Best Selling Asian History Books

Chart of the top 50 most popular and best selling Asian history ebooks at the Apple Books.

Chart list of the top Asian history ebooks was last updated:

History Ebook Best Sellers

Top Asian History Ebooks

1

Over the Beach - Zalin Grant Cover Art

Over the Beach

Over the Beach The Air War in Vietnam by Zalin Grant

"The Right Stuff without the hype, Yeager without the ego."—Washington Post Book World "While the jet-jockey competitiveness, the undercurrent of fear, the victories and foul-ups of jet sweeps have been described many times, few such chronicles have done it so grippingly and with such a ring of accuracy. Mr. Grant explores the emotions felt not only by the men in battle but by the wives and others left behind, and the questions the war raised in their minds. To put in larger context the war's impact on individual participants, the author periodically reviews the high-level struggles over how to fight the air war. "What is most impressive is to find an analysis so clearly stated, so seemingly on track in locating the weak spots in the policies of various political and military officials....Written in a straightforward yet stylish prose, Over the Beach carries tremendous conviction."—Richard Witkin, New York Times Book Review

2

Korean Messiah - Jonathan Cheng Cover Art

Korean Messiah

Korean Messiah Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult by Jonathan Cheng

A landmark history of North Korea, told through the rise of the Kim dynasty and its surprising ties to American Christianity—a spectacular, penetrating account of the Hermit Kingdom • A Foreign Policy Most Anticipated Book of 2026 “How do personality cults take hold? What happens when leaders mix politics and faith to demand immense sacrifices? Jonathan Cheng’s magnificent tale poses questions about the world far beyond North Korea. This utterly eye-opening history deciphers a defining pattern of global politics in the 21st century.” —Evan Osnos, National Book Award-winning author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China For nearly eight decades, North Korea has marched defiantly to its own beat, shaking off its Soviet and Chinese sponsors to emerge as the world’s most enigmatic nation—a nuclear-armed state ruled by a dictatorial dynasty. Underpinning the state is a personality cult more soaked in religiosity than those constructed by Stalin or Mao—one that traces its roots back to the Christian fervor of post–Civil War America. Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal ’s China bureau chief and former Korea bureau chief, takes us deep inside Pyongyang, a city once so dominated by Christianity that it was known as the “Jerusalem of the East.” Cheng introduces us to Samuel Moffett, a Presbyterian missionary from Madison, Indiana, who would venture into Pyongyang at the end of the nineteenth century and build a remarkable following—one that would include the Kim family that today presides over one of the world’s harshest persecutors of the Christian faith. At the center of this story is North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung, son of two fervent Christians and progenitor of an ideology known as Kimilsungism, an exercise in idolatry that has elevated him, and his successor son and grandson, to Christlike status, from the humble manger where he was born to the subway seat on which the venerated leader once placed his posterior, cordoned off as if it were a religious relic. Drawing on letters, diaries, and never-before-unearthed archival material that temper and often contradict the glorious historical record promoted by Kim Il Sung’s legions of hagiographers, Korean Messiah tells the true story of a country shrouded in fictions.

3

Shattered Lands - Sam Dalrymple Cover Art

Shattered Lands

Shattered Lands Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia by Sam Dalrymple

A Financial Times, NPR, and BBC History Best Book of the Year A bold and sweeping history of modern South Asia, told through the five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swath of Asia stretching from the Red Sea to the borders of Thailand was bound together under a single imperial banner, an entity known officially as the “Indian Empire” or, more simply, as the Raj. It was the British Empire’s crown jewel, home to a quarter of the world’s population. In the span of just fifty years, that empire shattered. Five partitions tore it apart, carving it into twelve modern nations, including not only India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but also Burma, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. In vivid and compulsively readable prose, Sam Dalrymple presents, for the first time, the whole story of how the Indian Empire was unmade. It’s a story of maps being redrawn in boardrooms and on battlefields, bumbling politicians in London and idealist revolutionaries in Delhi, kings in remote palaces and ordinary citizens swept up in wars and mass migrations. It is a history of ambition and betrayal, of forgotten wars and unlikely alliances, of borders carved with ink and fire. And it has left behind a legacy of exile and division. It began in 1937, when Burma was carved out of India, to devastating result. The partition of the Arabian Peninsula started the same year with the separation of Aden and was completed in 1947 with the transfer of the Gulf States. Also in 1947 was the “Great Partition,” culminating in the largest forced migration in history and the creation of Pakistan, swiftly followed by the partition of Princely India. Finally, in 1971, the fledgling nation of Pakistan was itself torn apart, and Bangladesh was born. Based on deep archival research, previously untranslated sources, and hundreds of interviews in English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Konyak, Arabic, and Burmese, Shattered Lands is an utterly gripping history that offers a new understanding of modern South Asia—one that brings to light the continuing legacy of empire.

4

Road to Surrender - Evan Thomas Cover Art

Road to Surrender

Road to Surrender Three Men and the Countdown to the End of World War II by Evan Thomas

A riveting, immersive account of the agonizing decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan—a crucial turning point in World War II and geopolitical history—with you-are-there immediacy by the New York Times bestselling author of Ike’s Bluff and Sea of Thunder . “As Christopher Nolan’s movie Oppenheimer shows, the shockwaves reverberate still. The veteran biographer Evan Thomas now enters the debate.”— The Wall Street Journal AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR At 9:20 a.m. on the morning of May 30, General Groves receives a message to report to the office of the secretary of war “at once.” Stimson is waiting for him. He wants to know: has Groves selected the targets yet? So begins this suspenseful, impeccably researched history that draws on new access to diaries to tell the story of three men who were intimately involved with America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb—and Japan’s decision to surrender. They are Henry Stimson , the American Secretary of War, who oversaw J. Robert Oppenheimer under the Manhattan Project; Gen. Carl “Tooey” Spaatz , head of strategic bombing in the Pacific, who supervised the planes that dropped the bombs; and Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo , the only one in Emperor Hirohito’s Supreme War Council who believed even before the bombs were dropped that Japan should surrender.   Henry Stimson had served in the administrations of five presidents, but as Oppenheimer’s work progressed, he found himself tasked with the unimaginable decision of determining whether to deploy the bomb. The new president, Harry S. Truman, thus far a peripheral figure in the momentous decision, accepted Stimson’s recommendation to drop the bomb. Army Air Force Commander Gen. Spaatz ordered the planes to take off. Like Stimson, Spaatz agonized over the command even as he recognized it would end the war. After the bombs were dropped, Foreign Minister Togo was finally able to convince the emperor to surrender. To bring these critical events to vivid life, bestselling author Evan Thomas draws on the diaries of Stimson, Togo and Spaatz, contemplating the immense weight of their historic decision. In Road to Surrender, an immersive, surprising, moving account, Thomas lays out the behind-the-scenes thoughts, feelings, motivations, and decision-making of three people who changed history.

