Asia Books

Love to look at pictures of this misterious culture and enjoy imagining their lives before the English arrival. Highly recommend it.

A truly enchanting book. After reading it I was on the Internet for hours, researching all the various people whose pictures were in it. Highly, highly recommended.

..from a surreal era of Indian history. It was a totally ostentatious and absolutely over the top lifestyle. The pockets of the sub-continent that were these states of princely India were to a degree remnants of the Mughal Empire. It truly must have been a painstaking process to put together all the photographs. But what a collection! Going through this book really takes you back in time, some superb rarely seen photographs. Some of the photographs are from private collections and national archives.

This is an extraordinary book, with fantastic pictures, some very famous, other belonging to princely familly collections, never seen before.Much better than most of the others on the same subject.

I highly recomend it for anyone interested on Imperial India and the maharajas

Similar to J. Robert Oppenheimer, Director of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and Manhattan Project, Dr. Gill was unique in that he transcended the continuum of leadership from leadership within a specific academic domain to a macro, international recognition. This should not be surprising because of Dr. Gill's close association with the likes of Dr. Oppenheimer and Dr. E. Fermi, the winner of the Nobel Prize in 1938. Dr. Oppenheimer asked Dr. Gill to present a paper at the California Institute of Technology at a symposium organized to celebrate the 80th birthday of Prof. R.A. Millikan, winner of the 1928 Physics Nobel Prize. The parallels between Dr. Gill and Dr. Oppenheimer do not stop at academia; both men were instrumental in nuclear consulting with their respective chief of states. Pandit Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and a close friend of Dr. Gill, called upon Dr. Gill for nuclear arms advice.

Revealing look at an Indian in America. Funny stories about cultural differences. This would be a good book for school summer reading because it teaches the value of hard work and good humor.

Piara Singh Gill or "Pi," his nickname, has written a nicely detailed book in which he elucidates his struggles as a boy, his journey to America, and his work with the field of cosmic ray physics. Dr. Gill studied and worked under eminent professors such as Professor Compton. Dr. Gill was a nobel-caliber physicist, and this would have been realized by the masses had he have stayed in America, however, he returned to India to help his mother country.

Dr. Gill was a key figure during the middle of the 20th century enmeshed in Indian political and scientific dynamics. Prime Minister Nehru frequently asked Dr. Gill for advice; they used to have breakfast together. Science in India is synonymous with this father of Indian Science: Professor Gill.

I recommend this book because it shows that hard work certainly pays off! A must read for all immigrants and all people who believe in the American Dream!

It is a very nice biography of someone growing up in rural India and making a success of their life as a scientist. Dr. Gill gave back to his country a place in academic excellence in Physics. He had to constantly push against the odd forces of newly independent India, but achieved recognition for his efforts.

General Flanagan's memoir of his time in Vietnam is one of the most personal and sorrowful accounts of that American tragedy yet.

The Kirkus review tells us, "you will not find the meaning" of the Vietnam War in this book. And that's true. John F. Flanagan didn't go to Vietnam to do that. He went as a Warrior and the nature of that war weighed heavily upon him. It does to this day.

In a way I would classify this personal history with E.B. Sledge's masterpiece WITH THE OLD BREED. The times and perspective are different, but seeing the elephant remains the same. When all the grandstanding and speeches are over, all the flag waving and parades, ultimately men risk their lives for their friends. These men are usually too preoccupied with the task at hand to "figure it all out".

Sledge saw war and was horrified by it's spector, it's indifferent carnage and filth. He had the rectitude though of having returned a 'winner'. All those boys were killed, but their death had some purpose. John Flanagan couldn't feel that. He just knew that the friends he lost and saw die, died vainly. No matter how good these men were, how much moral certitude they had, their deaths were without purpose. John Flanagan is a man of purpose.

General Flanagan reflects great dignity upon those men and to their families. He's a man of quiet dignity himself and can take pride in knowing that he did all he could when he could. As a Soldier that's what's known as trust.

