A Biography of Cao Cao
Rafe de Crespigny is an Australian sinologist, now aged 90. He specialises in the history of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. His…
A tragedy still continuing – End of the Peace Process
I have refrained till now to buy or read any book on the Israel Palestinian issue. I felt it would be an exercise in futility.…
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Beautifully illustrated – Malta: The Order of St John
This history of the Order of St John is by a German historian called Thomas Freller. Written in the English language it traces the origins…
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Carelessly planned – Borders and Conflict in South Asia: The Radcliffe Boundary Commission and the Partition of Punjab
Partition caused between 500,00 and 1 million killed in Punjab. Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims fleeing across the new borders numbered between 10 to 16 million.…
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A life cut short – Caravaggio
This 1998 book is a book that narrates the short but turbulent 39 years in the life of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The name by…
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Caravaggio
A visit to Naples is not complete if one does not see Caravaggio’s The Seven Acts of Mercy {painted in 1606/07} and The Martyrdom of…
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Penang Hill: A Journey Through Time
I climbed Penang Hill on 11 Sep 2016 with a good friend Peter Cheah. We left my Quayside seafront condo at 6.30 am and started…
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Excellent book – China between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties
This excellent 2nd volume of the 6- volume History of Imperial China is a wonderful history of the period from the fall of the Han…
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Wonderful martial epic: Three Kingdoms, A Historical Novel: Complete and Unabridged
Iliad The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the epics of Imperial China. It is a grand tale of the fight for the…
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Qin and Han: The social and political structures
Confucius died age 72 when the ideal lifespan was 70 years and those who died in their fifties are said to have died early. {p…
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Celebrating Ludwig van Beethoven
Next year 2020 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. My favourite composer. Here are 4 books from my library. His…
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