5

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky - Garrett M. Graff Cover Art

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky

The Devil Reached Toward the Sky An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb by Garrett M. Graff

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Magisterial…A stunning account that brings to the fore the nuclear saga’s surreal combination of ingenuity, fate, and terror.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) • “If you are an intelligent person, or at the very least think you are, you have to read The Devil Reached Toward the Sky …This period in history has never been more relevant and frightening than it is today.” —James Patterson • “Comprehensive and engrossing…Excellent oral history.” — Kirkus Reviews On the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the Pulitzer Prize finalist whose work is “oral history at its finest” ( Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ) delivers an epic narrative of the atomic bomb’s creation and deployment, woven from the voices of hundreds of scientists, generals, soldiers, and civilians. The building of the atomic bomb is the most audacious undertaking in human history: a rush by a small group of scientists and engineers in complete secrecy to unlock the most fundamental power of the universe. Even today, the Manhattan Project evokes boldness, daring, and the grandest of dreams: bringing an end to World War II in the Pacific. As Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen fight overseas, men and women strive to discover the atom’s secrets in places like Chicago, Berkeley, Oak Ridge, Hanford, and Los Alamos. On August 6, 1945, the world discovers what the end of the war—and the new global age—will look like. The road to the first atomic bomb ends in Hiroshima, Japan, but it begins in Hitler’s Europe, where brilliant physicists are forced to flee fascism and antisemitism—bringing to America their determination to harness atomic power before it falls into the Führer’s arsenal. The Devil Reached Toward the Sky traces the breakthroughs and the breakneck pace of atomic development in the years leading up to 1945, then takes us inside the B-29 bombers carrying Little Boy and Fat Man and finally to ground zero at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff comes a panoramic narrative of how ordinary people grapple with extraordinary wartime risks, sacrifices, and choices that will transform the course of history. Engineers experiment with forces of terrifying power, knowing each passing day costs soldiers’ lives—but fearing too the consequences of their creation. Hundreds of thousands of workers toil around the clock to produce uranium and plutonium in an endeavor so classified that most people involved learn the reality of their effort only when it is announced on the radio by President Truman. The 509th Composite Group trains for a mission whose details are kept a mystery until shortly before takeoff, when the Enola Gay and Bockscar are loaded with bombs the crew has never seen. And the civilians of two Japanese cities that have been spared American attacks—preserved for the sake of judging the bomb’s power—escape their pulverized homes into a greater hellscape. Drawing from dozens of oral history archives and hundreds of books, reports, letters, and diaries, Graff masterfully blends the memories and perspectives from the known and unknown—key figures like J. Robert Oppenheimer, General Leslie Groves, and President Truman; the crews of the B-29 bombers; and the haunting stories of the Hibakusha—the “bomb-affected people.” Both a testament to human ingenuity and resilience and a compelling drama told by the participants who lived it, this book is a singular, profound, and searing work about the inception of our most powerful weapon and its haunting legacy.

6

In Our Image - Stanley Karnow Cover Art

In Our Image

In Our Image America's Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow

“A brilliant, coherent social and political overview spanning three turbulent centuries.”—San Francisco Chronicle   Stanley Karnow won the Pulitzer Prize for this account of America’s imperial experience in the Philippines. In a swiftly paced, brilliantly vivid narrative, Karnow focuses on the relationship that has existed between the two nations since the United States acquired the country from Spain in 1898, examining how we have sought to remake the Philippines “in our image,” an experiment marked from the outset by blundering, ignorance, and mutual misunderstanding.   “Stanley Karnow has written the ultimate book—brilliant, panoramic, engrossing—about American behavior overseas in the twentieth century.” — The Boston Sunday Globe   “A page-turning story and authoritative history.” — The New York Times   “Perhaps the best journalist writing on Asian affairs.” — Newsweek

7

Black Snow - James M. Scott Cover Art

Black Snow

Black Snow Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb by James M. Scott

"Riveting.…This book is required reading for anyone with even a passing interest in World War II and the Pacific Theater." —Bob Carden, Boston Globe Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporizing thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: “If we lose the war, we’ll be tried as war criminals.” James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields, and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight “precision” bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later. Drawing on first-person interviews with American pilots and bombardiers and Japanese survivors, air force archives, and oral histories never before published in English, Scott delivers a harrowing and gripping account, and his most important and compelling work to date.

8

Empires of the Silk Road - Christopher I. Beckwith Cover Art

Empires of the Silk Road

Empires of the Silk Road A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present by Christopher I. Beckwith

The first complete history of Central Eurasia from ancient times to the present day, Empires of the Silk Road represents a fundamental rethinking of the origins, history, and significance of this major world region. Christopher Beckwith describes the rise and fall of the great Central Eurasian empires, including those of the Scythians, Attila the Hun, the Turks and Tibetans, and Genghis Khan and the Mongols. In addition, he explains why the heartland of Central Eurasia led the world economically, scientifically, and artistically for many centuries despite invasions by Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, and others. In retelling the story of the Old World from the perspective of Central Eurasia, Beckwith provides a new understanding of the internal and external dynamics of the Central Eurasian states and shows how their people repeatedly revolutionized Eurasian civilization. Beckwith recounts the Indo-Europeans' migration out of Central Eurasia, their mixture with local peoples, and the resulting development of the Graeco-Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese civilizations; he details the basis for the thriving economy of premodern Central Eurasia, the economy's disintegration following the region's partition by the Chinese and Russians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the damaging of Central Eurasian culture by Modernism; and he discusses the significance for world history of the partial reemergence of Central Eurasian nations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Empires of the Silk Road places Central Eurasia within a world historical framework and demonstrates why the region is central to understanding the history of civilization.

9

Tamil - David Shulman Cover Art

Tamil

Tamil A Biography by David Shulman

Spoken by eighty million people in South Asia and a diaspora that stretches across the globe, Tamil is one of the great world languages, and one of the few ancient languages that survives as a mother tongue for so many speakers. David Shulman presents a comprehensive cultural history of Tamil—language, literature, and civilization—emphasizing how Tamil speakers and poets have understood the unique features of their language over its long history. Impetuous, musical, whimsical, in constant flux, Tamil is a living entity, and this is its biography. Two stories animate Shulman’s narrative. The first concerns the evolution of Tamil’s distinctive modes of speaking, thinking, and singing. The second describes Tamil’s major expressive themes, the stunning poems of love and war known as Sangam poetry, and Tamil’s influence as a shaping force within Hinduism. Shulman tracks Tamil from its earliest traces at the end of the first millennium BCE through the classical period, 850 to 1200 CE, when Tamil-speaking rulers held sway over southern India, and into late-medieval and modern times, including the deeply contentious politics that overshadow Tamil today. Tamil is more than a language, Shulman says. It is a body of knowledge, much of it intrinsic to an ancient culture and sensibility. “Tamil” can mean both “knowing how to love”—in the manner of classical love poetry—and “being a civilized person.” It is thus a kind of grammar, not merely of the language in its spoken and written forms but of the creative potential of its speakers.

10

Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan - Jonathan Manthorpe Cover Art

Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan

Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan by Jonathan Manthorpe

For over 400 years, Taiwan has suffered at the hands of multiple colonial powers, but it has now entered the decade when its independence will be won or lost. At the heart of Taiwan's story is the curse of geography that placed the island on the strategic cusp between the Far East and Southeast Asia and made it the guardian of some of the world's most lucrative trade routes. It is the story of the dogged determination of a courageous people to overcome every obstacle thrown in their path. Forbidden Nation tells the dramatic story of the island, its people, and what brought them to this moment when their future will be decided.

11

How to Live Japanese - Yutaka Yazawa Cover Art

How to Live Japanese

How to Live Japanese by Yutaka Yazawa

A fascinating exploration of all things Japan, including the country's history, culture, customs, and cuisine. Whether it's perfecting the art of forest-bathing— shinrin-yoku —or celebrating imperfections in kintsugi , Japanesse customs have been thriving for centuries alongside modern practices of well-being. In How to Live Japanese , Yutaka Yazawa provides the ultimate insider's guide to the country, full of inspiration and insight to help you experience the very best of Japanese design, cookery, philosophy, and culture. Not only is Tokyo the mother of all metropolises, making it a guiding light for how we can live together amicably in an ever-urbanizing world, but also, with two thirds of the country covered in forest, there is still much respect and celebration of the natural world. From Miyazaki to mountains, sake to sparking joy, find your Zen, discover the joy of ikigai and make time to learn about the land of the rising sun. You'll be all the better for some time spent with How to Live Japanese .

