Asia Books

It has been several years since I read this book by Sarah Lamb. The characters are still alive in my memory, and I would like Ms Lamb to return to India to update the lives she decribed. She is an Anthropoligist wrriting with warmth, who creates a lasting impression.

I am using this for a class on ethnography and I really only skimmed it before ordering it for the course. I am very impressed by the depth and breadth of the author's knowledge and the resonance it has with our own issues concerning aging in North America and beyond. As an anthropologist who has worked in India I also found it to be a vivid trip back to a much-loved land.

This book not only provides a fascinating, rich account of the ways people in West Bengal, India experience aging, but it really makes one think in new ways about the kinds of assumptions permeating aging and dying, family and gender, in our own society (North America). The author, an anthropologist, has spent several years in India. The stories she tells of her own experiences there are some of the most engaging in the book. Particular individuals come alive as well, such as Khudi Thakrun, the oldest woman in the village (at 97 years), who doesn't yet want to relinquish life and the wonderful attachments and pleasures derived from eating sweet mangoes, wandering the village to spread news, and loaning out money to increase her wealth. The book centers on village life but includes as well interesting accounts of old age homes in Calcutta and Indian popular cultural representations of old age. It complements well Lawrence Cohen's NO AGING IN INDIA. This book focuses more on experience, everyday life, and gender.

Ms. Lamb has produced a sensitive look into aging in a particular society, but in the process has touched on people of all ages. In observing the people of India I am able to compare to our value system and to touch values of real significance in living. Ms Lamb writes as an anthropologist and pictures real people dealing with adversity and demonstrating positive outlooks. I found the book uplifting and I look forward to more from Ms. Lamb.

There are other books on this issue of "cooking the books" and the strategic consequences of falsifying or prostituting intelligence, but this book by a first-time author, C. Michael Hiam, jumps to the head of the line. This is one of the most exciting and absorbing books on intelligence it has ever been my privilege to read. It is not a substitute for Sam Adams' own book, War of Numbers: An Intelligence Memoir nor for George Allen's None So Blind: A Personal Account of the Intelligence Failure in Vietnam or Bruce Jones' War Without Windows or Jim Wirtz The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure in War (Stemme) or even Orin de Forest's book Slow Burn: The Rise and Bitter Fall of American Intelligence in Vietnam.

I am especially moved by this book because it treats Sam Adams, who was reviled as often as he was a hero, in a gentle fashion, and makes it clear that the bottom line was that Adams was right and Adams had integrity. The book is superb at explaining why General Westmoreland had to back down when he threatened CBS with libel because too many witnesses were prepared to say that it was Westmoreland who ordered that the number of "enemy combatants" never go above 300,000. The military officers who loyally but stupidly followed that order, and the CIA bureaucrats who unethically "folded" on this important issue of "who are we fighting and how many" are tarred and feathered by this book, and right so, as it applies to the run up to war in Iraq and the planned bombing of Iran.

There are other CIA heroes in this book, notably Ed Hauch who got it right on the first day--he and others who actually knew Ho Chi Minh knew him to be a nationalist and knew we could not win, but it would take us 10 years to figure that out. Same same Iraq only we did not have any CIA people with both the knowledge and the integrity to speak out, just George "slam dunk" Tenet, the world's greatest intelligence prostitute.

As we consider tactical nuclear weapons for Iran, it is instructive to read in this book that the military planned for nuclear missile batteries to be inserted into Da Nang and Nha Trang.

As we reflect on how the Army Chief of Staff was ignored when he spoke of the need for major land forces to stabilize Iraq, only to be ignored, it is instructive to read in this book that Walt Rostow and others knew full well the standard rule of thumb for insurgencies, the need for a 27:1 ratio.

McNamara was deceived by Westmoreland--fast forward to Iraq and we have on the one hand a prostitution of intelligence, and on the other a series of truthful wise Army generals whose advice was ignored by civilians.

The author has done a really first rate job of capturing the nuances of the CIA and the military. His discussion of the hours spent on chit-chat unrelated to work reminds me of the AIM system today, where CIA has discussion groups on everything from teen-age drivers to menopause--in my experience, most CIA headquarters people are actually working only half the time.

