Asia Books

This book is a great addition to any elementary classroom. It is visually beautiful and a great introduction to poetry. It can also be used in art class (I use it for poetry and art) as well as a book rich with Chinese culture.

There are really no words but the text itself to describe this poetry. A wonderful way to introduce children to poetic innovation and convention all at once. Took me outside myself.

The book is designed in such a unique way that the graduated lengths of the pages enable readers
to read the entire poem from the title page. Enchanting. Children and adults are fascinated by the
composition of pictures that form a single word (or character). When they exclaimed, "Wow! These
words are so different from English." I couldn't help but add to the beautiful words of the Author
and said, "Be open to difference, Difference helps us see beauty."

The design of the book is extremely creative and artistic. The pictorial language of Chinese, besides its beauty, is thought provoking. It makes children think with imagination and ask to learn more. When a book stimulates curiosity, it translates to search for knowledge, and results in growth. It's a wonderful thing.

Rev. Marie of Rebeccasreads highly recommends BEYOND THE GREAT MOUNTAIN as Caldecott Medal winner author & artist Ed Young offers a book that will enchant adults & children alike as it transports you on a journey of words & art, to a strange & wondrous land far, far way in both time & place.

Unique & very different fare for parents & children.

Congratulations to John Wehrheim and the publisher to this book. Black and white photography is very rare in the field of illustrated books from exotic countries nowadays. You feel on every page how close John was to the people and how he loves them. Great portraits are accompanied by fantastic landscape photographs. John not only is an excellent photograper. He is a very good writer too, a rare combination. I hardly can remember when I read the text in a photographic book from the first line to the last one. John's humour and knowledge made the reading a great fun! My own travels to the places John visited became present as if they would have happened yesterday. It is the best book on Bhutan I ever had in my hand!

"The portraits are as wonderful as the words and the people are so
beautiful. They definitely loved posing and being photographed. I hold
off reading BHUTAN until the end of the day when I need and want a
mental boost and not once has 'Hiddens Lands of Happiness' failed."
- Woodfin Camp

As a print media professional in Europe for 20 years, I must say that I've not encountered another book quite like this - great stories, great pictures, great energy. It feels like a full-fledged travel narration - an illustrated story - rather than a photography book with explanatory text. The way the author leads the readers into a personal experience of the theme, is truly captivating.
Given the quantity an importance of the text I would have preferred block set with serif fonts - always better for reading stories because this is a full fledged travel and cultural narrative in the style of Paul Theroux and not merely a coffee table "picture book". Literary quotes need to appear "loose" and work well left-justified. The lack of page numbering for the introduction, which is long and full of narrative, appears somewhat confusing since the layout is the same as in all the chapters.
But truly, this is a beautiful book. I enjoyed the stories and the insights into Bhutan's culture as well as the brilliant photographs - many of them have stayed in my mind ever since I first saw them.
Congratulations to John Wehrheim and Serindia for a great and original work of art.

There is something qualitatively different about the happiness depicted in this book. The people of Bhutan have a quiet, bemused look about them that is so different from the forced, frenetic smiles we see in photographs of ourselves in the west.

We see their rustic dwellings and simple clothes and think of them as backward, yet their peaceful countenances speak of values different from our own. While they're satisfied with taking care of their basic needs, we clamor incessantly for more.

I was so initially taken by John Wehrheim's photographs of the Bhutanese that I couldn't wait to discover what he had written about the culture. His telling character sketches whetted my appetite for a deeper understanding of the Buddhist way of life.

With a book so beautifully packaged, the danger is to judge it as mere travelogue, memoir, or coffee table bric-a-brac. Rather, it is an opening on a true Shangri-La culture that points in its simplicity to missing aspects of our western way of life.

John's window into another culture, his new book entitled Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness, is bright and clear. His book is filled with marvelous stories of his travels and the legends and history of this amazing country. His exquisite photographs look through the lens into the very soul of a traditional Tantric Buddhist culture and its remarkable people.

His stories are filled with great humor and portray the Bhutanese people - of all ages and stations in life, from a child to a Senior Abbot and the soon-to-be King - as playful, respectful and devoted to their culture. I've followed his work for more than thirty years, and this book - together with his new film "BHUTAN -- Taking The Middle Path To Happiness" - make a bright and welcome package into a world "where happiness is the guiding principle of government. Imagine a people who see all life as sacred and the source of their happiness, a place with an abundance of clean and renewable energy, a nation committed to preserving its culture. Imagine a Kingdom where the King lives in a simple wooden cottage and judges his progress by the country's `Gross National Happiness.'"

John Wehrheim's book "Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness" is marvelous!

I read this book when I was 19, and I still remember it vividly. It tells you about China's Cultural Revolution from the perspective of a Chinese young man. The author writes about his experiences as a witness, a perpetrator and ultimately a victim of those crazy times. He doesn't gloss over his own crimes, everything appears vivid and touchable, like you were there at the time. His fight with his father, destroying 1000-year old temples, humiliating their teachers and being humiliated themselves. Ultimately it leaves you with a sense of bitterness of the story not continuing and glad that most things have changed for the better in China. Get this book for a firsthand account of the Cultural Revolution from a perpetrator who has redeemed himself by writing about his experiences.

Gao does a wonderful job in writing a really engrossing memoir of his experiences during the Cultural Revolution. His is a story that should be told.

