Mao the scholar
Most people are under the impression that Mao is a coarse and illiterate leader, perhaps because of his round and big Hunan facial features. That…
Israel and Nasser—Part 1
The Six-Day War is the popular name for the 1967 Arab–Israeli war (5–10 June 1967). For all of Nasser’s popularity with the Egyptians and Arabs…
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Red Dawn over China (2026)
This is a recent book by Frank Dikötter, a Dutch historian who became famous for his exhaustive and exhausting The People’s Trilogy. A reviewer has…
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Without Fear or Favour
I used to read this column by Tan Chee Khoon in the Star when I was small. It is wonderful to find the articles compiled…
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Asia Today
Asia Today: Two Outlooks, Beatty Memorial Lectures (1969) is a compilation of three lectures that Han Su Yin gave in 1968 at McGill University. The…
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Christianity and China
The 20 essays in “Christianity in China from the 18th Century to the Present,” edited by Daniel H. Bays (1996), were presented in two symposia…
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The Truth Shall Prevail
It is not clear why this collection of speeches, papers, and articles by the late Tun Abdul Hamid Mohammad (2016), mantan Ketua Hakim Negara, is…
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Early China and Warring States period
There are three excellent books. In chronology of publication, Early China: A Social and Cultural History by Li Feng (2013) covers the period from the…
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The Malayan Communist Party
Who is The Plen, who met Lee Kuan Yew in secret negotiations? The MCP has long faded from the public’s interest. For those still keen…
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Of Horses and Men
The year of the Fire Horse, in the Chinese zodiac, begins tomorrow on Feb 17, 2026, with big celebrations in Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan,…
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Tao Te Ching—Part 2
John Minford used the received text for his translation, which dates to the Han dynasty. There are 2 earlier versions of the text. They are—…
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