The author will be long admired for this book, and on page 122 he delivers the coup de grace in citing Sherman Kent, speaking to Sam Adams, and asking "Have we gone beyond the bounds of reasonable dishonesty?" What an incredibly good job the author has done with this book.

I have been energized by this book, which validates my long-standing fight to induce intelligence reform. I was called a lunatic in 1992 when General Al Gray and I gave up on four years of internal appeals and publicly brought up the need for emphasis on open source intelligence. 18 years later we finally have a few well-meaning but impotent individuals without a program, without money, without staff, and without a clue. We will march on, and the intelligence reform will be imposed now rather than induced. I anticipate legislation on an independent Open Source Agency soon--unlike secret intelligence, public intelligence cannot be manipulated nor ignored.

The book gave me new insights on Sam Adams and on the entire order of battle methodology. Those trying to understand the Global War on Terror and the issues of foreign fighters versus home guard insurgents would do well to read this superb volume.

The author points out that Tet was a huge military failure, one that could have been exploited by the US military had they not been so deficient in intelligence about small units and the guerrillas (immortal paraphrase: "here we are in a guerrilla war and no one is counting the guerrillas"). The author educated me on the work that Sam Adams did on the Khemer Rouge in Cambodia, and saddened me when he discussed how Sam Adams' next project was going to be Chinese strategy--now wouldn't that have been something?

For the Information Operations folks, the book briefly but ably covers the Viet Cong "Military Prothlesizing" corps that was responsible for POW conversions into agents, for running psychological operations against the Saigon regime, and for penetrating the South Vietnamese Army and government, with a success rate of 30,000 or 5%. When combined with what Jim Bamford tells us on Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency about North Vietnamese Signals Intelligence, we can only marvel as the manner in which they beat our ass in the intelligence war, in part because of our lack of ethics in both the military and at the highest levels of the CIA.

Viet-Nam unraveled the Johnson presidency; I fully expect Iraq and Iran to unravel the Bush presidency. This book could not have emerged at a better time, and I recommend it very strongly to all intelligence, military, and policy professionals.

This wonderfully written book is a must-read for anyone wishing to learn about the Vietnam War and how it was mishandled, but is also must reading for those seeking to understand what is now happening to us in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sam was a one-of-a-kind analyst -- exacting, dedicated (almost obsessive), talented, and most of all, RIGHT -- and he was ignored and pushed aside. Michael Hiam's book deserves much wider media coverage, and I hope it will eventually receive it. Although this book shows Sam, warts and all, it is still a marvelous tribute to Sam and his work. (I should add that my husband Dana and I knew Sam well)

I read Sam Adams first book War of Numbers and this is a great follow up too bad this great American has passed on. The author has taken a work started by Adams before his death and finished it superbly. In this work you get a glimpse of Adams and his blind commitment to truth. Who among us would spend our whole lives trying to get the American people to see the truth of what went on behind the scenes in Vietnam. As a former Marine with two consecutive tours in Nam I always knew Westmoreland was a loser and the one who officially brought politics into the Joint Chiefs but Sam Adams makes it official. And McNamara, he is as arrogant in this book as he was in real life. This book takes you through the treachery that is at the high levels of the government and military during times of war - think today! I wish every American would read this and vote accordingly and get America the leadership it deserves. Read it and tell others.

The U.S. intelligence system is driven as much by personality as by so called `requirements' as this book so well demonstrates. Sam Adams was a self taught order of battle specialist with the CIA who became involved in a major confrontation with the Military Advisory Command of Vietnam (MACV) over the number and organization of the South Vietnamese Communist (Viet Cong) combat forces. Adams believed, and marshaled the evidence to prove it, that the Viet Cong number of combatants were over 400,000, twice the number that MACV had estimated. The MACV estimate was politically driven rather than being based on objective evidence, but in the end prevailed. Adams throughout the confrontation and afterward was a strong and effective voice for maintaining the integrity of the intelligence process and providing the most accurate intelligence possible. For his efforts he was widely ignored by both his superiors at the CIA and especially by the military. In the end he was forced to resign from the CIA.