I was a bit surprised by other reviewers who saw this book as evidence of the stereotypical "easily-brainwashed Chinese." Such generalizations feed an overly simplistic view of history - if you read this (and other books on the Cultural Revolution) without attempting to project preconceived notions onto the characters, I think you'll find that Gao and his friends had their own reasons for their actions, and the story will seem much more rich for it.

Two things have always amazed me in people's attitudes toward dictatorships: (1) The lengths to which supporters, particularly intellectuals, of the ideology (usually state socialism) go to refute, ignore, explain or justify the brutalities occurring under those regimes. (2) Once sanity has returned, there is an utter lack of apology, self-criticism and recognition of support for such evil.

Unlike Germany, neither China nor Russia have been particularly singled out by the culturally elite, despite the recognition that both nations behaved abhorantly toward the academic and intellectual community. This was nowhere more true than in the "People's Republic". How is it possible for such an ancient culture to descend into madness on such a grand scale? But in a hermetically enclosed place and with an ideology that promoted irrationality people, and particularly youth, can be manipulated into performing awful deeds.

Yuan Gao was away at school and was swept up in a fervor that gripped a nation far worse than any religious trauma. China was turned into a nation in which every citizen was suspect unless they participated fully in the madness itself. It was something so horrible and so unbelievable that even today the subject is rarely broached. The human cost of communism is a subject that should receive more attention (but hasn't) and this story, as terrible and heart-breaking as it is, should help this lack of focus.

In the end, he did escape the madness but the horrors of those times will remain with him - and CHina - forever. It is only slowly that Mao has been transformed from a god into something approaching his true, unstable self.

Here Gao Yuan provides a personal account of the political insanity of China's Cultural Revolution, which he was swept up into as a teenager. Chairman Mao's instructions to the youths of the countryside to ferret out those who weren't "revolutionary" or "pure" enough quickly lead to the real-life "Lord of the Flies" scenario that we can see in this book. Now I'm certainly no expert on Chinese history, but Mao's attempt to lead the people to a glorious revolution through the elimination of so-called enemies hardly made the population stronger and ready to move forward to his glorious communist future. This would require teamwork and cooperation among all people. Instead the Cultural Revolution made everyone suspicious of everyone else, as people were desperate to prove how righteous they were by ferreting out class enemies. If you couldn't find any enemies, you just made them up. Whoever was the loudest and most violent won the battle, and proof went out the window.

Gao Yuan was swept up in this insanity, and in the beginning of his narrative he enjoyed proving his revolutionary zeal by "outing" the teachers at his school who supposedly were not righteous or revolutionary enough, and participated in destroying many of their careers. But Gao stopped having so much fun when the lives of his friends, his family, and finally himself were destroyed. Instead of the unified force of revolutionary youth that Mao envisioned, the logical outcome was the disintegration of the youth movement into smaller and smaller factions, who merely used Mao's instructions as an excuse to bully each other and consolidate power. Gao is not afraid to admit to his own evil acts, such as when he participated in the beating of a teenage girl, pulled a meat cleaver on his own father, or when he helped destroy a hospital, all because he was lead to believe that his politics were more righteous than everyone else's. He then watches helplessly as the countryside descends into factionalism and anarchy. Some parts of this book are quite alarming, as the youths digress into torture and warfare, and many of Gao's friends are severely injured or killed in the factional fighting.

One interesting side effect of this book is Gao's descriptions of the personality cult Chairman Mao built around himself, and how he bullied the people into worshipping him as a supreme deity. This man succeeded in making a billion people think he was a god. That's an interesting study in politics and sociology.

"Born Red" is a fascinating and horrifying book recounting one boy's experiences during the Cultural Revolution. As an American, steeped in our culture from birth, I find it is nearly impossible to truly grasp a culture that would permit the kind of reflexive parroting of official party line to take hold as it did in China (and continues today in North Korea).

The book does a fine job of painting Mao as a cult leader that succeeded in making himself a virual infallible god in the eyes of the citizenry, pushing one socialistic national program after another that were universally irrational and doomed from the get-go. The book showcases a unique traditional asian culture that promotes/permits this lemming-like following of "the leader", migrating blindly into disaster.

To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of "Born Red" is the apparently honest and heartfelt attempts by the citizenry to, at one level, mentally embrace and pursue the communist paradise promised by Mao while, at a much more personal and everyday level, actions that are more practical, rational, pragmatic, selfish, carnal, and capitalistic prevailed. In "Born Red" one sees students memorizing entire books written by Mao, formally criticizing others/themselves endlessly, and violently persecuting those that are PERCEIVED to be even one iota less than 100% loyal to the official party line (as they see it) -- all the while these same students guiltlessly steal, cheat the system, seek and peddle influence, lie, rape, even murder. The contrast is striking and impossible to reconcile.

The other horrific lesson one takes away from "Born Red" is how easily these chinese students (representative of the entire nation) could so easily be compelled to completely and quickly alter, even reverse, their allegiances and internal mindsets -- those who were enemies could, overnight, become allies; that which was wrong one day would (upon authorized dictate) be considered right the next day; a political system (Capitalism) that was seen as the greatest evil in the world would, within a decade, be officially lauded as the road to national success -- all of these flipflops seemingly being accepted by everyone without the batting of an eye or otherwise questioning the irrationality of it all. This aspect of the tale is strikingly reminiscent of Orwell's "1984".