My best wishes go out to General Flanagan, his family and friends.

This book is the most realistic book I have read about the Vietnam war to date. Genreal Flanagan certainly keeps you attention throughout the entire book. He leaves nothing to the imagination, exactly how it should be. There was too much controversey about the wat, this book gives, in detail, an insite on just how horrid it was for our soldiers.

An added comment, this book was written by a "real person". I work for General Flanagan every day. The book put some detail and realism into the "stories" that we talk about

It brought back all the fear, sadness and frustration of that december day in 1966. I was a 19 year old doorgunner on one of those gunships that day with the 281st ahc in Khe Sanh. I am 51 now and to this day it still haunts me.I was fortunate to be on several mission with Flanagan and the guy always came through.

The author's view of the role of a FAC is very similiar to those held by the FACs of today (ALOs and ETACs). It is a very insightful look into the beginnings of the Close Air Support role-from the ground observers point of view. Few books even mention the CAS role in Vietnam.

Fantasic , for any Military History Buff , and especially for any Vietnam Military History.

This book is a must for Vietnam war vetrans and war buffs.The author left nothing out and his presantation was great.He breaks it down on what was assigned to the different divisons and lower.Easy to read and follow.You can tell he did a lot of reserch to compile this book.

Shelby Stanton's book "Vietnam: Order of Battle" is a recent re-issue of a classic reference text that is essential for anyone who is researching America's long, troubled war in Southeast Asia. The book does not have a narrative, or an overview of the war, it is simply a well-researched and comrehensive breakdown of facts, the engagements that the United States and its allies fought, the organization and insignia of the units that serves in Vietnam, the fixed wing aircraft, the ubiquitous helicopters, small arms, heavy weapons, armor that were used, the deployments and casualties, military terms and finally, a very useful series of maps of the conflict. Shelby Stanton is an authority on the War in Vietnam and has authored many books on the subject and this large coffee-table volume is the product of an unusually dedicated and indefatigable researcher.

This is a cornerstone of the collection of anyone doing VN research.

Bob Walsh

Have you ever listened to any war stories from a family member, or friend? I have, and I have a few of my own. This book is a collect of war stories from the various members of the Green Berets, in their own words. All of the stories were from the Vietnam war during the 60s and early 70s. Some of these stories were very sad, but at the same time, very heroic. A lot of the stores were scary, especially during some of the patrols these guys had to do. There's also a quite a few funny stories that will make you smile, especially if you were in the service. I really liked the stories that were kind of spooky, there was one story that involved a SF patrol that bed down for the night. During the night, it was so dark an enemy patrol had mistaken the SF patrol for one of their own, and decided to bed down in the same area as the SF patrol! Crazy stuff! This is a book dedicated to the men of the Green Berets.

I grew up during the Viet Nam war, in a military family. I joined the Army immediately after college and was the first woman commissioned at my University, in 1975. While I never served in combat, I knew many who did. I read this book to try and understand what it must have been like for the men who served, without having to read through the filters of the liberal media, or the continuing lies of our government.

Being from a military family, I understand what duty, honor and country means, and to me, the Green Berets are some of last, true defenders of those ideals. This book did not disappoint me.

It is a wonderful book, with all the elements of life, both precious and horrible, woven through it.

My favorite story was of the POV and how his faith in God was restored by a fir tree and some fire-flies. He does work in mysterious ways!

To my brothers-in-arms--my heartfelt thanks for sharing parts of your souls with the rest of us.

To those who are stil! l unaccounted for--forgive us. I, for one, shall never forget you.

As a fellow Green Beret, I found Hans Halbertstadt's book very refreshing. It is free of the bravado and hype found in most books regarding Special Forces. What it shows is the real face of war a told by the unique and courageous men who fought it. You'll laugh out loud after reading one page and cry after reading the next. I highly recommend it!

