Asia Books

This was a gift to my great-granddaughter, who is part Korean.
The story is good, as well as the drawings.

There are very few picturebooks on Korean culture for kids, which alone makes Land Of Morning Calm stand out for ages 7-12; but its other fine features include an organization by 19 topics ranging from holidays and arts to religions and home life, and beautiful visual displays of each by Soma Han. Land Of Morning Calm is a lively, educational and highly recommended presentation.

Colorful and more up-to-date looking than similar books. Brief introduction to major aspects of Korean culture. Covers such topics as clothing, language, religion, dance, music, and food. The book also includes a map of Korea and wonderful illustrations. Each page has the Korean word for the topic discussed written in hangul.

If you are looking for an introduction to the roots of Korean culture, this is the book for you. The author and illustrator have teamed up to deliver succinct accounts of Korea that can be enjoyed by people with different needs. I immediately think of Korean parents who are looking for interesting ways to help their children learn about their heritage. Travelers to Korea will find helpful the quick, penetrating insights into the essence of Korean culture. Students may use the book to find topics for more detailed research.

The book presents readable descriptions of key aspects of Korean cultureâ€"thousands-year-old mythology, language, holidays, religion, food, arts, sportsâ€"19 in all. The accounts contain detailed examples, beautifully enhanced by the steady, experienced hand of the illustrator. The use of the beautiful Korean alphabet for selected words adds artistry to the pages. The author moves from fascinating accounts of the traditions to glimpses at the way Koreans are living their culture today. I intend to recommend the book to those already knowledgeable of Korea as well as those who just want a first look at this fascinating country.

This is great book of Korean culture. It is great for teachers of Korean children and adults, Korean-Americans and anyone else interested in Korea. The book covers Korean history, writing, clothing, beliefs and other relevant material. The book is made for kids and has many pictures to help one learn more about Korea. I think this book is much better and more extensive than other books I have found. It is wonderful.

I picked up the book out of curiosity and could not put it down. It gives an engrossing history of the Chinese people by way of a study of the languages of the area. It is not just a linguistic text however; it is about all aspects of life in China: politics, economics, poetry,history, everything. Language is just what ties it all together, much like the language ties the country together.

I agree with the other reviewers that this book is completely engrossing. Rarely cam that be said of a reference type work like this! The author did an excellent job of making things understandable for someone like me who does not know any Chinese. He gives a very clear overview of the different dialects, including discussion of what exactly characterizes these dialects. It is also a great into to the other language families of China (Mongolian, Tungusic, Tai, etc.), information which is not easy to come by. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested Chinese, China, minority languages, and language classification in general.

This book is completely engrossing. I knew next to nothing about the history of my native language and it's place among the "dialects" of Chinese. Nor was I really aware of the roles played by geography, politics, and cultural influences in shaping a language or even in a language's classification. The writing is concise and lucid; and much of it is accessible to laymen. I think for the information contained within and for the price, it deserves a 10. (FYI, the colors on one of the maps seem to be offset in my book. Maybe it's intentional?)

S. Robert Ramsey's THE LANGUAGES OF CHINA is a survey originally published by Princeton University Press in 1987. China is an immense country with a rich linguistic heritage, and it is a challenge to cover even the basics adequately in a mere 340 pages. Ramsey does an admirable job, and this student of historical linguistics was thrilled to see such attention paid to the diachrony of many languages mentioned within.

The "Chinese language", the set of mutually unintelligible dialects belonging to Han people and descended from a relatively recent common ancestor, is by far the most widely-spoken in China, and Ramsey dedicates the first half of the book to it. He begins with a presentation of the historical debate over Han linguistic unification, with the northern dialects winning out over southern dialects like those of Shanghai and Guangdong. Since Mandarin has, for better or worse, been taken as the standard, it is the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Mandarin that Ramsey describes as representative of the entire language. Ramsey clearly wrote for a non-specialist audience, as he tries to debunk older Western myths that Chinese is somehow a "primitive" language due to its lack of inflection. The grammar of Mandarin here is splendidly full for just a few pages, though the debate over the use of the particle "le" isn't mentioned.