Yet this book is considerably more than the account of one man's struggle to provide the best truth possible. It is a fascinating look at some specific aspects of the intelligence process and how that process can be subverted for political ends. This reviewer suspects that the current Iraqi WMD uproar if looked at in detail would be found to be analogous to the need by MACV to demonstrate military success in Vietnam by fabricating artificially low numbers of Viet Cong fighters and ignoring evidence to the contrary.

Sam Adams worked as an analyst in the CIA, Directorate of Intelligence and from the time he begin work in 1963 (on the former Belgian Congo) he was clearly an engaged and hard working analyst. As it turned out he also had a passion for accuracy which in the end ill-served him in his career. This reviewer was a contemporary of Adams, but at time was serving in Military Intelligence. Among those of us who were fairly far down the intelligence food chain, when Sam Adams engaged in his fight for accuracy with MACV, we all considered him a real hero.

This is the first book by C. Michael Hiam and it is a brilliant debut. He is an excellent researcher and a good writer. In this book he presents a fair and accurate picture of what is now a mostly forgotten controversy that is both relevant and vitally important to any discussion of reforming the U.S. intelligence system.

This book is by no means for the beginner. It's a tough, somewhat dry read which goes into detailed aspects of metaphysics; however and thankfully, it isn't a technical manual which would've overshot the purpose of this book. Personally, I found Unworldly Wise a more efficient book for a beginner as this one seems more useful for the occasional dive into more detailed perspectives.

Cut to the quick! Read this and you won't need to read further. Doesn't matter whether or not you think of yourself as a student of Zen. Wei Wu Wei goes to the heart and throws it in your face so clearly that the only way you won't "get it" is if you resist. If that is the case then stop reading all together. Save your money and buy insurance. A brilliant classic!

"Man is a river...never the same for two consecutive seconds" says Wei Wu Wei in this collection of enlightening essays. Packed with insights and encouragement, every page of this book has something to offer. Why Lazarus Laughed focuses on what Zen, Advaita, and Tantra have in common; what essential doctrines they share. This focus provides a refreshing look at the common questions that we all share as human beings and gives us the inspiration we need to continue on our own personal journey of understanding. Wei Wu Wei helps us come to terms with and accept the inherent uncertainty in our uncertain world. Anyone needing inspiration on their search towards self-discovery should be sure to read this book at least twice!

This book is another gem from Wei Wu Wei. It is a fine collection of Zen Advaita and Tantra. It is a must have for anyone interested in the nature of THAT beyond the words or concepts.

This is a fantastic anthology of women's writings across a broad spectrum of Indian history - well chosen and edited, with an engaging and thoughtful introductory essay. I assign this book to provide some of the primary documents for my undergraduate Gender in South Asia course. Students, in particular, will find the text clear and easy to use. The only drawbacks of the work are the near absence of writings representing the Mughal period, the 18th century, and the early 19th century, but this is partly because women's writings from this period are difficult to locate or (and this is perhaps the greatest problem) pinned down in obscure books and journal articles by copyright restrictions. Nevertheless, this anthology will not disappoint, and is well worth the cost, providing excellent breadth of material and value for money.

This book was a major find for me, since I'm Indian-American and most fiction I read in college was by white male American and European authors. It's great to have a book like this one and its companion volume. Many of the pieces have never before been translated into English. For example, there is a version of the Ramayana, one of the major Indian epics, written by a Telugu woman, parts of which are translated here.

Women Writing in India is great for curling up with in the evenings, and is a wonderful resource (the ONLY resource, as far as I can tell) for Indian women writers through the ages. Buy it now!

I have ordered these books because I found them at a house I was visiting in Austin. An Indian couple generously invited me into their home to see these books after they found out I was interested in women's history. I was particularly impressed with the writings of the woman, Tarabai. She wrote a feminist treatise in 1873, excerpted in this anthology, which reminds me of a poem, Hombres Necios, written by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz in the seventeenth century. It also called to mind the work by Matilda Joslyn Gage in the U.S. a few years later, 1893--Woman, Church and State. Tarabai's words are so brilliant and inspiring. Fantastic! Our women's movement has a much longer history and a more global representation than I ever learned about in any of my schooling.