As a former Special Forces medic in Viet Nam I could not put this book down until I had finished it. I got out of the Army in 1966 and didn't look back, but I could never get Viet Nam and Special Forces out of my blood. It was truely a calling that I failed to hear.

I was surprised to read about many people that I had long forgotten, but there they were again, as big and true to life as if it was yesterday.

There was even a story about the little sleepy camp, Polie Kleng, that I had helped build in 1966 (A-241), and of course there were lots of stories about Dak To, Kontum, Pleiku, Na Trang, Saigon and other places I had been.

I have always wondered what my life would have been like if I had made a career of Special Forces. Now I know. There is a good chance I would have gotten zapped, but it sure would have been an exciting life while it lasted, and I would have had an endless supply of the greatest friends in the world. I have never had those kinds of truely great friends since getting out of Special Forces.

This book tells it all, just as it was. Get ready for a lot of flash backs. Every word of it is true. Even the lies are true!

When I was a very little girl, we lived in Indonesia and were in Japanese concentration camps during WWII.
I was interested in reading this book, because my brother was taken away at 11 and sent to a men's camp all by himself. I wanted to know what he had gone through.
This book will tell you a little of what we all went through in those years. It is written from a young boys view point and that was helpful to keep it less of a heavy read.
I think very few people know how many of us suffered hunger and illness in POW camps under the Japanese. It is history and hopefully we won't have to re-live this.

A decided to read this book after I heard the news that a movie based on it staring Jane Seymour will be filming next year. I read it only to better understand the movie, and was extremely surprised at what an excellent story I found it to be. It is told from the perspective of a little boy, about his struggles and triumphs, and the little things that help him cope with life in a concentration camp run by Japanese. If you think this is your typical "WW II survivor story", guess again. As I was reading I forgot the book was about a concentration camp. It became the story of a ordinary boy and his mother, and their day-to-day life amidst a horrific background. The harsh reality is it is a true story. I hope the movie does it justice. This book is extremely under-rated. It is up to par with Oprah's book club books. Please read it, and I think you will be surprised. If anyone knows how I can contact the author, please let me know.

The story is beyond an ugliness of human nature.How any one dare to challenge "How about Hiroshima ?" The boy is above all these and almost religius. The Japanese Emperor and the Governmentaologized for the undue cruelities inflickted on the internees, but the most interesting thing is that they did no do so to their own people who were victims themselves under the Japanese Military systems.

i am 16 years old and read this book for the first time last year. i truly enjoyed reading the book. i am not into books which have a difficult plot or a lot of long words but anyone can undersatnd this book. i cant imagine what the boy would have went through and had to keep on reminding myself that this actually happened. i definitely do not think that this book is given the credit in which it is worth. reading the book makes you realise what a good life you have compared to what the boy went through. so go out and read the book now. p.s. have a box of tissues ready!!!

This is the second copy of this book that I bought. I purchased second as a gift for artist friend after buying one for myself. We are both painters; but, this is the type of book anyone can enjoy reading for its philosophy and appreciation of Asian art. A visual artist can learn much from the techniques of brush painting used in China and Japan. It is both poetic and visual.

This is the best generally available book on Chinese and Japanese ink-painting in English of which I am aware. Why? Because it is not, primarily, a "how to" book. Yes, there are extensive examples of specific brushstrokes and characteristic forms and techniques, however they are by way of explanation and illustration, rather than instruction. There is much talk of history and aesthetics, but from a practical perspective; this is not, primarily, a book of art history or criticism. Rather, it looks at those things from the point of view of a painter, rather than an academic. While it's not an easy read, I would recommend this every bit as much for beginners as those with more experience.