12

Brief History of Japan - Jonathan Clements Cover Art

Brief History of Japan

Brief History of Japan Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun by Jonathan Clements

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two centuries in self-imposed seclusion. First revealed to Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists, and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a harbinger of post-industrial decline. With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests. Among the chapters in this Japanese history book are: The Way of the Gods: Prehistoric and Mythical Japan A Game of Thrones: Minamoto vs. Taira Time Warp: 200 Years of Isolation The Stench of Butter: Restoration and Modernization The New Breed: The Japanese Miracle

13

Vanished - Wil S. Hylton Cover Art

Vanished

Vanished The Sixty-Year Search for the Missing Men of World War II by Wil S. Hylton

From a mesmerizing storyteller, the gripping search for a missing World War II crew, their bomber plane, and their legacy. In the fall of 1944, a massive American bomber carrying eleven men vanished over the Pacific islands of Palau, leaving a trail of mysteries. According to mission reports from the Army Air Forces, the plane crashed in shallow water—but when investigators went to find it, the wreckage wasn’t there. Witnesses saw the crew parachute to safety, yet the airmen were never seen again. Some of their relatives whispered that they had returned to the United States in secret and lived in hiding. But they never explained why. For sixty years, the U.S. government, the children of the missing airmen, and a maverick team of scientists and scuba divers searched the islands for clues. With every clue they found, the mystery only deepened. Now, in a spellbinding narrative, Wil S. Hylton weaves together the true story of the missing men, their final mission, the families they left behind, and the real reason their disappearance remained shrouded in secrecy for so long. This is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and faith—of the undying hope among the families of the missing, and the relentless determination of scientists, explorers, archaeologists, and deep-sea divers to solve one of the enduring mysteries of World War II.

14

The Great Successor - Anna Fifield Cover Art

The Great Successor

The Great Successor The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un by Anna Fifield

The behind-the-scenes story of the rise and reign of the world's strangest and most elusive tyrant, Kim Jong Un, by the journalist with the best connections and insights into the bizarrely dangerous world of North Korea. Since his birth in 1984, Kim Jong Un has been swaddled in myth and propaganda, from the plainly silly -- he could supposedly drive a car at the age of three -- to the grimly bloody stories of family members who perished at his command. Anna Fifield reconstructs Kim's past and present with exclusive access to sources near him and brings her unique understanding to explain the dynastic mission of the Kim family in North Korea. The archaic notion of despotic family rule matches the almost medieval hardship the country has suffered under the Kims. Few people thought that a young, untested, unhealthy, Swiss-educated basketball fanatic could hold together a country that should have fallen apart years ago. But Kim Jong Un has not just survived, he has thrived, abetted by the approval of Donald Trump and diplomacy's weirdest bromance. Skeptical yet insightful, Fifield creates a captivating portrait of the oddest and most secretive political regime in the world -- one that is isolated yet internationally relevant, bankrupt yet in possession of nuclear weapons -- and its ruler, the self-proclaimed Beloved and Respected Leader, Kim Jong Un.

15

Operation Vengeance - Dan Hampton Cover Art

Operation Vengeance

Operation Vengeance The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War II by Dan Hampton

" Operation Vengeance  is colorful, intimate, eye-popping history, delivered at a breakneck pace. I loved it."  –Lynn Vincent The New York Times bestselling author of Viper Pilot delivers an electrifying narrative account of the top-secret U.S. mission to kill Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese commander who masterminded Pearl Harbor. In 1943, the United States military began to plan one of the most dramatic secret missions of World War II. Its code name was Operation Vengeance. Naval Intelligence had intercepted the itinerary of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, whose stealth attack on Pearl Harbor precipitated America’s entry into the war. Harvard-educated, Yamamoto was a close confidant of Emperor Hirohito and a brilliant tactician who epitomized Japanese military might. On April 18th, the U.S. discovered, he would travel to Rabaul in the South Pacific to visit Japanese troops, then fly to the Japanese airfield at Balalale, 400 miles to the southeast. Set into motion, the Americans’ plan was one of the most tactically difficult operations of the war. To avoid detection, U.S. pilots had to embark on a circuitous, 1,000-mile odyssey that would test not only their skills but the physical integrity of their planes. The timing was also crucial: the slightest miscalculation, even by a few minutes—or a delay on the famously punctual Yamamoto’s end—meant the entire plan would collapse, endangering American lives. But if these remarkable pilots succeeded, they could help turn the tide of the war—and greatly boost Allied morale.  Informed by deep archival research and his experience as a decorated combat pilot, Operation Vengeance focuses on the mission’s pilots and recreates the moment-by-moment drama they experienced in the air. Hampton recreates this epic event in thrilling detail, and provides groundbreaking evidence about what really happened that day. Operation Vengeance includes 30 black-and-white images.  This cockpit-level account of the top-secret Yamamoto mission reveals: The P-38 Lightning Pilots: The untold stories of the aviators, including Rex Barber and John Mitchell, who risked everything on a near-suicide mission deep in enemy territory. A High-Stakes Interception: A meticulous recreation of the intelligence breakthrough and daring flight plan for the 1,000-mile mission to find one man in the vast Pacific sky. The Architect of Pearl Harbor: A compelling profile of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the brilliant, Harvard-educated tactician who became America’s most wanted man. WW2 Aviation History: A thrilling narrative informed by the author’s experience as a decorated combat pilot, bringing minute-by-minute aerial combat to life.

16

Tarawa - Robert Sherrod Cover Art

Tarawa

Tarawa The Incredible Story of One of World War II's Bloodiest Battles by Robert Sherrod

In the summer of 1943, at the height of World War II, battles were exploding all throughout the Pacific theater. In mid-November of that year, the United States waged a bloody campaign on Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll, the most heavily fortified Japanese territory in the entire Pacific. They were fighting to wrest control of the island to stage the next big push toward Japan—and one journalist was there to chronicle the horror. Dive into war correspondent Robert Sherrod’s battlefield account as he goes ashore with the assault troops of the U.S. Marines 2nd Marine Division in Tarawa. Follow the story of the U.S. Army 27th Infantry Division as nearly 35,000 troops take on less than 5,000 Japanese defenders in one of the most savage engagements of the war. By the end of the battle, only seventeen Japanese soldiers were still alive. This story, a must for any history buff, tells the ins and outs of life alongside the U.S. Marines in this lesser-known battle of World War II. The battle itself carried on for three days, but Sherrod, a dedicated journalist, remained in Tarawa until the very end, and through his writing, shares every detail.

17

China Marine - E.B. Sledge Cover Art

China Marine

China Marine by E.B. Sledge

From the respected author of one of the best books on World War II combat, comes an equally captivating saga of battle recovery, healing, and homecoming.  China Marine is the long-awaited sequel to E. B. Sledge’s critically acclaimed memoir, With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. Picking up where his previous memoir leaves off, Sledge, a young marine in the First Division, traces his company’s movements and charts his own difficult passage to peace following his horrific experiences in the Pacific. He reflects on his duty in the ancient city of Peiping (now Beijing) and recounts the difficulty of returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and resuming civilian life haunted by the shadows of close combat. Distinguished historians have praised Sledge’s first book as the definitive rifleman’s account of World War II, ranking it with the Civil War’s Red Badge of Courage and World War I’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Although With the Old Breed ends with the surrender of Japan, marines in the Pacific were still faced with the mission of disarming the immense Japanese forces on the Asian mainland and reestablishing order. For infantrymen so long engaged in the savage and surreal world of close combat, there remained the personal tasks of regaining normalcy and dealing with suppressed memories, fears, and guilt.  In China Marine , E. B. Sledge completes his story and provides emotional closure to the searing events detailed in his first memoir. He speaks frankly about the real costs of war, emotional and psychological as well as physical, and explains the lifetime loyalties that develop between men who face fear, loss, and horror together. That bond becomes one of the newfound treasures of life after battle. With his hallmark style of simplicity, directness, and lack of sentimentality, “Sledgehammer” has given us yet another great document of war literature.