Ramsey's coverage of Chinese isn't, however, purely synchronic, for he also devotes space to the earlier stages of the language. He begins with an explanation of the Qieyun rhyming dictionary, the document compiled by Lu Fayan that, in spite of its faults, is our only useful source for the pronunciation of Middle Chinese. Ramsey then gives a colourful presentation of the life and work of Berhard Karlgren, the Swedish scholar who, by applying the comparative method to modern Chinese dialects, worked towards a phonetic reality for the mere algebraic relationships of the Qieyun dictionary. But this is not mere blind adulation, Ramsey does acknowledge Karlgren's faults and lists the younger scholars who followed him and improved on his theories. Ramsey also briefly mentions Old Chinese, the reconstruction of which is quite uncertain, and talks about some of the important changes from Middle Chinese to modern Mandarin.

The second half of the book deals with the many non-Han languages of China. First is the "Altaic family" spoken in the north of China, the Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic languages that may or may not be a valid genetic grouping, but which have significant typological similarities. Here again Ramsey gives abundant space to diachronic issues, showing how various modern languages each differ from their common ancestor. Writing systems, too, are covered. The languages of the south come next, including the Tai, Tibeto-Burman, Miao-Yao, and Mon-Khmer families, as well as unclassified or isolated languages. The story of how these languages have fared under Han domination is a major theme of the book.

If you have little bit of Mandarin under your belt (and you don't need a lot) and are interested in the linguistic diversity of this part of the world, THE LANGUAGES OF CHINESE is worth seeking out. This is especially true for historical linguistics curious about China. I can only wonder why it hasn't been reissued.

The book is divided into two parts. Part I examines the Chinese language and the Chinese dialects while Part II surveys the other languages spoken and written in China.

The book offers fascinating historical, grammatical, and political, insights; for example about possible reasons why the north is more unified than the south (easily traversed northern plains vs. isolating southern valleys and mountains).

Westerners often say that Chinese is a language without grammar simply because it's uninflected. This is grossly wrong and Ramsey describes the rudiments of Chinese's positional grammar and how the grammatical rules change somewhat from dialect to dialect. He also gives many examples of morphemes and words and how different dialects put them together.

As for political insight, I am no fan of China's repressive government and its policies. But when it comes to the cultural and linguistic minorities, its policies are surprisingly tolerant and have been for centuries. When we think that as recently as the 1950s, the French government was still trying to suppress the Gaelic language of Bretagne (Breton) we must wonder if there isn't something we can learn from Chinese policies. After all China has for centuries been making room for its minorities, and when Mandarin (putonghua) was created and adopted as the national common speech, much was made that it was no one's native tongue.

I personally wasn't very interested in the other languages of China, but they get the same, though shorter, descriptive treatment of their history and grammar. On the other hand, one real failure of the book is that all the examples are romanized (pinyin) but almost always without the corresponding Chinese characters. This is a pity since with them the book would have certainly been more useful as a study aid. I suppose in 1987 it was much harder (and expensive) to typeset Chinese passages in English books.

All in all, a fascinating survey of the linguistic landscape of China.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

Haven't finished reading the book but I found it to be very ineresting and worth my time. It takes an in-depth look at the Manchu imperial family, something that is oftentimes glossed over or ignored in history classes.
When Evelyn Rawski wrote about the Forbidden City- literally and figuratively, it is forbidden to outsiders- a real wonderland populated with characters that might eerily remind one of Alice's adventures in wonderland.

This is a great book the let people to know that Manchu still exists, because most of people had been unknown about China was named Manchu, it really named Manchu. It shows the social life style of the Manchus, the power of kingdom, which is never going to forget about the wealthy lives in Manchu, what is forbidden city really means. Forbidden City is a heaven, it is the most beautiful place to live in. It is magnificent, no where could compare with Forbidden City. Kingdom life is the best!