So, why would this be useful for the beginning painter? While some authors would have you believe that Asian ink work is rooted in a spontaneous expression of feeling, and/or that a meaningful piece of art can be created with just a few, easily mastered, brushstrokes, these are extreme oversimplifications of the actuality of Asian art. Tossing a bit of ink on some rice paper may be spontaneous, but it isn't the same as the Spontaneous school of Chinese painting. In reading this book, which is admittedly dense and occasionally dry, the reader can gain a strong background in the traditions and aesthetics of ink painting. While learning basic brush control from a teacher or how-to book, "The Way of the Brush" will give you not just context and history, but an understanding of how to compose and construct a work -- how to put those brushstrokes together.

It could be said that this is not a book about how to paint in the Chinese and Japanese style, but how to look at a painting in the Chinese and Japanese style. In doing so, it also points the way towards seeing like a brush-painter. Unless you can see, not merely with your eyes, but with your mind, it is impossible to make the jump from brushwork to painting, from technique to art.

This is the book from which I learned sumi-e. It is well written, with wonderful examples. If one is seriously interested in the subject and in learning how to paint high quality works, it is the definitive work. The artist, P'u Ch'uan, who illustrates particular styles and strokes, is a master, providing some of the best examples one could hope for. The works of other artists in their instructional books pale by comparison; they fall into the "You too can paint a masterpiece in 60 minutes" sort of thing one sees on TV. Those are acceptable if you accept the limitations and set your sights accordingly. The standards set by this book are extremely high.

The historical perspectives help a great deal in understanding not only the background of the art, but also in understanding the background of the strokes. These backgrounds are essential to more fully appreciating the work of others and in informing your own work. The great variety of styles and artists presented--contemparary and historical--help one to form one's own style.

This book teaches both an appreciation of the art form and a sound basis for attempting it. I can't say I have mastered the form by any means, but working based on this book has been a rewarding experience.

Highly recommended.

This is one of the best books about Chinese painting for those who want to understand not just Chinese painting techniques, but also something of the history and variety of traditional Chinese brush painting. The one drawback is the usage of the outdated Wade-Giles romanization (the book was first published in 1962), but that is merely a trivial annoyance compared to the wealth of information the author provides. Most instructional painting books are written by painters who focus on their own style, and give no credit to all the masters who have gone before them. This book shows many examples of paintings by master painters (ancient and modern), along with examples from the author's own teacher, master painter P'u Ch'uan. He thoroughly describes the different painting styles, with excellent examples, and many bibliographical references. I especially liked the fact that he gave 7 different versions of translations of "the Six Principles" of Hsieh Ho; by combining the common threads in all of them, their real meaning becomes clearer.

Another subject he talks about, although briefly, is the importance of understanding brush strokes in order to be better prepared to deal with forgeries and copies. This subject is almost universally ignored in books on Chinese painting, and yet it is very important. I have seen a painting in a catalog from one of the big auction houses that on first glance looked like another one of Li Ke-ran's many water buffalo paintings, and was attributed to him by the (anonymous) seller. Upon closer scrutiny of the brush strokes used, it was obviously a fake. And I am by no means a true expert.

If you are a beginner with no teacher to help you, then you will probably need other books, too. But for anyone who wants to learn about the history and traditions of Chinese painting, this is the ideal book.

This book is the epitome of excellence, the characters are intriguing, especially the fox. The use of 3 voices is just phenomenal. Read this book.

Written in three narrative voices, moving between China and Vancouver and between centuries, this is a wonderful tale. While the fox moves towards a thousand, and immortality, we also journey with a ninth-century female Taoist poet, and Artemis, a young Asian-American woman living in contemporary Vancouver.

This novel combines aspects of Chinese mythology, medieval China, and life in modern-day Vancouver to revise the myth of the Fox (a figure who can inhibit women's bodies in order to cause mischief) and to explore some of the identity and dislocation issues experienced by migrants. Ms Lai's imagination results in a tale that continues to haunt long after the story is told.

'When a fox is fifty, it can take the form of a woman. When it is one hundred, it can take the form of a beautiful girl. When it is a thousand, it can speak to Heaven and will never die. '

Recommended to both lovers of fantasy as well as to those who enjoy well-crafted fiction more generally.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I was almost put off by the three different voices narrating this book, but it was easy to read from the first page. The characters are so interesting, you will want to read it all at once. It is very woman-focused and addresses issues of sexuality and ethic identity in a low-key way that does not take away from the story.