My biggest single criticism of "Born Red" is the level of detail in which the author recounts his lifestory. Countless conversations are recalled word for word; minute details, complex sequences of events, names & places are described in apparently flawless detail in spite of the decades that have passed. I don't begrudge dramatic reconstructions "based upon factual events" but I do think they should be identified as such.

"Born Red" is a quick and easy read -- it should be manditory reading for all High School govenment or social studies classes.

Butterflies of the Night is the first hand account of one American woman's journey into the Japanese world of the nightclub, where friendship and sex is offered. For a price. From the sleazy sex clubs to the high class geisha houses the author reveals much through interviews with club owners, hostesses, strippers, gangsters and even customers. The system seems to allow men to find relief from stress, find emotional support and even do major business deals. It also allows some women to find social and economic freedom outside the normal world of low paying jobs and marriages.
My only problem with the book is that many of the chapters were published in magazines in the late 1980s and the book was first printed in 1992. I would like to know how things changed or have not changed since than. What has happened after the boom economy has popped? I guess I have to find a book from the late 90s or early 21st Century for that.

This is the best book on hostess clubs that I've read. It was entertaining, informative from a first persons perspective without being biased. If you are interested in the Japanese nightlife get this book.

This is another book that i happened to stumble upon while looking through the Japanese history section of a large used bookstore. This was a fascinating book about women who entertain men for a living in Japan. Everything from geisha to girls who work at soaplands. Nicely detailed with delightful although sometimes disturbing interviews. Ms. Louis has written a fine book for those who want to know a bit more about Japan than just salary men. There is even a chapter on the notorious Yakuza. I must say, however, that those who are worried about feminist issues might not like this book. Not the writer, but some of the ways in which the Japanese men talk about women. Wives and geisha are called property. Also I am not saying that all Japanese men say this just some of those who are interviewed for this book. Too bad this book was never reissued in paperback I'm sure that it would have reached a receptive audiance. Also I wished there had been a bibliography of further books to reference, but since this book is based on personal experiences and interviews i guess a bibliography would be unnecessary.

The author Lisa Louis is an American who traveled to Japan and actually lived there for a number of years. When in need of some extra money she dabbled in the night life profession herself as a hostess at a bar where she poured drinks and entertained men. She is also fluent in the Japanese language. It?s because of these things that I think she was able to write such a compelling book. Since she has been a part of both cultures she is able to explain things to an American audience in a way that we can relate to.

I also really like the layout of the book. She starts out with her story and what compelled her to make the book. But without assuming she is all-knowing on the subject matter. She recruited numerous others to tell their stories as well.

I got the book because of my interest in Geisha but learned so much more than I ever expected to. I had no idea of so many of these things! It was quite a page turner as you?re eager to learn even more.

This book is the result of a limited sociological research of nightlife (mizu shobai) in Japan by an American woman who knows the business well because she worked in it.
As she states '... supply the material for a man's dreams and desires. Being able to keep a man believing that he has a chance, a possibility of making love, and yet always tactfully turning him down in such a way that he enjoys his time, is a hostess's true talent'. (p.50)
It is a lively and very interesting inside look into this more or less hidden part of the Japanese society.
This book covers all the strata of the Japanese sex/entertainment business: from 'top of the bill' geishas to heroin hookers. As Lisa Louis states 'the mizu shobai stage reflects a bizarre mixture of humanity, including top company executives, power-wielding gangsters, ranking politicians, Buddhist monks, preservers of ancient tradition, curious Westerners, third-world economic refugees, desperate women, and lonely men.' (p.206)
But it also gives indirectly a good picture of the Japanese society in general: lonely men, lonely wives, women who work at night for their parent's old days, the subordination of women.
Not to be missed by those interested in the Japanese society.
For a more general vieuw of the erotic aspect of the Japanese society I recommend 'Pink Samurai' by Nicholas Bornoff and the books of Ian Buruma.

Has just the right balance of the visual and the literal: gorgeous examples of Chinese art through the ages is seen accompanied by amazing textual information on the language of the animals, characters, numbers, etc. by a rare someone who is knowledgeable in both the worlds of Chinese art and Chinese history, philosophy and language. She writes clearly and the fascinating material holds the reader's interest, even if we may not know the Chinese language.
This book is well executed, a real treasure and a great introduction not only to Chinese art but art in general too, for everything Western artists have accomplished they learned first from the Chinese...

Patricia Welsh turns, what at first glance could be considered a dry and dull subject, into an adventure of discovery. Alongside her obvious expertise and deep academic appreciation of her subject the writer has created a reference book where ideas are beautifully expressed in a clear, easy to read style. The result borders on what can only be described as academic story telling clearly indicating the extraordinary skill of the author. At no time is the reader left in any doubt that this is a work of true substance.

This book has the ability to enthral as it subtly draws the reader in, to the point where each page is a compulsive read. This scholarly work is a treasure trove of amazing facts and figures to explain how Chinese design is a vehicle for communicating specific messages, some simple, some complex metaphors or puns. The culture and language are effectively related to history and symbols in a compelling way.

All in all a first class reference book which surprisingly happens to be a good read into the bargain.

