The Struggle for Modern Tibet: The Autobiography of Tashi Tsering (1997) is an unvarnished history of Tibet from 1929 to the 1990s. Tashi wanted to…
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Tag: Asian Politics
Red Star Over China
Red Star over China is now considered a classic work as it was the first account the world had of the Red bandits of China…
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A critical analysis of Mao’s achievements – Part 3
The Long March began with many defeats for the Reds. The Troika struggled to come up with a strategic plan for retreat. In January 1935,…
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How China Escaped the Poverty Trap
This 2016 book won two book prizes. It had been hailed as game-changing in its economic analysis of China from 1978 to 2016. Deng Xiaoping…
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China and Japan – Part 2
Japanese culture and arts only grew after absorbing Chinese traditions via Korea and China from 600 to 838 AD. Absorption was the most during the…
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The Tibet Question
What’s the origin of the conflict between the 14th Dalai Lama and China? What is the history of the relationships between Tibet and the Mongols…
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When The Red Gates Opened – Part 1
Unless you are Arundhati Roy, whose memoir on her relationship with her difficult but distinguished mom, ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me’ (published 2025), was reviewed…
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From Mao to Modernity
On 2 Sep 1945, Japan formally surrendered. China designated 3 Sep 1945 as “Victory Day” to commemorate its victory over Japan. This year, on 3…
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Yellow and two recent books on China
These 2 recent books were bought by me to understand how far China has progressed since 1949. China Resurrected (2025) is a political history from…
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Tianjin Cosmopolis – Part 1
The Siege of Tianjin was part of a wider assault on foreigners in northern China, including the more famous Siege of the Legations in Peking…
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