18

Cover-Up - Seymour M. Hersh Cover Art

Cover-Up

Cover-Up by Seymour M. Hersh

The Pulitzer Prize winner who first disclosed the massacre at My Lai 4 uncovers the full story of how those involved - from private to general - kept it secret. What he reveals is shocking - from the amorphous but very real "West Point Protective Association" to the fact that an extensive but closed investigation by the Army itself covered up another massacre by the same unit on the same morning.

19

The Shortest History of China - Linda Jaivin Cover Art

The Shortest History of China

The Shortest History of China From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower - A Retelling for Our Times by Linda Jaivin

Journey across epic China—through millennia of early innovation to modern dominance. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. As we enter the “Asian century,” China demands our attention for being an economic powerhouse, a beacon of rapid modernization, and an assertive geopolitical player. To understand the nation behind the headlines, we must take in its vibrant, tumultuous past—a story of “larger-than-life characters, philosophical arguments and political intrigues, military conflicts and social upheavals, artistic invention and technological innovation.” The Shortest History of China charts a path from China’s tribal origins through its storied imperial era and up to the modern Communist Party under Xi Jinping—including the rarely told story of women in China and the specters of corruption and disunity that continue to haunt the People’s Republic today. A master storyteller and exacting historian, Linda Jaivin distills this vast history into a short, riveting account that today’s globally minded readers will find indispensable. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. #1 Bestseller in Student Travel Guides

20

Raiders, Rulers, and Traders - David Chaffetz Cover Art

Raiders, Rulers, and Traders

Raiders, Rulers, and Traders The Horse and the Rise of Empires by David Chaffetz

An Economist Best Book of the Year A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice “A thrilling trip through 2,000 years in the rise of empires.” —Robert Sullivan, New York Times Book Review A captivating history of civilization that reveals the central role of the horse in culture, commerce, and conquest. No animal is so entangled in human history as the horse. The thread starts in prehistory, with a slight, shy animal, hunted for food. Domesticating the horse allowed early humans to settle the vast Eurasian steppe; later, their horses enabled new forms of warfare, encouraged long-distance trade routes, and ended up acquiring deep cultural and religious significance. Over time, horses came to power mighty empires in Iran, Afghanistan, China, India, and, later, Russia. Genghis Khan and the thirteenth-century Mongols offer the most famous example, but from ancient Assyria and Persia, to the seventeenth-century Mughals, to the high noon of colonialism in the early twentieth century, horse breeding was indispensable to conquest and statecraft. Scholar of Asian history David Chaffetz tells the story of how the horse made rulers, raiders, and traders interchangeable, providing a novel explanation for the turbulent history of the “Silk Road,” which might be better called the Horse Road. Drawing on recent research in fields including genetics and forensic archeology, Chaffetz presents a lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization.

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Battle of Peleliu, 1944 - Jim Moran Cover Art

Battle of Peleliu, 1944

Battle of Peleliu, 1944 Three Days That Turned into Three Months by Jim Moran

After the Allies had defeated the Japanese in the Solomons and the Dutch East Indies, the capture of the Philippines became General MacArthur's next objective. For this offensive to succeed, MacArthur felt compelled to secure his eastern flank by seizing control of the Palau Islands, one of which was Peleliu. The task of capturing this island, and the enemy airfield on it, was initially handed to Admiral Nimitz. The Palau Islands, however, formed part of Japan's second defensive line, and Peleliu's garrison amounted to more than 10,000 men. Consequently, when the US preliminary bombardment began on 12 September 1944, it was devastating. For two days the island was pounded relentlessly. Such was the scale of the destruction that the commander of the 1st Marine Division, Major General William H. Rupertus, told his men: 'We're going to have some casualties, but let me assure you this is going to be a fast one, rough but fast. We'll be through in three days – it may only take two.' At 08.32 hours on 15 September 1944, the Marines went ashore. Despite bitter fighting, and a ferocious Japanese defence, by the end of the day the Marines had a firm hold on Peleliu. But rather than Japanese resistance crumbling during the following days as had been expected, it stiffened, as they withdrew to their prepared defensive positions. The woods, swamps, caves and mountains inland had been turned into a veritable fortress – it was there where the real battle for possession of Peleliu was fought. Day after day the Americans battled forward, gradually wresting control of Peleliu from the Japanese. Despite Major General Rupertus' prediction, it was not until 27 November, after two months, one week and five days of appalling fighting, and a final, futile last sacrificial charge by the remaining enemy troops, that the Battle of Peleliu came to an end.

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An Environmental History of India - Michael H. Fisher Cover Art

An Environmental History of India

An Environmental History of India From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century by Michael H. Fisher

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh contain one-fifth of humanity, many biodiversity hotspots, and are among the nations most subject to climatic stresses. By surveying their environmental history, we can gain major insights into the causes and implications of the Indian subcontinent's current conditions. This accessible new survey begins roughly one hundred million years ago, when continental drift moved India from the South Pole and across the Indian Ocean, forming the Himalayan Mountains and creating monsoons. Coverage continues to the twenty-first century, taking readers beyond independence from colonial rule. The new nations of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have produced rising populations and stretched natural resources, even as they became increasingly engaged with climate change. To understand the region's current and future pressing issues, Michael H. Fisher argues that we must engage with the long and complex history of interactions among its people, land, climate, flora, and fauna.

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The Making of the Tunisian Revolution : Contexts, Architects, Prospects - Nouri Gana Cover Art

The Making of the Tunisian Revolution : Contexts, Architects, Prospects

The Making of the Tunisian Revolution : Contexts, Architects, Prospects by Nouri Gana

From late 2010 to the present day, the Arab world has been shot through with insurrection and revolt. As a result, Tunisia is now seen as the unlikely birthplace and exemplar of the process of democratisation long overdue in the Arab world. Mixing political, historical, economic, social and cultural analyses and approaches, these essays reflect on the local, regional and transnational dynamics together with the long and short term factors that, when combined, set in motion the Tunisian revolution and the Arab uprisings. Above all, the book maps the intertwined genealogies of cultural dissent that have contributed to the mobilisation of protesters and to the sustenance of protests between 17 December 2010 and 14 January 2011, and beyond.

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徹底分析 川中島合戦 - 半藤一利 Cover Art

徹底分析 川中島合戦

徹底分析 川中島合戦 by 半藤一利

上杉謙信と武田信玄、戦国時代を代表する二人の名将がぶつかりあった最高の大合戦が、本書の主題の「川中島合戦」である。「義」を信条に戦う上杉に対し、「理」で立ち向かう武田。それぞれの魅力があいまって、真に味のある名勝負を展開している。その根底に流れるのは、それぞれが異なる思想から編み出す戦略であり、戦術であり、用兵でありと、随所に見られる、人間力の発露である。いかに時代が移ろうとも、戦場で戦うのは人間である。それを二人の名将はいかにマネジメントしようとしたのか?本書では、合戦の経過を今日の戦理に照らして分析しつつ、勝者たるための在り方を考える。戦記を得意とする著者の面目躍如たる、異色の歴史読み物である。

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Tales of Old Hong Kong - Derek Sandhaus Cover Art

Tales of Old Hong Kong

Tales of Old Hong Kong by Derek Sandhaus

Pirates, plagues, pistols and poisons; with adventure of all varieties, the third instalment of the popular 'Tales' series is a rollicking journey into colonial Hong Kong. A collection of historical odds and ends - stories, quotations, cartoons, postcards and drawings - recount in thrilling detail how a 'barren rock' seemingly destined to fail rose to become one of the richest trading outposts in Asia.