This is an excellent book. For anyone who has admired a painting on a Chinese vase, the carving on a Coromandel screen or even the costumes in a Chinese New Year's Day parade - and wondered about the significance or meaning of the flowers, animals, colours, symbols and everything else - you will find the answers in this beautifully organized, lavishly illustrated, comprehensive volume.

The book can be read cover-to-cover as specialized art and cultural history or opened anywhere for a fascinating glimpse into a fascinating civilization. The author brings an immense academic understanding to her subject and writes clearly, concisely, eloquently; although the book can be read by any enthusiast for things Chinese it will undoubtedly find a place on the scholar's reference bookshelf as well.

CHINESE ART tackles a complicated philosophical theme - the perception of a civilization through its imagery and designs - and succeeds wonderfully. A pleasure to read and to own, a remarkable achievement, and probably definitive. Five stars.

Having long relied on auction catalogue descriptions and explanations only to find them often less than substantive (and sometimes just plain wrong), I have been looking for a good reference book that identifies the scenes and objects seen on the Chinese furniture, scrolls, carvings and screens I have inherited and collected. This book does it. Its well organized by subject matter (women, men, children, plants, flowers, fish, etc.); the explanations are brief but robust, and the footnotes at the end of each chapter hidden with little gems of stories, additional more esoteric information, or advice on where to turn for more information on the subject. It's also loaded with great reference pictures. I've bought additional copies for collector friends and highly recommend this book as a basic reference guide that should be in every Asian art collector's library.

In the 20 years that I've been studying and enjoying Chinese culture, I have not come across a book that so comprehensively decodes the symbolism that permeates Chinese art. In 288 meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated pages, Ms. Welch precisely and clearly unlocks the meaning that imbues Chinese art.
What this book reveals so eloquently is just how tightly interwoven visual symbols are with the Chinese language. Ms. Welch opens up the book with an excellent primer on Chinese art symbolism, explaining how Chinese art 'contains a whole code of symbols...based on the similarities of an object's attributes to another object (metaphor), while others are a play on a word's pronunciation (a pun or rebus).' The book is organized into 4 major sections, and 17 chapters, all indexed clearly and concisely at the front of the book, making the task of finding just what you're looking for all that much easier.
Like the Chinese language itself, visual symbols in Chinese art can be mixed and matched in countless ways. Explanations of the symbolic meaning underlying Chinese art become a lesson on the power and beauty of the Chinese language. While it won't get the novice learner of Mandarin up and running on the streets of Shanghai - and that clearly is not its intent - the book does equip the reader with the linguistic foundation for understanding and appreciating Chinese art - and by way of that, Chinese culture more broadly. This book is like the Rosetta Stone of Chinese culture.
The illustrations and photos are very well done throughout. This would make an excellent reference for the serious scholar of Chinese art and culture, or just a beautiful 'coffee table book' that you can dip in and out of at home. For the person who 'has it all', it would also make for an impressive and memorable gift.

Glantz's book is a must read for any serious student of the Eastern Front in World War II. While it may be long and dry, it covers the Soviet Army at an important time in the war. It is not a book for those who are new to the conflict. Glantz covers it all, so if you want to understand how the Red Army beat the German Army, this is one you have to read.

David Glantz may not write in the most exciting way or use tons of hyperbole or focus alot on the human facet of his stories on the Russo-German war, however as far as wealth of information on the Soviet side of things go there is no one better equipped in the western world to write about The Great Patriotic War. His access to Soviet military information is unprecedented and his attention to detail of the military operations second to none. When I first began reading Glantz's tomes on the war I had preconceived notions about this conflict. If Hitler had stayed on course for Moscow after the battle of Smolensk, if he had not split Operation Blau into a Stalingrad and a Caucauses dual front and kept those troops together for a concerted drive to the Volga, if Barbarossa had been launched in May instead of late June, if the Rasputista and bitter Russian winter had not intervened, if if if. And i truly believed Hitler could and should have won this war. After starting on Glantz's books around the year 2000 or so, and truly realizing the awesome potential in manpower and equipment the Soviets had, and realizing in these readings how unprepared materially and logistically the Germans were to fight this war my whole mindset has changed. I believe even if the Germans had taken Moscow Russia would still have won this war. Other then the Germans developing atomic weapons before anyone I have radically altered my view on Germany's chances here. The Soviet Union was destined to win this war no matter what the cost. Barbarossa more then anything else, was Hitler's greatest mistake in the war. I owe this new view to the works of David Glantz. His information is incredible, his summaries superlative, his conclusions inescapable. Dry and technical it may be, but for my money there is no better writer on The Great Patriotic War then David Glantz. Remember, Germany lost the war and 90 percent of her casualties on the Eastern front. Remember, the Soviet Union lost 27 million dead and most of her agricultural and economic bases and STILL won this war. She probably could have done so, although at even greater cost, without a second front in Italy in 1943, and in France in 1944. The Russian contribution to World War II must not be downplayed in the west. The war against Germany was primarily a Russian one, and David Glantz deserves accolades for being one of very few western writers to acknowledge this fact.

So, this is something that's only for professionals and hardcore fanatics, but it is highly recommended for them. It contains everything you ever wanted to know about the Red Army between 1941-43, and even more.