China should changed the name back to "Manchu" Qing Dynatsy is great!!!

This book beautifully describes the social fabric of life during the Qing Dynasty. As the author claims, she was privy to previously undisclosed Imperial records and has unearthed new insights into Qing customs.
I was introduced to this book after reading Jonathan Spence's "Treason by the book". Mr Spence, perhaps the foremost sinologist writing in a Western vein, has himself praised this book for its fount of new information on the Qing period.
I couldn't agree more and can also add that it is highly readable.

I had been taught in my high school history that "Manchus conquered China on horseback but eventually they were assimilated by the Chinese, becoming more Chinese than the Chinese". After reading E.Rawski's book, I'm beginning to question what my history teachers taught me.

E.Rawski's concentrated research on the Manchu royal family shows that the Manchus, particularly the elite did not lose their cultural heritage but in fact strove to maintain it.

The book explains how the Manchu royal family differed from the Chinese dynasties in their various aspects of social life. As the book is divided in chapters, it's easy to follow and read.

In my humble opinion, this book is for those who wish to study the Manchu monarchy in more detail.

In this work Dr. Rawski argues convincingly for her side of the sinicization debate regarding the Manchu conquest dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911). For those of you who are new to the field of modern Chinese history you may be interested in reading the articles of Rawski and Ho Ping-ti (He Pingdi) found in the Journal of Asian Studies, published in the mid-90's. The debate that was started by those articles is still of great importance to modern Chinese history, and it seems that although Rawski and others have presented a very strong case no one as of yet has been victorious. Many scholars still hold the views of Ho Ping-ti (or some version there of). Although, I suspect that over time Rawski's views will triumph. The argument, simply stated, is the question - to what extent where the "conquest dynasties," especially the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty, sinicized? In the past, scholars (perhaps dominated by the sino-centric Chinese interpretation) have agreed that foreign powers who dominated the Chinese empire forsook their own cultures in favor of a Chinese identity. This included the adoption of the Confucian civil service tradition as well as the Chinese language and many other Chinese cultural traits and behavior patterns. In recent years however, scholars have given evidence to support a very different view of dynasties like the Qing. A certain level of sinicization is undeniable, and no one challenges the fact that the Manchu banner-elite adopted a very Chinese approach to governance and cultural issues, however they also held on tightly to their own culture and went to great efforts to distinguish themselves from the Han Chinese as a ruling elite. The Manchu language, which many scholars had previously considered irrelevant (when studying modern Chinese history) has here become increasingly important. Rawski goes to great lengths to demonstrate the ways in which the ruling elite of China did not adopt 'Chinese' cultural practices but instead tried to be all things to all people. For the Tibetans and the Mongols they adopted the identity of a ruling clergy of Tibetan Buddhism, for the Chinese they adopted the Confucian model of governance, and for the Manchus they held on to various animistic traditions of sacrifice and deity worship.
This book is well written, except for a few minor stylistically uncomfortable passages, and really proves her point. Unfortunately, it does drag on a bit at times. Rawski gives an extremely detailed account of life in the upper echelons of Qing society focusing on the imperial household. There is a large body of work here and it will take several readings to truly imbibe all this book has to offer.
If you are looking to deepen your knowledge of the field I recommend "Manchus & Han: Ethnic Relations and Political Power in Late Qing and Early Republican China, 1861-1928 " by Edward Rhoads. It is a bit shorter and focuses on the ethnic and political divides between the ruling elite and the Han Chinese.

I loved this book. He seemed genuine and really care the fate of the Hong Kong Chinese.