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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World - Jack Weatherford Cover Art

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The startling true history of how one extraordinary man from a remote corner of the world created an empire that led the world into the modern age—by the author featured in Echoes of the Empire: Beyond Genghis Khan . The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in twenty-five years than the Romans did in four hundred. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization. Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

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Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa Cover Art

Musashi

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa

The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Musashi is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, filial piety and absolute dedication to the Way of the Samurai, it depicts vividly a world Westerners know only vaguely.

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Red Star over China - Edgar Snow Cover Art

Red Star over China

Red Star over China The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism by Edgar Snow

"A historical classic" that brings Mao Tse-tung, the Long March, and the Chinese revolution to vivid life ( Foreign Affairs ).   Journalist Edgar Snow was the first Westerner to meet Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communist leaders in 1936—and out of his up-close experience came this historical account, one of the most important books about the remarkable events that would shape not only the future of Asia, but also the future of the world.   This edition of Red Star Over China includes extensive notes on military and political developments in the country; interviews with Mao himself; a chronology covering 125 years of Chinese history; and nearly a hundred detailed biographies of the men and women who were instrumental in making China what it is today.

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Special Forces Combat Recon Manual - U.S. Special Forces Cover Art

Special Forces Combat Recon Manual

Special Forces Combat Recon Manual (includes original 1970 and 1995 updated versions) by U.S. Special Forces

Project Delta - The Origins of LRRP, Recondo in Vietnam This document collection includes the original 1970 Combat Recon Manual by Project Delta and the 7th Special Forces updated version from 1995, plus a third book on WW2 Jungle Fighting. This is the famous "Tips of the trade" training document outlining tactical doctrine /techniques for special patrolling teams that would search for the enemy and transportation units along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Project DELTA was the first of the four Special reconnaissance (SR) units with a Greek letter formed by the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) during the Vietnam War to collect operational intelligence in remote areas of South Vietnam. Project DELTA was established at Nha Trang in 1964 and consisted of six reconnaissance hunter-killer teams each composed of two United States Special Forces (USSF) and four Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces (LLDB) and later supported by the 91st Ranger battalion. It was designated Detachment B-52, 5th Special Forces Group. DELTA's mission included operational and strategic reconnaissance into long-held Viet Cong areas and the direction of air strikes on them. They were also to conduct bomb damage assessment, conduct small scale reconnaissance and hunter-killer operations, capture and interrogate VC / NVA, tap communications, bug compounds and offices, rescue downed aircrew and prisoners of war, emplace point minefields and other booby traps, conduct psychological operations, and perform counter intelligence operations. They were to focus on base areas and infiltration routes in the border areas.   During its storied history, Project DELTA captured or destroyed numerous major enemy installations and supply routes. It was awarded numerous honors including the Valorous Unit Award, RVN Cross of Gallantry, RVN Civil Actions Honor Medal (PC) and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. Project DELTA was deactivated in June of 1970. The successful Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) training program was originally established by Detachment B-52 of the 5th Special Forces Group (Project Delta). The Project Delta course was first established in May 1964 and would eventually evolve into the famous Vietnam RECONDO school. BONUS book: This ebook collection also contains a historical report on Jungle Warfare, written in 1942 just months into the Guadalcanal campaign during World War II. Via interviews with front lines Marines and Army soldiers it goes into great details of how the Japanese fought, weapons and tactical reports with specifics on what worked and what didn't. This no holds-barred feedback help U.S. military adapt and supply what our troops needed to succeed in the jungle of the Pacific war. Of note are comments from a one, Lt. Col. L.B. Puller, the legendary 'Chesty' Puller of Marine Corp fame to this very day. Keywords: jungle,reconnaissance,patrolling,infiltration,scouting,tactics,vietnam,warfare, recon, Guadalcanal

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BUSHIDO - Inazo Nitobe Cover Art

BUSHIDO

BUSHIDO The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe

'Bushido' translates literally as 'the way of the warrior', and is the Japanese word used to describe the ancient code of the Samurai. It is a complex and chivalric code of behavior that prizes loyalty and honor above all, but also champions the qualities of dedication, frugality, and mastery of martial arts.  Inazo Nitobe eloquently investigates and explains the foundations of Japan's feudal system, recording and codifying this ancient system of ethics.  Nitobe's approach has a vast scope, taking in traditions from Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and the philosophies of various independent samurai thinkers. This is a crucial book for anyone interested in the world of the Japanese Samurai.  This work has been specifically designed for e-readers and contains color images and an interactive scrollable table of contents for ease of navigation.

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The Rising Sun - John Toland Cover Art

The Rising Sun

The Rising Sun The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 by John Toland

“[ The Rising Sun ] is quite possibly the most readable, yet informative account of the Pacific war.”— Chicago Sun-Times This Pulitzer Prize–winning history of World War II chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of the Japanese empire, from the invasion of Manchuria and China to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Told from the Japanese perspective, The Rising Sun is, in the author’s words, “a factual saga of people caught up in the flood of the most overwhelming war of mankind, told as it happened—muddled, ennobling, disgraceful, frustrating, full of paradox.” In weaving together the historical facts and human drama leading up to and culminating in the war in the Pacific, Toland crafts a riveting and unbiased narrative history. In his Foreword, Toland says that if we are to draw any conclusion from The Rising Sun , it is “that there are no simple lessons in history, that it is human nature that repeats itself, not history.” “Unbelievably rich . . . readable and exciting . . .The best parts of [Toland’s] book are not the battle scenes but the intimate view he gives of the highest reaches of Tokyo politics.”— Newsweek

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China - John Keay Cover Art

China

China A History by John Keay

An authoritative and “exquisitely written” ( Guardian ) account of five thousand years of Chinese history Many nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. Taking into account the country's unrivaled, voluminous tradition of history writing, John Keay has composed a vital and illuminating overview of the nation's complex and vivid past. Keay's authoritative history examines 5,000 years in China, from the time of the Three Dynasties through Chairman Mao and the recent economic transformation of the country. Crisp, judicious, and engaging, China is the classic single-volume history for anyone seeking to understand the present and future of this immensely powerful nation.

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The Way of the Samurai - Miyamoto Musashi, Yamamoto Tsunetomo & Inazo Nitobe Cover Art

The Way of the Samurai

The Way of the Samurai The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: Book of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Miyamoto Musashi, Yamamoto Tsunetomo & Inazo Nitobe

Presented here in one volume are three of the seminal texts relating to the Japanese 'Way of the Samurai', essential reading for anyone interested in the Samurai culture of Japan. 'Go Rin No Sho', or 'The Book of Five Rings' is a famous text written by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in 1645, concerning Martial Arts, in particular Kenjitsu and the art of Zen. Miyamoto Musashi uses language that is as sharp and decisive as his sword - delivering in unfaltering steps the most direct path towards the objective - to cut down your opponent and emerge unscathed and victorious. 'Hagakure' provides a peerless view into the mindset and morality of the Japanese Samurai. Written by the Samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo in the early 18th Century, the text illustrates the concept of 'Bushido'. 'Bushido' translates literally as 'the way of the warrior', and is the Japanese word used to describe the ancient code of the Samurai. It is a complex and chivalric code of behavior that prizes loyalty and honor above all, but also champions the qualities of dedication, frugality, and mastery of martial arts. Fundamental to 'the Way of the Warrior', is the concept of a 'good death'.   Tsunetomo urges his Samurai readers to assume themselves already dead, to completely remove the fear of death, giving them the freedom to act rapidly and decisively, regardless of whether the actions might result in their own demise. The three books in this volume have been beautifully arranged with color images and an interactive table of contents for ease of navigation.

