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…
Gripping history – Arabs: A 3,000 Year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires
This newly released March 2019 630-page book is a book that rewards patient reading. Mackintosh Smith is well versed with the Arabic sources and has…
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Beautiful – Art of the Japanese Garden
I read this book after I returned from sakura season in Kyoto in Apr 2019. The 2019 edition is excellent! It has a nice balance…
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Coffee table book – Virtual Archaeology
I bought this book in 1997. This book takes you to various historical sites and monuments around the world. Each site has a summary of…
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Beautiful – The English Cathedral
This 160- page book is a joy for lovers of English church history and architecture. The book starts with churches from medieval to Henry VIII…
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Introductory book – Shakespeare’s Restless World: An Unexpected History in Twenty Objects
The title of this book promises much. But this book touches the surface only. It is an introductory book on aspects of Shakespeare and the…
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Beautifully written – Shakespeare: The Biography
This is an excellent biography. Ackroyd says he wrote this book, not as an expert. The end result is a very readable cradle to grave…
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A dry account – Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation
As a translation, it is faithful to the text. However, this book would have been much better if a commentary is available for each chapter…
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The Elgin family
The Elgin family is notorious in history. A father and son were responsible for the desecration of two famous monuments. Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of…
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Behind the headline – The Fall of Hong Kong: China’s Triumph and Britain’s Betrayal
An excellent and gripping account of the negotiations which led to the return of HK to China. From this book, we know the men and…
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Trilogy of French and Russian war
This trilogy is a wonderful reassessment of the war between the French and Russian empires. Using extensive French, Russian, German and Polish diaries, memoirs and…
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