This must one of the most remarkable and readable magical-realism books ever written in English. In her part-mystery, part-historical novel, part- fantasy, Ms Lai manages to lead us in and out of different dimensions without the slightest degree of confusion. I was never a fan of this genre but have become entranced with this skilfully and delightfully-written work, which uses fantasy to teach us to look at ethno-cultural identity and belonging in a new way. Chapeaux off to Press Gang for a fine production job, with a delightful icon-in-the-margin trick to save the innocent reader from confusion.

I thought I'd read everything & experienced all Viet Nam had to offer. Bill Merritts book has refreshed my memories of Cu Chi and Phu Cuong. I was on the bridge with Bill Merritt before it blew. We played chess, and he remembered the names of our Chinese/Vietnamese soldier friend-"Ha"-and our housegirl "Loi". I have pictures of both. His memory of dialogue and events is astounding, and I believe I am one of the characters in his book. I loved it, even though the memories are not good.

Bill Merritt's account of his service with the 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Division, in 1968, never got the attention it deserved, but it is one of the best memoir-style books to have emerged from the Vietnam War. The writing is rich and layered, the dialogue utterly real, the stories frank and fascinating. Highly recommended for anyone interested in what Vietnam was like for a junior enlisted man, and a must for any serious reader of Vietnam War literature.

A fine memoir of a Vietnam veteran. My brother met the author and secured a signed copy for me which I immediately devoured. It is highly readable and engrossing. I especially enjoyed the attention to language; specifically the terms and names. Merritt uses them effectively to put us into his time and environment.

Bill Merritt's account of his service with the 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Division, in 1968, never got the attention it deserved, but it is one of the best memoir-style books to have emerged from the Vietnam War. The writing is rich and layered, the dialogue utterly real, the stories frank and fascinating. Highly recommended for anyone interested in what Vietnam was like for a junior enlisted man, and a must for any serious reader of Vietnam War literature.

I really enjoy this book. Of course the subject matter is tragic, and the pictures and text reflect the terrible political actions that have created this situation. Mr. Harrison's photographs with the Ultra-Large Format camera are beautiful. Printing is very high quality. Glad I own this book.

I had the pleasure of seeing a preview copy of this book. It isa must read as we move toward understanding what it might mean for thefuture in making China richer and more powerful through trade.

This book puts a gentle face on a very brave people who have suffered not only the largest land grab of the 20th century through the bloody invasion by China (Tibet is the size of Europe) but have suffered a genocide by the Chinese that is the most widely ignored in history.

This is a beautiful book and worth the price. Add to your reading list "Tears Of Blood" by Mary Craig and "In Exile From the Land Of Snows" by John Avedon.

China will be one of the 3 big stories of the next century if we make it richer and more powerful. This book is as important as it is a beautiful undertaking. Congratulations to Mr. Harrison END

In Whispered Prayers: Portraits And Prose Of Tibetans In Exile, Stephen Harrison showcases the inner experiences of being a Tibetan refugee through a moving narration combined with exquisite photography. This wonderful exhibition is a worthy and valued contribution is further enhanced with a foreword by His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Whispered Prayers will be read with deep engagement by students of Buddhism, of Tibetan history, and all who seek an enlightenment path through perilous and stressful times.

This book is a must see and read. Stephen Harrison truly captures the personal side of Tibetans in Exile. As you read the stories behind the Tibetans portrayed in the photographs, it's as if you are in the background while Stephen Harrison interviews these most courageous Tibetan people. The portrait photography is wonderfully presented in a landscape format providing for a personal backdrop behind the emotion and suffering of each Tibetan portrayed. This is a one of a kind presentation providing a first-time moving experience each and everytime you open the book.