Introduction to Western specialists on China’s history (Part 5)
Susan Naquin is an American professor of history at Princeton University. She specialises in late Imperial China history. Here are 4 of her books. They…
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In the Wake of the Mongols
This 2018 book examines how the Chinese society in Northern China, in general, and in Shanxi in particular, reorganized itself after the devastating invasion of…
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The Unfinished Revolution
This biography of Sun Yat Sen published in 2017 is a wonderful read. It is a useful addition to the corpus as the last substantial…
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Happy New Year 2023
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2023 to all. We were in Bangkok from 19 to 22 Dec. It feels so lonely flying in…
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Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is a city of many facades. The 5-star hotels are located by the magnificent Chao Phraya River. One can stay at the Shangri-la, which…
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Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song
Nat King Cole is famous for his rendition of The Christmas Song. On this CD you can hear three versions of this song. One is…
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In the Bleak Midwinter
“In the Bleak Midwinter” is a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, commonly performed as a Christmas carol. It was set to music by…
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Taipei (Part 1)
If one has visited Soong Ching Ling’s residence in Shanghai (and admired its intimate back garden), the official residence of Chiang Kai Shek and Soong…
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Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast
A Moveable Feast is a modern classic written by Ernest Hemingway. He started the book in Cuba in the autumn of 1957 and finished it…
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The Treasure of Taipei
The National Palace Museum of Taipei has more than 694,000 artifacts. No trip to Taipei is complete without a sojourn to view its magnificent collection.…
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