OK, nothing's perfect (5 stars means it's as perfect as it could be in our imperfect world), I can tell you one complaint. At one point he claims that command turbulance wasn't that bad even during Barbarossa. He cites statistics. But what I would've needed is some comparison. It's fine to know that less than X% of certain types of commanders were relieved of command, but it would've been nice to read some comparison: how was it with other armies... Without those, the data just hang in the air... (There were a few similar points - it's not much in a book well over 600 pages. So I still give it the 5 stars.)

Glantz does his usual excellent job on the Soviet military in World War II. He covers the campaigns, and the structure and development of the red army during the early part of the war. Separating much of the formation, commander and OoB material into the companion volume is actually a plus. Both volumes are easier to handle becuase of the size and it is easier to use two books to cross reference material.

Although hundreds of histories of Soviet-German war have been published in the last decade or so, they have for the most part either focused on large-scale operations, told the story from a predominantly German perspective, or, most likely, done both. Another unfortunate result of this has been the number of revisionist works, in some degree or another based on Viktor Suvorov's Icebreaker. In part this was out of necessity due to a a number of factors, including the lack of access to former Soviet archives as well as the repression of histories deemed embarrassing to important wartime heroes. David Glantz has once again answered this dearth of reliable Soviet-perspective war history with his newest volume Colossus Reborn. Using a massive number or Soviet primary sources he has written the comprehensive history of the Soviet-German war.

Glantz' book is divided into three parts to tell this story. The first is a chronological discussion of the first 30 months of war, subdivided into the initial period, which covers the war up to the Soviet counteroffensive at Stalingrad and then the second period, which covers the remaining 12 months. This first part of the book not only discusses the conventional view of the war but also clearly exposes the many Soviet operations that have lay hidden in virtual obscurity since war's end. Glantz also does a fine job showing how the Soviet-German war affected the course of WWII in general. Perhaps out of necessity this part of the book is rather concise. In any case it is still eye opening to have the vast number of counterstrokes, counteroffensives and strategic offensives laid out as they are here. As he himself points out, prior histories of the war have led to an almost constant and simplistic portrayal of operations as smooth periods of Wehrmacht offensives in the summer and Soviet offensives in the winter. He also clearly dispels the myth that the Red Army was simply along for the ride after the surprise attack and shows how Stalin and the Stavka repeatedly during the initial period of war attempted to organize counterstrokes as well as full counteroffensives.

Part two of the book is a very thorough look into the force structure of the Soviet army. This section is as comprehensive as one could possible ask for and retain a modicum of readability. Even as such, it is certainly the most difficult section to work through as it is basically a detailed look into how every aspect of the Soviet forces were reorganized from Front down to battalions in some instances. As such is feels at times to be comprised of endless tables of organization. This should not be overstated however, as this type of attention to detail is what most readers of Glantz have come to expect. Furthermore, it is this level of detail that sets him apart from most other widely published WWII historians. He does not simply explain to the reader that a particular type of unit was employed in a particular defensive or offensive action. He thoroughly explains how that type of unit came to be and gives the prior organization of similar units and why they failed to work.

Part three is a thorough analysis of the leaders of the Red Army and those that they led. The first subsection is broken up primarily into mini biographies of every major general, commanding every Front, Army, and Corps and all of their variants. It does so and gives a very interesting breakdown and percentages by year of the surviving and thriving general staff as well as command failures and traitors. Glantz then gives a very enlightening look into the soviet soldiers; who they were (ethnicity and gender are investigated here) how they survived, why they fought and what methods were used to keep them toeing the line, particularly after the hideous and demoralizing losses of the first six months. This section is probably the most readable of the three and is a very well written look into the human aspects of the war.

Finally, Glantz has once again written a history of the Soviet-German war that is groundbreaking, to say the least. Using sources that only he seems to be able to gain access to, he has delved more comprehensively into the factors that allowed the Red Army to first survive and eventually defeat Hitler's Wehrmacht, than anyone else before him. Yes, this volume reads quite dryly at times and the tables of organization can seem daunting but it must clearly be understood from the beginning that this is not a book for the casual history reader by any stretch. This book is meant for the dedicated historian of the Soviet-German war-those who need more than a basic overview of the military operations and geopolitical ramifications of the war. With all that said the only weakness that this book has are some instances of sloppy writing and subsequent poor editing. At times-particularly in Part I-this poor editing is truly frustrating and frequent. For the most part though, this is never more than a minor irritation. As a whole Glantz can, once again, be said to be the undisputed master of Soviet-German war history.

This book is set about 200 years after the events described in the diaries of Sei Shonagon and Lady Murasaki (and tale of Genji), however, this memoir reveals a world fossilised, doing it's very best to imitate the 'elegant' world shown in Lady Murasaki's masterwork Tale of Genji. What comes across is a very conservative society, and if you weren't told the dates of the events taking place you would believe they were set in the 10th or 11th century.

The writer of this memoir is a very independant and sensual woman - who took her lovers regardless of the consequences. The second half of the memoir details her travels around Japan's sacred shrines as a nun later in life. Lady Nijo constantly finds on her travels that the world outside Hein-Kyoto has changed since the days the poems she learnt at court as description of Japan's famous sights were written. Some of the old 'famous' sights have gone and she finds new ones to fill their hole.

If you've an interest in these old Japanese diaries and memoirs, this should be added to your list. It's a later, and lesser known book, but worth the effort of reading.