Regardless of the so-called hidden agenda behind the rush to the democracy before the handover, the truth was back then none of the patten's predecessors had the political reforms in agenda. They were all diplomats and they only really concerned to kowtowing Beijing. Patten was a politican and he tried to work and fight for the benefits on behalf of HIS constituents i.e. people of Hong Kong. He got unfairly smeared by Beijing in return just because the truth hurts.

The bottom line was Chris Patten did leave a legacy way better than Tung che-hwa, the chief executive of Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region-not the disease) could ever dream of. What an irony it was when the white Anglo-Saxon master who make Hong Kong prosperous and better than the mainland Chinese themselves.

When the Union Jack lowered the last time on June 30, 1997, it symbolized not only the beginning of the fall of Hong Kong, but also spell the death of Hong Kong. Hong Kong-the beacon and the crown jewel of what a Chinese society ought to be back then ceased to exist.

I loved this book. I thought it was a great narrative on Chris Patten and his governorship and the hardships he endured. The book spares almost no detail, but I would have liked to see more of the Democrat's point of view. This book is absolutely necessary for people who wish to know in-depth about his governorship.

After reading the online review of Theroux's Kowloon Tong (a fictional account of the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong), I am surprised to find that only one customer have contributed a review to Dimbleby's marvelous work on the historical events. Dimbleby provided an excellent and comprehensive account of the political events that led to the signing of the 1984 Sino-British agreement, the arrival of Chris Patten, the introduction of legislative reform, and the eventual derailment of the democratic movement by the Communist Chinese Government. Dimbleby also tell the stories of several Hong Kong citizens and their views of the Handover. Being a native of Hong Kong who have spent my last 12 years in the States, Dimbleby's book brought me up-to-date on the big political stride taken by and the obstacles awaiting the people of Hong Kong.

This book is one of the best books about the history and political development of HK. It not only gives a brief but interesting historical outline at the beginning of the book, it also traces the development of HK politics. What the governors before Chris Patten did and what have been changed since the arrival of Patten. It also outlines lots of power struggles between the governor and the ministers in Britain and how Patten dealt with them. For sure the relations between the governor and the Prime Minister John Major is a key factor contributing to the "success" of the governor. Of course one would have no doubt about that the close relationship between the governor and the writer, Jonathan Dimbleby, who followed Patten to come to HK and spent several years with him, which does enable him to access some crucial but secret matters that are not easily accessed by other journalists. Being a HK citizen, reading the book enables me not just to know the past better but it also enriches me about the situations of HK at that time. Reading it is just like passing through the history once again, with all those political arguments between China and both Patten and Britain reappearing in real life. Another interesting thing about the book is that it also touches lots of the everyday lives of the ordinary people living in HK, how did they feel about the political arguments and what did they plan to do after the handover of China. This makes the book more lively. This book is definitely a book that students of history/Political Science/HK Studies should read.

