Joseph W Esherick is an expert on Chinese History. In Ancestral Leaves, he gives us a human history of China from the 14th century to…
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Author: Julia_M
Afghanistan in the Age of Empires
Conquering Afghanistan is a mirage. (p 376). This book by Farrukh Husain (published in 2018) could not have been more accurate with the dramatic collapse…
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In search of Gandhi
The 1982 movie Gandhi was a phenomenal box-office success. It earned USD 128 million on a production cost of USD 22 million. (p 222). This…
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Mao: The Man Who Made China
This is arguably the best one-volume biography on Mao. Revised in 2017, Philip Short has written a very readable book backed up by tremendous research.…
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A Critical Introduction to Mao
This is not an introduction to Mao. It is a deep dive. In this 2010 book comprising 14 essays by 15 scholars the subjects covered…
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Mao
This slim 205-page book published in 1999 of Mao by Jonathan Spence is a very concise biography. It merely scratches the surface of a leader…
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Is Jinnah a great lawyer? (Part 2)
Jinnah’s skill as a politician has always been scrutinized by his biographers. He is after all The Sole Spokesman for Pakistan. (Ayesha Jalal). He is…
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Mao Tse Tung (Part 1)
All biographies of Mao focus on his failures and foibles. They magnify his disastrous Hundred Flowers Campaign of Feb 1957, and the Anti-Rightist Movement that…
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Innocence and War: Mark Twain’s Holy Land Revisited
Lord Ian Strathcarron wrote 2 excellent books of his travels with his family retracing Mark Twain’s two journeys. Both books are greatly enhanced by his…
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Buddhism in China
This 2003 book by John Kieschnick (born 1964) is to my knowledge the latest book on Buddhism in China. It’s an excellent book. John has…
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