This is a moving and remarkable autobiography.
First, there is the quality of the writing itself, full of beautiful short poems ('A hidden love and tears/enough to form a river-/were there a shoal of meeting/I would drown this self of mine'), comparisons ('my years had passed as quickly as a racing horse glimpsed through a crack') or metaphors ('life is more fleeting than a dream within a dream').
It confirms Lady Nijo's saying that 'the most important accomplishment for a beautiful woman is the ability to write poetry'.

Secondly, there is the extraordinary eventful itinerary of Lady Nijo emotionally as well as physically.
Emotionally, she cannot forget her father ('I shed tears of longing when I recall the care my father gave me') or her first lover at the age of 14 (the Emperor).
Physically, she gives birth before her 18th birthday to two children from different fathers and in her later life struggles for survival.

Thirdly, it gives an interesting look at court life in this period: drinking, singing, playing music, competition between the concubines and promiscuity showing general human characteristics ('She complains that I am treating you as an empress' or 'This road is too easy to be interesting').
But this book also paints aspects of commom life: the fact that many children are taken away from their parents, religious customs or prostitution.

Fourth, it gives a general impression of the importance of religion and psychology: the mighty influence of the karma principle ('I am convinced that this unbearable passion is simply the working out of some karma from the past') and the importance of dreams ('I just dreamed that I turned into a mandarin duck and entered your body').

The overall tone is melancholic ('No matter how many tints the autumn leaves reveal, once the wind rises they do not last long').

K. Brazell's translation as well as her notes are excellent. I would have prefered an afterword instead of an introduction which reveals already the fate of the author.

This is a truly moving tale, not only for Japanese scholars.

How can it be enjoyable to read a biography of someone who lived in the royal compound of the late Kamakura emperors of Japan? That time is so different from modern times, and the Japanese cultures is ineffably foreign to most of us. Yet Lady Nijo's "confessions" or autobiography is so ably translated by Karen Brazell that this book reads as if it were a character in Clavell's "Shogun" coming to life and discussing her private life (though "Shogun" is of course set in a different time period in Japanese history.)

The Kamakura court had almost a pathological nostalgia for the Heian imperial era, and the court structured every detail of custom and behavior to reproduce the glories of the past. Lady Nijo is brought into court at age 14 on the wishes of the emperor, who essentially makes her a concubine. She takes part in court life for many years but, since her father passes away and her relatives are few, she lacks the behind-the-scenes influence that would be needed to elevate her to empress. Thus she never marries and even has a number of outside affairs, strangely tolerated by the emperor.

We see these events dimly as if through a silk veil. Nijo, which is not even the lady's name but is a designation of where she lives, tells us of affairs, of being in and out of favor in court only in oblique comments. But we get detailed scenes of entertainments, poetry contests, clothing and a sense for the playfulness and utter uselessness of the Japanese aristocracy of the era.

Eventually, Nijo is mysteriously banned from court (she protests she does not know why, but we certainly can guess who is behind it all) and she becomes a Buddhist nun. This gives her the freedom to travel widely, and she does so, more than a woman of that time might ordinarily be able to do.

This autobiography is so readable and gives such insight into the Kamakura era that I'd recommend it to any student of Asian history, but I'd also recommend it to anyone who enjoyed either "The Tales of Genji" or even "Shogun." The translation is so wonderful that this ancient story reads like a modern novel.

For such an intresting book its extraordinary so few people have left a review. Anyways, much of the court we see in the novel through lady nijo's eyes is truely fossilized as one reviewer said before, they even go so far as to try and copy musical concerts after those written about in Genji, and theres a great many allusions in the narrative to the tale of genji. The diary itself is extremely enjoyable to read, poigant at times, as for instance when she runs after Gofukakusa's funeral procession barefoot down the street until she loses sight of them. Other times its extremely funny, Im pretty sure Sei Shonogon mentioned the holiday where the women get slapped with sticks, the same was true with Lady Nijo, except she got revenge on the retired emperor by sectioning off the halls and setting up other ladies to keep an eye out for him, when he comes, they descend and all start whacking him with these sticks for revenge. after that there was a huge uproar withen the court that the women actually smacked royalty around. Overall Lady Nijo is very real, and very human in her writing, it makes for an intresting literary and historical read of the Kamekura age. One thing i personally enjoyed was that Lady Nijo was not as vain and condescending as Sei Shonagon, for instance when shes a travelling nun, Nijo actually speaks with commoners, ex-prostitutes, etc etc.

Nijo's autobiography is another wonderful chapter in the literature of Japanese classics. And, like all true classics, it paints a picture very much like some women of today.

The book is not organized as a story, or even as a particularly strong description of events. Instead, it's a first-hand description of moments that roused especially strong feelings, positive or negative. Nijo (not her born name, but the only name that has come down to us) wrote this book late in life, so the literal truth of events often seems layered under decades of nostalgia. The first passage, for example, takes pains to draw a teenage girl, tearful during her first nights in the emperor's bedroom. 'The lady doth protest too much' - that is about the last time we see her hesitate in accepting a man's overnight company.