Jonathan Dimbleby's The Last Governor is a tour de force that gives the reader an insider's perspective into the tenure of Hong Kong's last colonial leader, Chris Patten. Dimbleby treats the reader to a narrative account of the trials and tribulations that Patten faced as he attempted to enact democratic reforms in Great Britain's last colonial jewel. Although one would undoubtedly expect the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be vociferously opposed to any belated attempt by the British colonial authorities to bequeath a semblance of democracy on Hong Kong, Dimbleby makes the case that Patten's biggest enemies often came from within his own government. Dimbleby's revelations that selected British cabinet and Foreign Office officials shamelessly sought to downgrade the importance of Hong Kong and sacrifice Patten's proposed reforms on the alter of commercial relations with the PRC, resulted in Dimbleby being investigated by the Foreign Office for possible receipt of secret intelligence materials. Dimbleby was cleared of these allegations, but the vast array of insider information that Dimbleby amassed for this book strengthens the strident arguments that Dimbleby advances. Only a handful of participants in The Last Governor emerge with their reputations unscathed. Hong Kong's local and international business elite is portrayed as willing supplicants in the PRC's efforts to scale back personal and political liberties after Hong Kong's reversion to PRC sovereignty, a position easily enforced by PRC threats to their commercial interests. Martin Lee and Emily Lau, two of Hong Kong's leading democracy advocates, are portrayed as actually weakening Patten's push for democratic reforms through their uncompromising approach. The various representatives of the PRC are painted as unbending ideologues with little appreciation of Hong Kong's way of life. Dimbleby is most critical of the British officials, past and present, who acted to either inadvertently or deliberately sabotage Patten's governorship. Most prominent on this list is Sir Percy Cradock, Great Britain's lead negotiator in the 1984 Joint Declaration and former Ambassador to the PRC. Cradock comes off as a modern-day Neville Chamberlain, willing to cut a bad deal with an unsavory power for the sake of diplomatic expediency. Cradock compounded this error by working both privately and publically to weaken Patten's political position and policies. Dimbleby also argues that the Cradock mentality had infected the entire Foreign Office and selected members of John Major's cabinet, who worked to undercut Patten and sell-out Hong Kong in favor of better commercial relations with the PRC. The greatest strength of The Last Governor is also its greatest weakness. While such open access to Patten gives this book the necessary dramatic propulsion, it also strikes the reader as serving as Patten's mouthpiece. While Dimbleby does downgrade Patten for underestimating the challenges he was to face as Governor, Dimbleby's portrayal of Patten as the lonely David fighting against the multi-headed Goliath seems to diminish the numerous allies Patten needed to help him accomplish the limited reforms he was able to enact. Dimbleby could have also delved deeper into the political rationale behind the PRC's bargaining position and policies regarding Hong Kong. The Last Governor is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in Hong Kong, Chinese, or British affairs and to readers interested in how bureaucratic politics affects international diplomacy. Dimbleby's prose is brisk and should easily captivate and entrance the reader. Keep in mind that this is not an academic tome, so Dimbleby's point of view is repeatedly expressed without reservation or apology.

The Legends of the Samurai is a collection of excellent translations from a number of samurai-related original sources, mostly chronicles and treatises. Along with such better-known books as Kojiki, Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure, Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Elements and Mori Ogai's The Abe Family, this volume includes selections from the sources that are difficult to find in English translation, such as Konjaku Monogatari Shu and the records of various clans from the Sengoku Period. The information on the Forty-Seven Samurai is very valuable and different from that given by Mitford in Tales of Old Japan. All translations are accompanied by commentaries that help put the original sources into historical context. The book also contains a historical map of Japan and a chronology. The edition is hardcover, beautifully illustrated with modern Japanese woodblock prints. This book is a pleasure to read and would be an invaluable addition to the library of any English-speaking student of Japanese culture and history.

This book is all I needed to write a report for an AP World History class. Hiroaki Sato takes whatever fictional depictions of the Samurai a reader might think, and throws them out the window, bringing in detail after detail of what they actually are. Instead of tough, merciless soldiers, a more elegant, and "chivalristic" person is unsheathed. Legends of the Samurai is a great title. I recommend it.