Virginia Woolf created the persona of Shakespeare's sister - an equally talented writer whose creativity was stifled under the rigid Elizabethan society. Her Indian counterpart could be called Tagore's sister. Actually, Rabindranath Tagore did have an older sister, Swarnakumari Devi, who became an accomplished writer and journalist in her lifetime. However, rather than being patronized so often, had she received the same encouragement and support as her younger brother, she may have reached an equivalent level of international acclaim today. Editors Tharu and Lalita's anthology is an excellent collection of works by women who throughout Indian history have rarely been encouraged express themselves. Male critics have often ignored women's writing or have been condescending. Until the 20th century, female literacy in India has seldom been advocated. This book captures the development of women as writers in India, from early 6th century Buddhist nuns to the social reformers of the 20th century. Devotional writing provided a safe outlet for the Indian woman, and the bhakti (devotion) movement began in south India in the 8th century, and moved north through Maharastra, Gujarat and Rajasthan by the 16th century. A bhakti poet could express her feelings under the guise of religion, surpassing caste and gender barriers. For example, romanticism and eroticism is acceptable through the lovers Lord Krishna and Radha. Another acceptable method was to invoke the inspiration of Krishna, as Tarigonda Venkamamba (19th century Telugu) did before she imagined Lord Vishnu as her husband. A woman of a low caste, normally forbidden to read the scriptures, could create her own religious songs by attributing it to divine inspiration. Atukuri Molla, from a Telugu artisan caste in the early 16th century, actually revised the Hindu epic, Ramayana. She produced 138 slokas (verses) in six sections within five days, and Molla Ramayanam depicts the story from Sita's point of view. Like most women writers, she was apologetic about herself, "I am no scholar . . . " and said divine powers had given her this voice. A particular mark of the bhakti writer is the ankita - the author's name embedded in the text. An example is Mirabai, a 16th century Gujarati and Hindi writer, whose songs and poems are legendary today. *"Mira is the servant of her beloved Giridhar (Krishna) And she cares nothing that people mock her." (p. 93) Although there are no reliable manuscripts, Mirabai's songs have survived thanks to their lyrics and strong rhythm. Tharu and Lalita have definitely broadened the scope of women's writing in India by embracing the folk song. India has a rich oral tradition of singing at weddings, lullabies, and during house and field work. There is also a stronger collection of songs about with intense statements about childbirth and mistreatment by in-laws and husbands. In this collection, the readers can witness the centuries of oppression, as told by the women in their own words. Rassundari Devi (19th century Bengal) wrote of her own life -- weeping as child bride, bearing and raising eleven children, running a household on an empty stomach at times, and secretly learning to read behind her kitchen stove. She writes: *"I kept the sheet in my left hand while I did the cooking and glanced at it through the sari, which was drawn over my face . . . Wasn't it a matter to be regretted, that I had to go through all this humiliation just because I was a woman? Shut up like a thief, even trying to learn was considered an offense . . . the little that I have learned is only because God did me the favor" (p. 202) These women struggled for a voice within their own households - confronting forced marriages, abuse and neglect by husbands and in laws, the denial of education and the ostracization of widows. There is an especially moving personal and anonymous account of the dehumanizing treatment of widows in the 19th century. If she only knew that a hundred years later, her words had survived. One of the most insightful stories was written by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (19th/20th century Bengali) whose essays on the rights of women have been compared to English feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. In "Sultana's Dream," she envisions a society in which men are restricted to the murdana (men's quarters), while women are free to rule the country, and excel in science and politics. She sharply and logically details the women's acquisition of power and how they utilized it to create a utopic society. This dialogue is indicative of Rokeya's wit: *"[Men's] brains are bigger and heavier than women's. Are they not?" "Yes, but what of that? An elephant also has got a bigger and heavier brain than a man has. Yet men can enchain elephants and employ them according their own wishes."(p. 347) There are 140 women writers from 13 languages in this collection and every one has a singular story deserving to be told. Many pieces have been unearthed for the first time, while others are now translated into English. This collection is most likely available at university bookstores.