After her heyday in court society, Nijo retreats and finally takes vows as a nun. She takes the robes and duties of nun in full, but her thoughts never settle into that role. I don't mean to say that she in insincere. Still, a part of her never lets go of the happy times in court. Although she carries out her religious duties, she keeps coming back for another look at the people and rites she loved. Gradually, the people from her youth move away and pass away. The court was all she knew; in the end she doesn't know even that any more. It's like the woman whose greatest day was being prom queen. Now in her forties, she lives by remembering a time and place that doesn't remember her.

Nijo conveys a pervading shallowness. She spends more time describing some outfits than the children she bears. She could have moved closer to the inner imperial circles; the retired emperor publicly acknowledged her first-born as his scion. Nijo never had aspirations so high, or never realized what could have been open to her. She was content for the child to be brought up elsewhere while her life drifted on as before.

The irony of the final sentence may be the happiest moment in the book. "... I have been writing this useless account - though I doubt it will long survive me." It has survived nearly seven hundred years. There is no real point to this book, but that is part of its charm. It is just a look at one woman's world and at the woman herself.

National Living Treasure Kokan Nagayama's "Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords" is one of the definitive references on Japanese swords (nihonto) available in English translation. I bought it after either purchasing or familiarizing myself with several other essential, but much more basic tomes such as John Yumoto's "The Samurai Sword: A Handbook," Kazan Sato's "The Japanese Sword: A Comprehensive Guide," and Kapp and Yoshihara's "The Craft of the Japanese Sword." Each of these books has a niche, along with relative strengths and weaknesses (e.g., Yumoto's book is but a brief overview with crude hand illustrations, Kapp & Yoshihara focus on a general overview of forging, etc.) such that those seriously entering the world of nihonto would be well-served to collect them all (after all, all of these books together are going to cost a infinitesimal fraction of the cost of a nihonto and will therefore be a sound investment).

The stated intent of the Connosieur's Book is to arm the novice with a beginning understanding of the types of things that one would need to learn about kantei, the art of nihonto appraisal. Having said that, the level of detail here is far beyond that found in most other introductory books about nihonto for novices, and probably more than the casual fan of "samurai swords" would benefit from. The book is really designed as a reference and includes considerable detail. It does a nice job of going through major and subtle differences of nihonto through different eras and schools of sword-making, along with a brief historical context to explain changes and influences. It likewise gives an illustrated reference to variations in sugata (shape), design (sori, mune, shinogi), hamon (hardened edge), nakago (tang), kissaki (tip), hada (steel grain), horimono (engravings) and the like. There are no photos, but there are ample oshigata-style illustrations showing the subtlest variations to match with the text. Significant detail is included listing various schools of forging and individual smiths -- all of which are essential building blocks for kantei. There's also an appendix on inspection etiquette, charts organizing smiths and characteristics of their blades, and a glossary.

It's therefore a fine reference, from one of Japan's leading authorities, but as with the other books of the genre, there are strengths and limitations. The strong point of this text is its encyclopedic detail along with decent organization and illustrations. I picked this book up hoping to learn more (having read the other books, taken a course in forging of Japanese swords, and training in Japanese swordsmanship) about differences in major traditions of swordmaking. The book helps to explain that, but perhaps not in the clearest way. As but one simple example, Nagayama Sensei writes, "Swords of the Shoshu tradition typically have abundant ji-nie as well as chikei in the ji, and a hamon consisting of nie with vigorous activity such as kinsuji and inazuma." The Japanese terms can be cross-referenced elsewhere in the book, but they are presented individually and piecemeal, such that it can often be hard for the novice reader to get any kind of clear overall mental picture of the subtleties referred to in the text (e.g. what does it really mean that the nie is 'abundant' or 'vigorous?'). So what is missing? More illustrations of entire swords (and at least some photos) could be of use, along with side-by-side comparisons to understand the relative differences between styles (e.g. here is a typical Bizen, here is a typical Shoshu and here's how they're different), or maybe a few examples of swords in which the reader is taken through the process of kantei.

Of course, there is only so much you can teach in a book... you can't very well expect to read a manual on swordsmanship, car repair, or reading EKG's and then get right to it -- rather the manual gives you an overview, you then take up the practice, and later you go back to the book for reference. So it is here -- I seriously doubt the book would be very helpful for those who don't plan to earnestly start collecting nihonto and studying kantei, and in fact the level of detail and complexity might very well turn some away. But for those looking for "the next level" of reference after Yumoto or Sato, this book is a good start to learn and refer back to as you then track down, join, and attend your local Token-Kai. It's probably one of the best English language references, but it's not a tutorial or class-in-a-book nor does it claim to be.

This book is essential for all that want to take a closer and deep knowledge on japanese swords. Complete and easy to use.

This book must be the most informative (almost too much) but easy (as possible considering the subject) to read book I have ever owned. It really does have everything you need to know if you are thinking about purchasing a sword. I live in Japan, and when I showed my book to the shop owner I am friends with he was very impressed. Even with a language barrier we were able to communicate about certain features of swords that he was selling in his shop. A must buy if you have any interest on the subject.

This book contains more info than one could even imagine! In fact, that's all I'm going to say becuase it would take to long for me to even give you even a basic idea! I will tell you this: If you don't have this book in your library then you are missing out big time!!!!! Oh, by the way, the illustrations are awesome too!!!!

