In this note, I make 2 propositions. The first is that if not for the Japanese invasion of China, China would have remained a democracy.…
View More Canton Elegy – Part 2Tag: World History (Books)
Canton Elegy – Part 1
Canton Elegy is a loving memoir, in the form of a letter to his 4 children, written by a Chinese dad late in life so…
View More Canton Elegy – Part 1Zhou En Lai A Life – Part 2
Using Zhou En Lai’s life from 1898 to 1976 as a trajectory I will expound on seminal events in China’s history. The May Fourth Movement…
View More Zhou En Lai A Life – Part 2A Court on Horseback
A Court on Horseback is a scholarly book that examines briefly the 6 southern tours made by Emperor Kang Hsi, and in detail the 6…
View More A Court on HorsebackEncyclopedia of Classical Civilizations
I bought this book Penguin Encyclopedia of Classical Civilisations edited by Arthur Cotterell, published 1993, in KL for Christmas reading 2002. I was introduced to…
View More Encyclopedia of Classical CivilizationsVermeer
Johannes Vermeer’s oeuvre consists of a mere 36 paintings. But the sheer quality of these paintings resulted in the current exhibition of 28 of his…
View More VermeerChristmas reading 2022 (Set 1)
Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year. It is a good time to stock up on new reading materials and to listen…
View More Christmas reading 2022 (Set 1)Cameron Highlands 2022 – Churches (Part 2)
There are two wonderfully quaint churches in Cameron Highlands. Both date from colonial times. They are All Souls’ Church (Anglican) off the golf course road,…
View More Cameron Highlands 2022 – Churches (Part 2)Mission With Mountbatten
This diary is a must for all historians interested in the events that led to the Partition. Alan Campbell-Johnson at that time was the press…
View More Mission With MountbattenThe Handover of Hong Kong
Hong Kong was surrendered to the British for perpetuity by the Ching dynasty when Britain won the First Opium war. Kowloon was surrendered for perpetuity…
View More The Handover of Hong Kong