This is the "standard introductory textbook" that is also a true joy to read for any layman who wants some accurate information on early India. At the time the book was first published (1954), Professor Basham was teaching at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.Later he moved to the chair of Asian Civilisation, at the Australian National University, Canberra. His book remains a perennial despite his passing.

This is a classic work on pre-Muslim Indian history. The author's scholarship is evident on every page. While the preface specifically states that the book is intended mainly for a Western audience, South Asians especially should find this book salutary reading--it is an account of their history that is both objective and respectful, a healthy contrast to the unscientific views of history that are often put forth by right-wing politicians in India and Pakistan. The book is a little dated when it talks about the Indus valley civilization.

This Book is Great. Every page of it makes very insightful and intresting reading. It can hardly be bettered in the Subject its dealing with. But, I guess he may not be wholly impartial in his assessments and retains i guess some "Mlechha" attitude. I know the authors reputation and this might appear silly but at a few places he makes some sweeping statements which appear to be made without much proof.

Following are some such sweeping statements.

1. Comparing vedic culture to a culture that bears a generic likeness to that of 'Beowulf' who were semi-barbarians.

2.'and was somehow less advanced than that depicted in the Iliad.

3."BUT IN GENERAL THE MUSLIMS WERE REASONABLY TOLERANT "
Its tough to find any scholar agreeing with this view point. This is almost exclusively of AL BASHAM.

Lot more like this but believe me!.

Bashams scholarship is without peer, he is as comfortable translating tamil as he is in sanskrit, talks about vedic, jain and buddhist ideas with equal flair, passion and clarity.

The book presents ancient India; an idllyic society in an intellectual pursuit unparalled in any society made possible by a liberal and benign social and political environment.

His understanding of philosophy, religion, language and culture (art and prose) is just a pleasure. I am amazed to see the breadth in one person.

His timeline of history and how (only)Indian society has absorbed wave after wave or outsider and make them one in a melting pot is illuminating.

If you are intersted in understading Hindu's(or India); it's a must read, there is nothing as clearly written for an english reader as this.

Patwant Singh's book "The World According to Washington" offers an insightful look at America's foreign policy and the controversy surrounding it. Although much contemporary political writing focuses solely on the American perspective, Singh provides a unique viewpoint through which we can examine the actions of the United States. In viewing America from a global context, we are able to gain insight into the true ramifications of America's foreign policy. I highly recommend this book.

Noted Indian writer Patwant Singh's book, The World According to Washington: An Asian View, provides a welcome antidote to the self-centered world view of the Bush administration.
A friend of the U.S., he has written it in an effort to call attention to widely held opinion, here and abroad, that unilateral policies serving the military-industrial complex have undermined U.S. credibility and jeopardized its security. These policies as realized in Iraq have brought esteem for the U.S. to a low point in Asia.
After a brief review of the history of U.S. involvement in Asia, his analysis includes Asians' profound disappointment in the current administration's contempt for treaty-constraints, especially concerning nuclear non-proliferation and global warming. Further, he highlights ironies Asians see that Americans seem to miss: the U.S. warning Iran not to intervene in Iraq's internal affairs, for example. It is no wonder that other nations fear that opposition to U.S. policies will cause them to be labeled "terrorist" and treated the same as Iraq.
While many people in the world admire American freedoms and generosity, Singh says "after September 11 this dream has soured, as U.S. xenophobes have turned against fellow-citizens of different appearance and colour." Unfortunately this seems to confirm Asian suspicions that racism at various levels of decision-making underlay the way in which military power has been misused in Vietnam and elsewhere.
Denial of safeguards to the rights of prisoners labeled "enemy combatants" at Guantanamo weakens the rights and freedoms of Americans as well. It is not only the impact this has on world opinion, especially in the Muslim world, Singh says, that is important.
Asians have come a long way, and their creativity and innovation now can match the West's. Therefore they ask to be treated with respect. This important book is an appeal to U.S. policymakers' intelligent self-interest.