Enjoy and make sure that you have a weekend free to read.... you'll need it ;-)

I'm not really into sword collecting, but I nonetheless found
this book to be fascinating. Two-thirds of it is pure reference
material related to particular sword makers and that part would be
invaluable to collectors, but it is not of general interest. The
descriptions of the history of swordmaking and the attributes of
the craftsmanship, however, stands on its own as interesting reading.
One comes away with a much greater appreciation of the art form.

Dancing in Shadows combines politics with personality. Benny Widyono creates a dynamic read in this memoir of the heady days following the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. All of the personalities and conflicting loyalties that make themselves known when the whole world comes to town (ie. UN) are in evidence here. What could be a dry record of past events is much tastier with Ambassador Widyono's wit and honesty. A must read for anyone interested in S. E. Asia.

As a undergraduate student of Cambodian history, this book was a personal must-read. Surprisingly, it isn't your typical dry historical accounting, it reads quite suspenseful at times, and one gets the feeling of being in Widyono's shoes, experiencing firsthand the lively political intrigues pitting together three powerful (yet flawed and insecure) personalities -- Sihanouk, Ranarridh, and Hun Sen. This book could very well be the definitive reference source for this under-reported and misunderstood period in Cambodian history.

Dr. Widyono gives us an insider's view into the complexities, suffering and political bargaining that transformed Cambodia. Through his book, we can now see what REALLY went on without the guise of political partisanship and propaganda. Although at the time, Dr. Widyono was a member of the UN transitional team and later a special envoy to the Secretary General, he spares no criticism of the UN operation. His account of the battle for power in Cambodia, the eventual peace process and its repercussions certainly is timely and offers lessons for today.

Rarely does an insider to a critical period in a nation's history describe the players and events so unabashedly. Dr. Widyono has provided readers with a bird's eye view of events that does not gloss over or curry favor with any group or individuals. He writes honestly and often amusingly about his life and work during this tumultuous period in Cambodia's history.

This is Benny Widyono's engaging memoir of his five years in Cambodia, first as a senior official in the UN Transitional Authority (UNTAC), responsible for the Province of Siem Reap, and later as the Personal Representative of the Secretary General after the new Royal Government was formed. Widyono's analysis of the flawed preparations for Cambodia's first modern elections is fresh and well-documented. Less dramatic, but no less important, was his role, along with the diplomatic corps in Phnom Penh, in monitoring and sometimes influencing the efforts of Cambodia to maintain a fractious coalition -- only to see it come apart in 1997. This is an engrossing read, especially for those who already know a little about Cambodia's recent history. For the beginner, it features an detailed chronology and an excellent bibliography.

Set in the early 20th century, this story explores the culture and traditions of Tibet, as well as the bond of love between a young girl and her stolen Lhasa (Tibetan) Terrier.

As a proud parent of a Tibetan Terrier myself, I found the story to be both heartwarming as well as enlightening with regard to my own relationship with the little dog next to me, whose ancestors came from high in the mountains at the top of the world. As I read I could not help but wonder, if he was stolen from me, how far would I go to get him back.

I was truly amazed by the journey little nine year old Momo set upon all alone. She has no money, and only meager provisions, but without a moments hesitation she sets off to rescue her beloved pet. From high in the Himalayas the book follows her adventure as she walks nearly all the way to Calcutta, India. With only her determination and the love in her heart, as well as her strong belief in Buddhist traditions to guide her steps and keep her safe.

I highly recommend this tale as a book to be shared with a child or grandchild to encourage reading, or as the perfect bedtime story to be read a chapter at a time. I would also recommend it to anyone such as myself who just wants a little insight into the mystical appeal of the hairy little dogs from Tibet, that we have come to know and love as well as make a part of our family and homes.

I read this book voraciously from start to finish when I was in 7th grade and have never forgotten it. It illustrates how important it is to have faith in a dream and to go after what you want even when everyone tells you it's impossible. And if you've ever dearly loved a pet, this is the story for you.

Momo, a young Tibetian girl, yearns to own a Lhasa Apso, but an expensive pedigree dog like that is beyond her family's meager budget. Undaunted, Momo hopes and prays for one to come her way, certain that it will. Her faith and tenacity pay off when a traveling merchant presents her with an adorable Lhasa puppy, whom Momo promptly names Pempa. All is perfect in Momo's world until the day Pempa is stolen by thieves on their way to India. You will learn a lot about that part of the world as Momo tirelessly treks through Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and finally India to retrieve her beloved pooch.

She stumbles into a lot of interesting characters along the way, making this story an even more enjoyable read.

Like another reviewer, I read this book in junior high and never forgot it. I remember trying to make hot buttered tea, as the heroine drinks it all the time; I found it undrinkable. My granddaughter has a Lhasa Apso now and I've been trying to find the book - 7th grade was 45 years ago and I'd forgotten the title. Thanks to many online searches using: dog, Tibet, girl, childrens' book etc. here it is and I'm ordering it for her today.

I thought that this book was great because it shows what an amazing relationship a child and a dog can have. It also is so very detailed and descriptive, that at some parts I almost thought I was reading a book of poetry. Momo stands up for herself and proves she can.
Beautifully written. Great Characters.

This book is a wonderful story&it is especially won-
derful to read in this the 50th anniversary of the achievment of
the summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary&Tenzing Norgay.
Momo showed courage as she made her way out of Tibet&down to In-
dia.I also loved the way it introduced another culture&religion.