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Judgment at Tokyo - Gary J. Bass Cover Art

Judgment at Tokyo

Judgment at Tokyo World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia by Gary J. Bass

WINNER OF THE ARTHUR ROSS BOOK AWARD FROM THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS • ACCLAIMED AS ONE OF THE YEAR’S 10 BEST BOOKS BY THE WASHINGTON POST • 12 ESSENTIAL NONFICTION BOOKS BY THE NEW YORKER • 100 NOTABLE BOOKS BY THE NEW YORK TIMES • BEST BOOKS BY THE ECONOMIST , FOREIGN AFFAIRS , THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, AND AIR MAIL • 10 ESSENTIAL BOOKS BY THE TELEGRAPH • MARK LYNTON HISTORY PRIZE FINALIST • CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE FINALIST • BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE LONGLIST • THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • THE OBSERVER AND THE SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK • DAUNT BOOKS OF THE YEAR • A landmark, magisterial history of the trial of Japan’s leaders as war criminals—the largely overlooked Asian counterpart to Nuremberg “Nothing less than a masterpiece. With epic research and mesmerizing narrative power, Judgment at Tokyo has the makings of an instant classic.” —Evan Osnos, National Book Award–winning author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China In the weeks after Japan finally surrendered to the Allies to end World War II, the world turned to the question of how to move on from years of carnage and destruction. For Harry Truman, Douglas MacArthur, Chiang Kai-shek, and their fellow victors, the question of justice seemed clear: Japan’s militaristic leaders needed to be tried and punished for the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor; shocking atrocities against civilians in China, the Philippines, and elsewhere; and rampant abuses of prisoners of war in notorious incidents such as the Bataan death march. For the Allied powers, the trial was an opportunity to render judgment on their vanquished foes, but also to create a legal framework to prosecute war crimes and prohibit the use of aggressive war, building a more peaceful world under international law and American hegemony. For the Japanese leaders on trial, it was their chance to argue that their war had been waged to liberate Asia from Western imperialism and that the court was victors’ justice. For more than two years, lawyers for both sides presented their cases before a panel of clashing judges from China, India, the Philippines, and Australia, as well as the United States and European powers. The testimony ran from horrific accounts of brutality and the secret plans to attack Pearl Harbor to the Japanese military’s threats to subvert the government if it sued for peace. Yet rather than clarity and unanimity, the trial brought complexity, dissents, and divisions that provoke international discord between China, Japan, and Korea to this day. Those courtroom tensions and contradictions could also be seen playing out across Asia as the trial unfolded in the crucial early years of the Cold War, from China’s descent into civil war to Japan’s successful postwar democratic elections to India’s independence and partition. From the author of the acclaimed The Blood Telegram, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, this magnificent history is the product of a decade of research and writing. Judgment at Tokyo is a riveting story of wartime action, dramatic courtroom battles, and the epic formative years that set the stage for the Asian postwar era.

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Rampage - James M. Scott Cover Art

Rampage

Rampage MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila by James M. Scott

“Illuminating.… An eloquent testament to a doomed city and its people.” —The Wall Street Journal In early 1945, General Douglas MacArthur prepared to reclaim Manila, America’s Pearl of the Orient, which had been seized by the Japanese in 1942. Convinced the Japanese would abandon the city, he planned a victory parade down Dewey Boulevard—but the enemy had other plans. The Japanese were determined to fight to the death. The battle to liberate Manila resulted in the catastrophic destruction of the city and a rampage by Japanese forces that brutalized the civilian population, resulting in a massacre as horrific as the Rape of Nanking. Drawing from war-crimes testimony, after-action reports, and survivor interviews, Rampage recounts one of the most heartbreaking chapters of Pacific War history.

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U.S.S. Seawolf: Submarine Raider of the Pacific - Gerold Frank, James D. Horan & J. M. Eckberg Cover Art

U.S.S. Seawolf: Submarine Raider of the Pacific

U.S.S. Seawolf: Submarine Raider of the Pacific by Gerold Frank, James D. Horan & J. M. Eckberg

U.S.S. Seawolf is the story of one of the Navy's most successful submarine's operating in the Pacific during World War II. Told from the viewpoint of Chief Radioman Joseph Eckberg, The Wolf's adventures are related with a gripping realism... the heat, sweat, depth-charge attacks are all portrayed in vivid detail.

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The Theogony of Hesiod - Hesiod Cover Art

The Theogony of Hesiod

The Theogony of Hesiod by Hesiod

The “Theogony” is essentially a large-scale synthesis of a vast variety of local Greek traditions concerning the gods and the universe, organized as a narrative that tells about the creation of the world out of Chaos and about the gods that shaped the cosmos. To some extent, it represents the Greek mythology equivalent of the book of Genesis in the Hebrew and Christian "Bible", as it lists the early generations and genealogy of the gods, titans and heroes since the beginning of the universe. Interestingly, Hesiod claims in the work that he (a poet, and not some mighty king) had been given the authority and responsibility of disseminating these stories by the Muses directly, thus putting himself almost in the position of a prophet. In formal terms, the poem is presented as a hymn in 1,022 lines invoking Zeus and the Muses, in the tradition of the hymnic preludes with which an ancient Greek rhapsode would begin his performance at poetic competitions. The final written form of the “Theogony” was probably not established until the 6th Century BCE, however, and some editors have concluded that a few minor episodes, such as the Typhoeus episode in verses 820-880, is an interpolation (a passage introduced later). It should perhaps be seen not a definitive source of Greek mythology, but rather as a snapshot of a dynamic tradition of myths as it stood at that particular time. Greek mythology continued to change and adapt after this time, and some of the stories and attributes of the various gods have likewise transformed over time.

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The Complete Guide to Bushido: The Samurai Code of Honor - Samurai Code Cover Art

The Complete Guide to Bushido: The Samurai Code of Honor

The Complete Guide to Bushido: The Samurai Code of Honor by Samurai Code

In the rich tapestry of Japan's history, the samurai emerge as figures of immense discipline, valor, and honor. These elite warriors, who once served as the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan, have left an indelible mark on the world with their profound principles and way of life. Central to their existence was Bushido, the ethical code of conduct that not only defined their actions on the battlefield but also shaped their everyday lives. This "Way of the Warrior" encompasses virtues such as loyalty, courage, and honor, principles that continue to resonate with people across the globe, even in the modern era. Bushido, which literally translates to "the way of the warrior," guided samurai in both their martial pursuits and personal conduct. It was an unwritten code, an intrinsic part of the samurai's being, passed down through generations. This code emphasized virtues like righteousness, bravery, and respect, ensuring that a samurai's life was lived with purpose and integrity. More than just a set of rules for combat, Bushido was a comprehensive philosophy that influenced various aspects of culture and art, from calligraphy and tea ceremonies to the disciplined practice of martial arts. In today's fast-paced and often tumultuous world, the principles of Bushido still offer valuable lessons on living a life of honor, discipline, and ethical conduct. Its emphasis on loyalty, respect, and perseverance can inspire individuals to lead more fulfilling lives, make morally sound decisions, and maintain integrity in the face of challenges. As we delve into the complete guide of Bushido, we explore not only the historical context and core tenets of this revered code but also its enduring relevance in contemporary society. Join us on this journey to uncover the timeless wisdom of the samurai and the ways in which the spirit of Bushido can illuminate our paths today.

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The Comfort Women - George Hicks Cover Art

The Comfort Women

The Comfort Women by George Hicks

"The most extensive record available in English of the ugly story."—Elisabeth Rubinfein, New York Newsday Over 100,000 women across Asia were victims of enforced prostitution by the Japanese Imperial Forces during World War II. Until as recently as 1993 the Japanese government continued to deny this shameful aspect of its wartime history. George Hicks's book is the only history in English regarding this terrible enslavement of women.