There is nothing in Patwant Singh's professional background which would give a clue to his mastery over international intrigue and geo-political issues. Yet, clearly he is in command of his facts. He also has the ability to present them clearly and in a racy, readable style.

The book also makes a persuasive case of how America, enamoured with its own power, has become a modern East India Company. Asians sometimes joke that America is not a nation, it is a corporation. Patwant Singh provides serious evidence and analysis to back that view.

What he says here is not new to Asian audiences anymore. In the recent years, an astoundingly large number of anaysts and intellectuals have more or less accepted that America is behaving irresponsibly. Many Asians are now resigned to an inevitable confrontation with America, over an issue or a non-issue, sooner or later. Patwant Singh however illustrates that this is not a recent change in American thinking - for the lst 60 years America has been consistently (and constantly) at war with the world. For USA, the 2nd world war apparently did not end in 1945.

At the same time, it must be added that the book does not offer a counterpoint. The conclusion about America does not build up through the chapters -- it is there right from the beginning. Patwant Singh then merely keeps adding the facts and analysis that would prove his point. This may make it difficult for an ordinary reader to make an informed or neutral assessment of his thesis.

Also, while the book proposes to offer an Asian view, most of the material appears to have been taken from Western sources. One can understand the reasons for this: the entire Asia does not publish half as much material as America alone does each year. Asian researchers are therefore wily-nily dependent on Western writers for their facts on international events.

Nevertheless, it is an excellent book, particularly relevant because it is written by an Asian.

This book has also been published in India by Rupa & Co., Delhi.

Criticism From a Friend of America -

Distinguished and prolific Indian Author Patwant Singh tells us in his introduction, "I admire America. I have been visiting it regularly for over 40 years. I have long and enduring friendships there, and relish the welcoming warmth I experience each time I visit." Written by a friend, this unrelenting explanation of how Washington is viewed from Asia -- and why-- is particularly urgent now as America's economic position becomes more dependant on India and China, and political tensions in Asia escalate. Globalization, an unstoppable force for both good and ill, has destroyed any possibility of American isolationism. In spite of overwhelming military might, The United States cannot control the world. In his final chapter "The Pitfalls of Power", Patwant Singh gives us a unique view of ourselves. This is how others see us; we would do well to take heed.

Pamela de Maigret

For anyone who loves the art of photography and portraiture, adventure travel, or remote and ancient cultures, this book is a treasure. It contains haunting, sublime portraits of people of China, Tibet, Bhutan, and Ladakh: laughing children, wise elders, rakish young men, monks, families, laborers, and women, old and young, at work or dressed in ceremonial finery. The portraits were not taken in a studio, and the architecture of their settings -- monasteries, villages, shops, and streets -- are as intriguing as the subjects themselves.

The poignancy and beauty of these portraits lies not only in their technical and artistic excellence, but also in their deft blending of contrasts: the exotic and the familiar, the ancient and the modern, the distinctly Asian, and the rare Western or perhaps global artifacts of our modern culture.

A World Away merits one's attention again and again, as the portraits yield evocative details and depth of meaning with each viewing. This collection is a compassionate and eloquent account of the people encountered during the artist's Asian travels. It would make an elegant gift, and, since the book's impact is visual rather than verbal, the recipient need not speak English to enjoy it.

Larry Snider's book is filled with beautiful, sensitive photographs. I have seen Snider's works before, and it is a great pleasure to be able to "visit" them as often as I like by simply owning this volume.

A thoughtfully engaging and beautifully produced monograph which details the artist's travels thoughout Asia. It is no wonder the artist's work is in so many musuems and has been the subject of numerous exhibits.

A World Away is a stunning collection of portraits that displays Snider's insight into the ancient cultures of his subjects as well as his technical excellence. Through these beautiful black and white photographs, the reader is transported to the remotest corners of Asia to glimpse lives virtually untouched by Western culture. Snider reveals the simple dignity and endurance of these people, and his book offers a rare window on their world.

