It is ironic that the Cultural revolution of 1966, which caused untold misery to millions, had some beneficial consequences. It enabled Deng Xiao Ping and …
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Tag: Chinese History (Books)
Inside the Mind of Xi Jinping
This 2018 book is a slipshod work. It has no footnotes or index. One can’t even check the veracity of his analysis. Save your money.…
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Making China Modern
This 2019 book is the latest substantial history of modern China. It’s by a German scholar. It’s an excellent history well told. Rereading it to…
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The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers
Rereading this book for the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party on 1 July 2021, I can’t help but notice that this book while excellent…
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China’s Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture
Nothing benefits learning more than being associated with the right people. – Hsun Tzu (wade-Giles), Xunzi (pinyin) p v. This is one of the best,…
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Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China’s Last Golden Age
Platt is a master writer. His book is based on prodigious research. He cites original sources. He describes the city of Canton well in his…
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China 1949: Year of Revolution
It is ironic that history will look back to 2020 as the beginning of the Cold War between China and the US and the UK.…
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The Malayan-Singapore fiasco
These are the 4 most recent books on the Malayan Campaign and the Fall of Singapore. Their emphasis varies. Farrell focused on the commanders and…
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The Defence and Fall of Singapore
In 1921 the British settled on the “Singapore strategy” to defend the Far East against Japanese attacks. (p 18). The strategy envisaged building a naval…
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Shanghai – A decadent city
A trip to Shanghai would not be complete without reading these 6 books. A stay would also not be complete without staying at the historical…
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