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Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism - Robert Jay Lifton Cover Art

Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism

Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism A Study of 'brainwashing' in China by Robert Jay Lifton

Informed by Erik Erikson’s concept of the formation of ego identity, this book, which first appreared in 1961, is an analysis of the experiences of fifteen Chinese citizens and twenty-five Westerners who underwent “brainwashing” by the Communist Chinese government. Robert Lifton constructs these case histories through personal interviews and outlines a thematic pattern of death and rebirth, accompanied by feelings of guilt, that characterizes the process of “thought reform.” In a new preface, Lifton addresses the implications of his model for the study of American religious cults.

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The Shortest History of China - Linda Jaivin Cover Art

The Shortest History of China

The Shortest History of China by Linda Jaivin

From kung-fu to tofu, tea to trade routes, sages to silk, China has influenced cuisine, commerce, military strategy, aesthetics and philosophy across the world for thousands of years.Chinese history is nothing if not messy. Heroes are also villains; prosperity mingles with violence; cultural vibrancy coexists with censorship and repression. Modern China is seen variously as an economic powerhouse, an icon of urbanisation, a propaganda state and an aggressive superpower seeking world domination.Jaivin distils this vast history into a sparkling narrative, from mythical origins to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a story in which China's women, from the earliest warriors to 20th-century suffragettes, receive long overdue attention.As historical spectres of corruption and disunity continue to haunt the People's Republic, Jaivin discusses what may lie ahead – not just for China but for the world.

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The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Illustrated) - Sun Tzu Cover Art

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Illustrated)

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Illustrated) by Sun Tzu

A military strategist and general of the fifth or sixth century BC, Sun Tzu served the state of Wu near the end of the Spring and Autumn period. He is traditionally ascribed as the author of ‘The Art of War’, a systematic guide to strategy and tactics for rulers and commanders. The book discusses various manoeuvres and the effect of terrain on the outcome of battles. It stresses the importance of accurate information about the enemy’s forces, dispositions and deployments and movements. The treatise’s insistence on the close relationship between political considerations and military policy went to inform the thinking of politicians, generals and noted leaders across the world. Delphi’s Eastern Treasures Series provides eReaders with rare and precious works of Middle-Eastern and Asian literature, featuring prominent works of history, fiction, religion and philosophy, complemented with the original texts. This eBook presents Sun Tzu’s complete works, with illustrations, a concise introduction, multiple translations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Sun Tzu and ‘The Art of War’ * Features the complete extant text, in both English translation and the Traditional Chinese text * Multiple English translations * Concise introduction to the work * Excellent formatting of the texts * Easily locate the sections you want to read with individual contents tables * Includes Giles’ extensive annotations, with hyperlinked endnotes * Provides a special dual English and Traditional Chinese text, allowing readers to compare the sections paragraph by paragraph — ideal for students * Features a bonus ‘Resources’ section — discover Sun Tzu’s ancient world CONTENTS: The Translations Brief Introduction to ‘The Art of War’ Ferguson Calthrop Translation, 1905 Lionel Giles Translation, 1910 Lionel Giles Translation (Simplified Text) The Original Text Contents of the Traditional Chinese Text The Dual Text Dual Traditional Chinese and English Text The Resources A History of Chinese Literature (1901) by Herbert Allen Giles Sun Wu and His Book (1910) by Lionel Giles

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The Crown and the Capitalists - Wasana Wongsurawat Cover Art

The Crown and the Capitalists

The Crown and the Capitalists The Ethnic Chinese and the Founding of the Thai Nation by Wasana Wongsurawat

Despite competing with much larger imperialist neighbors in Southeast Asia, the Kingdom of Thailand—or Siam, as it was formerly known—has succeeded in transforming itself into a rival modern nation-state over the last two centuries. Recent historiography has placed progress—or lack thereof—toward Western-style liberal democracy at the center of Thailand’s narrative, but that view underestimates the importance of the colonial context. In particular, a long-standing relationship with China and the existence of a large and important Chinese diaspora within Thailand have shaped development at every stage. As the emerging nation struggled against colonial forces in Southeast Asia, ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs were neither a colonial force against whom Thainess was identified, nor had they been able to fully assimilate into Thai society. Wasana Wongsurawat demonstrates that the Kingdom of Thailand’s transformation into a modern nation-state required the creation of a national identity that justified not only the hegemonic rule of monarchy but also the involvement of the ethnic Chinese entrepreneurial class upon whom it depended. Her revisionist view traces the evolution of this codependent relationship through the twentieth century, as Thailand struggled against colonial forces in Southeast Asia, found itself an ally of Japan in World War II, and reconsidered its relationship with China in the postwar era.

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The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan's National Shame - Katsuichi Honda, Frank Gibney & Karen Sandness Cover Art

The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan's National Shame

The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan's National Shame A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan's National Shame by Katsuichi Honda, Frank Gibney & Karen Sandness

This book is based on four visits to China between 1971 and 1989 by Honda Katsuichi, an investigative journalist for Asahi Shimbun. His aim is to show in pitiless detail the horrors of the Japanese Army's seizure and capture of Nanjing in December 1937. Unvarnished accounts of the testimony - Chinese victims and Japanese perpetrators - to the rape and slaughter are juxtaposed with public relations announcements of the Japanese Army as printed in various Japanese newspapers of the time. The bland announcements of triumphant victories stand in bitter contrast to the atrocities that actually took place on the scene. The story unfolds with horrible detail as we watch the triumphant progress of the Japanese army whose troops were bent on rape and killing in the so-called "heat of battle." Yet by recalling the testimony of Japanese soldiers and reporters who were on the scene, as well as reproducing dispatches by Japanese Army authorities at the time, Honda makes it clear that the atrocities were part of a studied effort directed by the Japanese high command to impress the Chinese people with the power of its army and the folly of resistance to it - the estimate of 300,000 killed in these "military operations" is no exaggeratoin. Honda has worked with other Japanese journalists and scholars who have attempted to reveal the truth of the Nanjing massacre, provoked by the efforts of right-wing Japanese, including, sadly, many government officials, to whitewash the whole incident, even to the point of contending that a "massacre" never happened. This gripping account of the atrocities and cover-up joins other exposes - Chinese and now German - in keeping alive the memory of this shameful event.

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The Qing Dynasty: A History of China - Hui Wang Cover Art

The Qing Dynasty: A History of China

The Qing Dynasty: A History of China by Hui Wang

The Qing Dynasty: A History of China, PART TWO , sweeps you into a vivid journey through the rise and rule of China's last imperial dynasty. This book doesn't merely catalogue emperors and battles — it breathes life into them. You will stand beside Prince Yinzhen, who emerged victorious from a bitter and contentious succession struggle to become the Yongzheng Emperor, and watch him set about rebuilding an exhausted realm with stern discipline and bold reform. You'll feel the taut atmosphere of the Kangxi court as his long reign approaches its end, when every prince and minister has something to lose—or to gain. As the story unfolds, the stage fills with unforgettable figures. Nian Gengyao, the brilliant general whose battlefield triumphs could not save him from falling out of favor; Longkodo, a power broker whose reach ran deep and dangerous; Prince Yinxiang, loyal to the core, who helped Yongzheng turn ambitious policies into concrete action. Civil servants such as Li Wei, Tian Wenjing, and Ortai became the backbone of a reformed administration, while Zhang Tingyu gave a lifetime of faithful service across three reigns. Their fates intertwine as the Grand Council — the secret heart of imperial power — begins to take shape. Then comes Emperor Qianlong, whose reign unfolds across decades of triumph and contradiction. You'll follow him from those dazzling early years into the sweep of his great campaigns — the annihilation of the Dzungar Khanate and the forging of Xinjiang, the brutal Jinchuan wars in the rugged Sichuan highlands, and the grinding, costly campaigns against Burma that relentlessly tested the empire's mettle. The narrative reaches one of its starkest crescendos with the Annam expedition (1788–89), the Qing intervention in northern Vietnam that marched under the banners of General Fuk'anggan — where glory and disaster often walked side by side. Through these lives and campaigns, the story exposes how ambition, loyalty, and power shaped the Qing world. Behind every celebrated victory there is a toll to be paid — and behind every reform, a quiet human cost. From palace intrigue and court maneuvering to bloody fields on the frontier, you'll see an empire at once dazzling and fragile, held together by the wills of men who believed they ruled under Heaven's gaze. Written with the care of a storyteller and the depth of a historian, This book draws you into the Forbidden City, lets you ride with the banner armies into battle, and introduces the people who forged — and, in time, unmade — an empire. If you love real history told with heart and clarity, the journey through the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong will linger long after the last page is turned.

