in Chinese Studies and Professor of History, University of California, San Diego

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZEThe extraordinary and essential story of how China became the powerful country it is today.Even at the high noon of Europe''s empires China managed to be one of the handful of countries not to succumb. Invaded, humiliated and looted, China nonetheless kept its sovereignty. Robert Bickers'' major new book is the first to describe fully what has proved to be one of the modern era''s most important stories: the long, often agonising process by which the Chinese had by the end of the 20th century regained control of their own country.Out of China uses a brilliant array of unusual, strange and vivid sources to recreate a now fantastically remote world: the corrupt, lurid modernity of pre-War Shanghai, the often tiny patches of ''extra-territorial'' land controlled by European powers (one of which, unnoticed, had mostly toppled into a river), the entrepôts of Hong Kong and Macao, and the myriad means, tTrade ReviewIt is a pleasure to read the fruits of his mature scholarship as he revisits familiar ground, puncturing myths and putting British and Chinese views into reciprocal perspective -- Michael Sheridan * The Sunday Times *Robert Bickers is a pre-eminent chronicler of China... a great story told with splashes of colour and sharp wit -- Jonathan Fenby * Literary Review *This detailed account valuably reconstructs the west's recent cultural malfeasance in China, and also challenges the simple, propaganda narrative that the CCP tells about its deliverance of China from Colonial aggressors -- Julia Lovell * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisExamines key issues transforming the Indo-Pacific and the broader world. Michael Auslin also explores the history of American strategy in Asia, from the 18th century to today. Taken together, Auslin's essays convey the richness and diversity of the region.Trade Review“Auslin presents a wide-ranging analysis of the implications of this new great-power rivalry. . . . [He] succeeds in his aim of reviving an older method of geopolitical thinking.” — National Review“If the Indo-Pacific is the map on which the future power balance will be redrawn, this book is a good investment in familiarizing yourself with the terrain.” — The Wire China“Auslin identifies the critical factors that will determine whether the future for free and open societies across the Indo-Pacific region remains bright or a darker future emerges in which autocratic and closed systems are ascendant.” — H. R. McMaster, former US national security advisor and author of Battlegrounds

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays offering a creative look at crises past, present, future, and speculative. Starting with the shared experience of crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and a planet sieged by disaster, Imaginable Worlds transforms tragedy into a framework for research and art, imagining a shared world beyond a global experience of emergency. Produced by the Smart Museum of Art and the Projects/Processes essay collection series, an initiative launched by the Serendipity Arts Foundation in New Delhi, this volume brings together the voices of artists, authors, and public intellectuals from a range of fields and locations. Suraj Yengde, named one of the 25 Most Influential Young Indians by GQ Magazine; Siyanda Mohutsiwa, the brain behind the viral hashtag #IfAfricaWasABar; and Ho Tzu Nyen, the acclaimed artist behind the ongoing Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia project, are among the diverse contributors who have come together to critically engage with ideas and pTable of ContentsPessimistic Futures: Black Worlding through Games by Patrick Jagoda and Ashlyn SparrowAssembling in Isolation: The Politics of Virtual Performance in Amitesh Grover’s The Last Poet by Trina Nileena BanerjeeUntitled by Uzodinma Iweala We Are Safe Here by Leticia BernausDalit Art by Suraj YengdeAll Women Are Workers, Not All Work is Waged: Three Tales of Surviving the Pandemic in Puducherry by Meena Kandasamy How to End It: Algeciras to Tangiers, 2019 by Jeet Thayil Texts from the End of the World by Siyanda Mohutsiwa H for Humidity – Keywords for a Project on the History of Water Engineering in Singapore by Tzu Nyen Ho

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Book SynopsisConsiders the textiles made, traded, and exchanged across Eurasia from late antiquity to the late Middle Ages with special attention to the socio-political and cultural aspects of this universal medium. It presents a wide range of textiles used in both domestic and religious settings, as dress and furnishings, and for elite and ordinary owners.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Materials and Techniques; 3. Industry; 4. Trade; 5. Dress; 6. Furnishing Textiles; 7. Imported Textiles in European Church Treasuries; 8. Aesthetics; Appendix: Selection of Online Databases of Textile Holdings and Research.