This anthology includes both previously published and previously unpublished memoirs, some by women whose names I recognized and others by women whose names I'd never heard before. Editor Jill Ker Conway, author of The Road from Coorain, has selected a true cross section. Physicians trained in the days when "ladies" simply didn't enter that profession, scientists, activists, and scholars, each writer speaks powerfully in her own voice; and the result is a work that intrigued as well as informed me. I'm looking forward to reading the second volume.

Jill Ker Conway is a good writer and editor. She has collected here a group of American women's stories, all of which are fascinating. Before each memoir, she writes a short explanation, but it is the women's stories that stick with you. The ones that stuck with me most were the one of the escaping slave woman, who hid in an attic crawl space for almost a year, so desperate was she for freedom -- and the one written by Margaret Sanger. I give this book frequently as a gift to young women -- for Bat Mitzvah, graduation, to mark some important milestone in their lives. By reading about other women's struggles to define their lives, you learn more about your own.

WBH is a fascinating selection of 20th century women's autobiographies. Any collection pointing readers toward Vera Brittain's exquisite "Testament of Youth" is worthwhile, but there's much to admire here. It's confined to Anglophone countries, and literacy itself ensures a self-selecting sample of exceptional women. But within these limits there is wide variety, making it valuable for womens' studies, sociology and world history. Indian memoirs by Alexander, Mazumdar and Pandit form an especially coherent section on the nationalist movement there, as do the South Africans to a lesser extent. Many chapters highlight the crucial role of education in broadening horizons and opening doors, while offering insight on fundamental aspects of relations between women and men. More detail on authors and their countries is needed, and readers will miss the diversity of the originals, but Conway did well to include lengthy excerpts instead of mere snippets maximizing the number of contributors. (The title evokes "The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano," an early African narrative.)

I discovered this book on my own, no one told me about it. I bought it mostly on the strength of Jill Ker Conway's writings. I trust her judgement.
This book is now at the top of my favorites. It is a compilation of twenty-five autobigraphical sketches, written with truth, genius and verve, each one of them. I had to take them one at a time, letting each one digest before I went on. Each time I thought, phew, the next one won't match up and yet it did. The voices and stories are extraordinary. I am going to buy it as a gift over and over again. It is more than a jewel. It is a necklace of gems.

While I don't particularly agree with all the author's takes on Wu and the situations surrounding her, this book does lend a more objective view than most other written works about her life. The format within the book is not exactly of the most organized nature and some of the names may have been muddled for simplification's sake, but the writing itself is refreshingly straightforward. Anecdotes and rumors are stated as such. The author gives some pretty well-informed assessments of the kind of person Wu may have been. I like the speculative approach regarding Wu's actions and personality because most of the recorded history about her are in fact tainted by the agenda being pushed by those writing it. Very detailed and up to date research on the author's part about his subject. Overall, it reads like a historical text but with strong intrigue novel overtones.

This is a wonderful biography. I was somehow worried it would be boring. However, the author manages to narrate Wu's life and times in such a way that I could not put it down, and read it in less than a week's time.

Starting as a 13-year-old concubine favorite in the harem of Emperor Taizong, Wu seduced his son by whom she later became pregnant and murdered her rivals - including the empress - to become empress herself. Possibly guilty of infanticide, and of murdering her own sister, once she became the 'power behind the curtain Wu schemed and cheated her way to the throne and ruled personally under the name Emperor Shengshen from 690 to 705 (the first woman ever to use the title emperor which had been created 900 years before by the first emperor of China Qin Shi Huang). After surviving two revolts against her, in her early 80s ailing Empress Wu was unable to thwart a coup. While considering her frequent portrayal as a despot, one must bear in mind the traditional Confucian idea widely held in her day that women in general, and especially influential women, caused trouble and were not to be trusted.

For a better understanding of China, I would recommend reading: 1 and 2) two books by S.A.M Adshead: "China in World History" and "T'ang China: The Rise of the East in World History"; and 3) "Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World" by Beatrice K Otto, which is full of information on witty Chinese jesters.