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Plantation Worlds - Maan Barua Cover Art

Plantation Worlds

Plantation Worlds by Maan Barua

In Plantation Worlds , Maan Barua interrogates debates on planetary transformations through the histories and ecologies of plantations. Drawing on long-term research spanning fifteen years, Barua presents a unique ethnography attentive to the lives of both people and elephants amid tea plantations in the Indian state of Assam. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, nearly three million people were brought in to Assam’s plantations to work under conditions of indenture. Plantations dramatically altered the region’s landscape, plundered resources, and created fraught worlds for elephants and people. Their extractive logics and colonial legacies prevail as durations, forging the ambit of infrastructures, labor, habitability, and conservation in the present. And yet, as the perspectives of the Adivasi plantation worker community and lifeworlds of elephants show, possibilities for enacting a decolonial imaginary of landscape remain present amid immiseration. From the margins of the Global South, Barua offers an alternative grammar for articulating environmental change. In so doing, he prompts a rethinking of multispecies ecologies and how they are structured by colonialism and race.

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The Fall of Japan - William J. Craig Cover Art

The Fall of Japan

The Fall of Japan The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific by William J. Craig

New York Times Bestseller: A "virtually faultless" account of the last weeks of WWII in the Pacific from both Japanese and American perspectives ( The New York Times Book Review ). By midsummer 1945, Japan had long since lost the war in the Pacific. The people were not told the truth, and neither was the emperor. Japanese generals, admirals, and statesmen knew, but only a handful of leaders were willing to accept defeat. Most were bent on fighting the Allies until the last Japanese soldier died and the last city burned to the ground.   Exhaustively researched and vividly told, The Fall of Japan masterfully chronicles the dramatic events that brought an end to the Pacific War and forced a once-mighty military nation to surrender unconditionally.   From the ferocious fighting on Okinawa to the all-but-impossible mission to drop the 2nd atom bomb, and from Franklin D. Roosevelt's White House to the Tokyo bunker where tearful Japanese leaders first told the emperor the truth, William Craig captures the pivotal events of the war with spellbinding authority. The Fall of Japan brings to life both celebrated and lesser-known historical figures, including Admiral Takijiro Onishi, the brash commander who drew up the Yamamoto plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor and inspired the death cult of kamikaze pilots., This astonishing account ranks alongside Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day and John Toland's The Rising Sun as a masterpiece of World War II history.

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Autocrats vs. Democrats - Michael McFaul Cover Art

Autocrats vs. Democrats

Autocrats vs. Democrats China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul

"A history, an analysis, and a set of prescriptions for the greatest geopolitical challenge of our time: the threat to the democratic world posed by China and Russia." —Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc. "A monumental account of contemporary geopolitics"—Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents From New York Times bestselling author and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul comes a bold, clear-eyed look at how the autocracies of China and Russia are challenging the current liberal international order, and how America’s future depends on successfully confronting this threat. The rise of China, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the reelection of President Donald Trump have reinforced a gloomy yet growing consensus: the old global order has ended, and a new Cold War has begun. And yet, many of the perils we face today are distinctly different from those we encountered from the Soviet Union. The alliance between the autocracies of China and Russia, China’s economic might, the rise of the far right in the United States and Europe, and the disturbing isolationist foreign policy shifts of the Trump administration—taken together represent new challenges for the democratic world. They are threats with no precedent in the past century. In this sweeping account of great power competition between the United States, China, and Russia over the past three centuries, Michael McFaul—former ambassador to Russia and international affairs analyst for NBC News —argues persuasively that today’s challenges require fresh thinking, not constrained by distant memories of the Cold War or the nationalist dreams of MAGA. One of the preeminent thinkers on American foreign policy for decades, McFaul combines in-depth historical analysis with a forward-looking perspective, crafting a new American grand strategy for this age of global disorder. Acknowledging how Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia, and Trump’s America are upending the current international system, Autocrats vs. Democrats makes the case against America’s retreat from the world, detailing why: Russia’s disruptive ambitions should not be underestimated.China’s capabilities should not be overestimated.Trump’s shift toward isolationism and autocracy will weaken America’s place in the world. At once a clarion call for American diplomacy and a forceful rebuttal of the Trump administration’s policies, Autocrats vs. Democrats provides a nuanced assessment of the China and Russia threats, as well as a bold vision for renewing America’s leadership on the world stage.

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Formosa Betrayed - George H. Kerr Cover Art

Formosa Betrayed

Formosa Betrayed by George H. Kerr

Formosa Betrayed is a detailed, impassioned account of Chinese Nationalist (KMT) misrule that remains the most important English-language book ever written about Taiwan. Author George H. Kerr lived in Taiwan in the late 1930s, when the island was a colony of Japan. During the war, he worked for the U.S. Navy as a Taiwan expert. From 1945 to 1947, Kerr served as vice consul of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Taipei, where he was an eyewitness to the February 28 Massacre and the subsequent mass arrests and executions. As well as chronicling KMT repression during the early years of the White Terror, Kerr documents widespread corruption, showing how the island was systematically looted. The “betrayed” in the title refers not only to the crushing disappointment Taiwanese felt when they realized KMT rule was worse than that of the Japanese but also to the culpability of the American government. The United States was in large part responsible for handing Taiwan over to the Nationalists and helping them maintain their grip on power.  Formosa Betrayed has served as a foundational text for generations of Taiwanese democracy and independence activists. It had an explosive effect among overseas Taiwanese students; for many, the book was their first encounter in print with their country’s dark, forbidden history. A 1974 Chinese-language translation increased its impact still more. It is a powerful classic that has withstood the test of time, a must-read book that will change the way you look at Taiwan.

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In Mortal Combat - John Toland Cover Art

In Mortal Combat

In Mortal Combat Korea, 1950–1953 by John Toland

A history of the Korean War with soldier's-eye views from both sides, by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Rising Sun and Infamy .  Pulitzer Prize–winning author John Toland reports on the Korean War in a revolutionary way in this thoroughly researched and riveting book. Toland pored over military archives and was the first person to gain access to previously undisclosed Chinese records, which allowed him to investigate Chairman Mao's direct involvement in the conflict. Toland supplements his captivating history with in-depth interviews with more than two hundred American soldiers, as well as North Korean, South Korean, and Chinese combatants, plus dozens of poignant photographs, bringing those who fought to vivid life and honoring the memory of those lost.   In Mortal Combat is comprehensive in it discussion of events deemed controversial, such as American brutality against Korean civilians and allegations of American use of biological warfare. Toland tells the dramatic account of the Korean War from start to finish, from the appalling experience of its POWs to Mao's prediction of MacArthur's Inchon invasion.   Toland's account of the "forgotten war" is a must-read for any history aficionado.

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