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Book SynopsisThe second edition of this comprehensive study of recent Japanese history now includes the author's expert assessment of the effects of the earthquake and tsunami, including the political and environmental consequences of the Fukushima reactor meltdown.Trade ReviewPraise for the previous edition "One of the foremost foreign writers on modern Japan, Kingston provides another wide-ranging analysis of interest to all of those with a stake in the nation's future." The Japan Times "Kingston's discussion of the changes Japan faces in the 21st century is among the most comprehensive and accessible treatments of Japan's recent history available." ChoiceTable of ContentsMap vii Series Editor’s Preface viii Acknowledgments x Part I Introduction 1 1 Transformations After World War II 3 2 The Lost Decade 23 Part II Risk and Consequences 39 3 Defusing the Demographic Time Bomb 41 4 Families at Risk 60 5 Jobs at Risk 77 Part III Politics and Consequences 93 6 Contemporary Politics 95 7 Security and the Peace Constitution 115 8 Immigration 136 9 War Memory and Responsibility 154 Part IV Environment and Disaster 175 10 Environmental Issues 177 11 3/11: Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Crisis 198 Part V Institutions at Risk 221 12 The Imperial Family 223 13 Yakuza 241 Part VI Postscript 261 14 Prospects 263 Glossary 270 Notes 278 Further Reading 293 Index 302

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Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the spatial experiences of Indian indentured labourers in Mauritius and Fiji and reveals previously unexplored labour movements across the so-called Indentured Archipelago. It offers a historical geographical perspective of the lives of these labourers in Mauritius and Fiji, situating their experiences in the wider context of spatial mobility and subaltern agency. The concept of re-migration - labourers moving between these colonies, and beyond - is explored, and the scale of this facet of indentured life is revealed, in a way which has not been done to date. It brings to the fore a debate on subaltern agency, and role of geography in exploring the lives of these labourers both within and between colonies. The book also brings to light the numerous proposals for the use of Indian indentured labour across the globe, highlighting the centrality of Indian indenture to the post-abolition labour discourse.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of Figures; List of Tables; Abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. Indentured Spaces: Mauritius; 3. Indentured Spaces: Fiji; 4. Subaltern Careering; 5. Innovation and New Migration Routes; 6. Conclusion: Space, Agency, Mobility, Geography; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisFor the first time in the modern era, Asia is not dominated by an outside power. Is this the Asian Century? Will internal rivalries emerge between China, Japan and India? How will growing tensions between the United States and China shape the global economic, strategic and political system? Covering governance, culture, and society in East and South Asia, this book introduces:- Key economic developments, including the Asian economic miracle and the 1997/8 Financial Crisis- The central role of education, and the contentious debate about ''Asian values''- The rapid expansion of military spending in the region- The demography and geography of major nations and their forms of nationalismWith further reading suggestions and discussion questions for every chapter, this is essential introductory reading for students of Asian Studies and interested general readers alike.

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

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Book SynopsisA splendid, exciting book' Daily Mirror 'The story of the first all-out struggle in Asia between Communism and the West, vividly told in an exciting and engrossing book' Sunday Express Only three short years after the end of the Japanese occupation, war came again to Malaya. The Chinese-backed guerrillas called it the War of the Running Dogs - their contemptuous term for those in Malaya who remained loyal to the British. The British Government referred to this bloody and costly struggle as the 'Malayan Emergency'. Yet it was a war that lasted twelve years and cost thousands of lives. By the time it was over Malaya had obtained its independence - but on British, not on Chinese or Communist terms.  Here is the war as it was. Here are the planters and their wives on their remote rubber estates, the policemen, the generals and the soldiers, the Malays, Chinese and Indians of a polyglot country, all fighting an astute, ruthless, aTrade ReviewThe story of the first all-out struggle in Asia between Communism and the West, vividly told in an exciting and engrossing book * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Ably written; a book of quality, deeply felt * SCOTSMAN *Even better than SINISTER TWILIGHT, Noel Barber's account of the fall of Singapore * SUNDAY TIMES *A splendid, exciting book * DAILY MIRROR *

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Book SynopsisOne of the first books to focus on the pre-war controversy between building more big battleships or converting to aircraft carriers as the capital ships' of the future.

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Book SynopsisSecond book in a 3-book series showing how maritime trade has been the principle driver of our world story from the deepest antiquity to the present.; Bespeaks extremely wide reading, careful research and a lot of thought well written, comprehensive and informative' - Alfons van der Kraan

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