This was a seminal book when it first came out in 1979. More so, as its author is the well-known intellectual Edward W. Said. In…
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Month: February 2025
Coffee, Books & Literary Treasures
Two indie bookstores in KL have started and, thankfully, thrived over the past few years. Tintabudi in Plaza TTDI specialises in Islamic history and culture…
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The Tiananmen Papers – Part 2
Are the Tiananmen Papers fake? Ezra F. Vogel, in his monumental Deng Xiao Ping and the Transformation of China [2011], has the best discussion. He…
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The Tiananmen Papers – Part 1
Are the Tiananmen Papers fake? These papers are purportedly explosive records of private meetings and private discussions of Chinese leaders during the Tiananmen protests in…
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The Economic Rollercoaster – Part 2
More: The 10,000 Year Rise of the World Economy by Philip Coggan is a tour de force. This 2020 book surveys how the world economy…
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A Modern History of Hong Kong
Published in 2004, it is clear from the preface and Chapter 1 that the author is an Anglophile, despite his protestations that his intent is…
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China’s Space Programme – Part 6
This is the first substantial study in the English language on China’s Space Programme. Published in 2022, it has massive details and lists that are…
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Rare Insights Into Malaysia’s Founding
Malaysia was formed on 16 Sep 1963 after a long process of negotiations between Malaya and Singapore, Sarawak, and North Borneo. Brunei had wanted to…
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China’s Space Programme – Part 5
The era of Deng Xiao Ping in power from 1977 to 1990 saw a different emphasis in respect to China’s Space Programme. Deng emphasised that…
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China’s Space Programme – Part 4
In 1965, a proposal was adopted to put a 100 kg satellite in orbit by 1971. In 1970, the first satellite was successfully placed in…
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