Istanbul is one of my favorite cities. Its former name was Constantinople, named after its founder Constantine the Great. I am fortunate to have visited…
View More IstanbulMonth: December 2021
The Handover of Hong Kong
Hong Kong was surrendered to the British for perpetuity by the Ching dynasty when Britain won the First Opium war. Kowloon was surrendered for perpetuity…
View More The Handover of Hong KongThe Illustrated Christmas Cracker
Christmas is a time of celebration. To savor the end of a working year with loved ones and friends. It is also a time to…
View More The Illustrated Christmas CrackerThe Nook
An interesting Books and Coffee Cafe in Penang. The Nook at No 4 Khoo Cheow Teong Court, Georgetown is a small cafe with used books…
View More The NookSino-Japanese War
These are the best recent books on the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945. War and Nationalism in China examines, in particular, the contributions of the Nationalists…
View More Sino-Japanese WarMuhammad Ali Jinnah
Hector Bolitho is justly famous for his authorized biography of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He was commissioned by the Pakistan government. Many materials and oral history…
View More Muhammad Ali JinnahThe Gate to China
The Gate to China: A new history of the People’s Republic and Hong Kong by Michael Sheridan is a 2021 book. Its title is a…
View More The Gate to China