Additionally, another excellent biography of a much maligned queen worth reading is "Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman" by Stephen Zweig.

Brilliant, academic work w notations, just what I was looking for. Very well written and engaging, at all time critical towards sources. Recommended!

Jonathan Clements has managed to take the story of the controversial Empress Wu and make it extremely entertaining, while still maintaining historical accuracy. He keeps the narrative going at a quick pace, but provides enough details to keep the reader from becoming lost or confused.

Empress Wu is a really difficult historical figure. She is neither a good guy or a bad guy. She is a woman who did some amazing things, and some really terrible things. So many biographies of Wu have an agenda, either to make her look like a martyr or a villain, and the truth is far more complicated than that.

Clements provides both what is known about Empress Wu, and various opinions and constructs of her made by those who came later. He shows how the image of Empress Wu is often twisted to meet the needs of political fads, and that all of these perspectives should be taken with a grain of salt.

Even if you know nothing about Chinese history, you will find this book a fascinating and lively read.

Among the educated of the half of the planet that lives in China and India, the name of Xuan-Zang is very well known. The records of his journey from China through India and back provide a great deal of insight into the culture along his route at the time, as well as the state of Buddhism. The texts he brought back had a strong influence on the development of Buddhism in China. This is an excellent book. I visited many of the Buddhist sites in India and found Xuan-Zang's descriptions to still be of use to the pilgrim today. If you're interested in the history of the silk road and central asia, this book will be of use to you also.

Since the destruction of the famous Buddhas at Bamiyan, Afghanistan in March 2001, the importance of this book has rocketted from its original publication.

Xuanzang wrote some eyewitness accounts of these gigantic statues around 630AD, and this book is an important starting point to finding out more about these monuments and what they originally looked like.

This is not an academic book but more a detailed compilation of events connected with a personage with whom the author has obviously felt a close connection. The text is well sectioned with good maps and useful information, notes and an extensive bibliography that makes the work substantive (e.g., it highlights the wider territory of ostriches in the past). Xuanzang becomes a portal through which we view the art and history of a predominantly Buddhist India before she entered a chaotic phase to re-emerge as a Mughal and Hindu civilisation later.

There is staggering insight into the mentality of the Chinese and Kings at the time and the art they bestowed on the world. The importance of the Chinese civilisation is highlighted at a time when Europe was in the grip of the dark ages.

The book contains minor errors, could have been more critical and Xuanzang's feet on the cover need alteration. Leaving this aside, there is a stunning picture from Bamiyan and we can see what was lost as well as related paintings and statues which are quite exquisite (at least one of them lost from the Kabul museum since the destructive episode recently).

A book worth treasuring as written by a professional, well travelled and strong minded author (and she found the time).

XuanZang's story has got to be one of humanity's most amazing adventures of discovery. I had heard brief references to him in various books about Buddhism, but when I read this book I was just amazed at what a prodigy he was. The amazing synchronicities that helped him on his travels really bespeak a divine providence.

I just wish there were longer direct quotes from his original book, so you could get a feel for his own writing. Also wish there was more discussion of his own spiritual journey or experience with the abbot of the Nalanda university, and the Yogacara/Vasubandhu philosophy.

Great pictures of Nalanda ruins. The story of Nalanda is really interesting in itself and the book gives you a good feel for what was happening there at its height.

All in all makes you want to read XuanZang's original book.

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By all means read this book if you are interested in the history of the Silk Road.

However there is a significant omission in this book. Xuanzang embarked on this epic journey because he wanted to learn Buddhism from the original source. But if you think you'll be able to learn much about 7th century Buddhism from this book, think again. Of course there are tid-bits and small blurbs about Buddhist ideas but it is more an expedient to advance the story rather than an effort to explain. This book is basically a travelogue, not a book of ideas.

Of course researching the various schools and thoughts of 7th century Buddhism would have been difficult and explaining it to the layperson without being confusing or boring would have also been difficult. But still I feel that writing a book on Xuanzang without attempting to explain the Buddhism of that era is incomplete.

Despite the above reservation, I still give it 4 stars because the rest of the book is quite well done.