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…
Best book – Liberty or Death: India’s Journey to Independence and Division
This is an excellent history written by a person who has a sure grasp of the vast facts and numerous personalities involved in India’s fight…
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Not a book on the trial – The State of Israel vs. Adolf Eichmann
This is a rather rambling book on the Nazi Eichmann who was hiding in Argentina and brought back to trial in Israel by Israeli agents.…
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Wonderful series – Agatha Christie’s Marple: Series 5
The scripts are well-written and the sets exquisite. As a huge fan of Suchet’s Poirot, I am even tempted to say that this series is…
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Infamous murders – Blood Lust
This book is a good introduction to two famous criminal cases. The second story on the murder trial of Jean Sinnappa, in particular, gripped the…
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Excellent – The Man Awakened from Dreams: One Man’s Life in a North China Village, 1857-1942
Based on nearly 400 volumes of Liu Da Peng’s diary and other writings recorded over 50 years, this slim book illustrates what life was like…
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Memoir of life – Music, Food and Love: A memoir
This is a vivid memoir of life during the Cultural Revolution in China. Written in simple English it brings home, sadly, the futility of Chairman…
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Excellent – A Jesuit in the Forbidden City: Matteo Ricci 1552-1610
This is a 2012 book and the first critical biography of Ricci to use all relevant sources, both Chinese and Western. This is a very…
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A memoir – The World of a Tiny Insect: A Memoir of the Taiping Rebellion and Its Aftermath
The World of a Tiny Insect is a wonderful memoir of a childhood spent in the violence of the Taiping Rebellion. The author was 7…
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An excellent book – Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace
An excellent book based on Russian sources let down by very poor maps as well as no maps accompanying the narration of battles. I hope…
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Masterly translation – The Iliad
This is a wonderful prose translation. The introduction is extremely useful. It has excellent summaries of each book of the Iliad.
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