First things first. Do not purchase this book if you are looking for a storybook collection of Japanese Samurai legends, for this is not what it is. If I were to try to classify this in a genre, I would say it is a history book written for the lay person. Hiroaki Sato is an extraordinarily gifted translator who has chosen to trace the history, or metamorphosis, of the Samurai consciousness from its primitive roots to the point at which it reached its very peak before giving way to the socio-economic tidal wave created by Edo-era Japn.
Sato's 'history' is not a linear depiction of events that he has marshalled into a unified narrative from a myriad of sources. Rather, he has chosen to wear his editor's hat to select various primary sources and then translate them into the English as faithfully as he can without rendering them meaningless. Many of the 'stories' he relates are translations of official Japanese histories (however fancifully told and embellished), among them some of the earliest extant written Japanese documents, also of autobiographies and memoirs of important Samurai men of letters. Along the way he does a magnificent job of explaining to the reader the significance of certain lines of poetry, or literary references that crop up continually during the momentous and not so momentous exchanges between antagonists, friends, teachers and students, leaders and servants, etc. Thus the tradition of speaking volumes in three short lines of poetry comes alive for the Western reader. Much of the text is allowed to speak for itself, of course with Sato's guiding editorial hand to take us where he wants us to go.
One way that this form of non-narrative narrative plays out, for example, is in an explication of that super-famous story 'The Forty-Seven Ronin.' Sato does not choose to translate one of the many dramatic stories that were written around the tale, but to first explain in dry and informative prose what occured and then to translate various contemporary critiques of the actual events. Thus, we get a translation of the official report filed with the Shogunate by one of the officials who helped to adjudicate and administer the sentence, and criticisms of the hero and heroes of the story as well as a defence of and criticisms of the villain. Utterly fascinating stuff, all.
Also, Sato allows the Samurai to unpack his mind and explain his aesthetic to us by translating select passages from books by Samurai explaining what it is to be a Samurai. Sato's selection of trenchant philosophical gems will have the reader examining himself and resolving to live and think differently henceforth from the way he was before reading this book.
Criticisms: This is not Sato's fault, but because he is translating from official histories, one's eyes can begin to glaze over from the long lists of difficult to remember, multi-syllabic, multi-word titles, names and place-names. Thus a single person can have two or three titles, two or three names and be associated with two or three places and go into battle with a handful of like-titled companions against an array of similarly named foes. This process is made even more difficult by the fact that Samurai might change their names and titles three or four times in the course of their lifetime: One is never just 'Bob.'
I'm sure it was intentional, but the last entry in this volume really sums up all of the flaws and weaknesses of the Samurai system and aesthetic and places a fitting closure on the book when he describes the mayhem that occurs as a result of the death of a Daimyo. The reader is left with perhaps a sense of awe, certainly a new perspective on a way of living life, and finally an appreciation of how cruel and senseless the code of the Samurai can be when taken to absurd extremes. One closes the book with a completely different perspective of the Samurai than the one he had when opening it.

I really enjoyed reading the accounts told in this book. The poetry and duty of the Samurai are truthfully displyed. Eye witness accounts of events give unique feeling to the stories told.

Going by the last reviewer's tirade, one would be forgiven for avoiding this book as another example of Japanese right wing nationalism. Sadly, their review had little, if anything, to with the book "Legends of the Samurai" itself. There is not one whiff of nationalistic parading in the entire book, and Hiroaki Sato avoids anything even hinting at it. Rather than call the Eastern Sea "The Sea of Japan", Sato uses "Eastern Sea", (see the chapter on Oda Nobunaga).

The book itself is divided into 4 broad sections, each containing excerpts and sections dealing with the broad theme at hand. These themes include martial prowess, samurai in battle and war, samurai as they viewed themselves and so on. Although the arrangements come from a large array of sources, they are not as disjointed as they could have been. In fact, Sato has done exceptionally well to blend them as much as he has.

All of the translations come from primary sources, providing a rare insight into a lot of events from people living much closer in time. The translation into English was handled well, and Sato has to be one of the more pleasurable translators to read. I enjoyed the translation for its ease and structure very much.

Sections of particular interest to me were extracts dating to around the end of the Kamakura Bakufu, especially Kusunoki Masashige. Also, the trouble between Minamoto brothers, Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, made for absorbing reading. Having read about Takeda Shingen in novels, it was with relish that I read some primary sources that mentioned him.

Sato provides commentary and explanatory footnotes throughout, and these prove both insightful and helpful in understanding the situation in which the events occurred. Sato's love of Japanese poetry shines through, as he does emphasise it in places and mention it passing when relevant.

Rather than right wing, nationalistic yearning for the past, I found "Legends of the Samurai" to be an excellent foray into the history of one of the most iconic symbols of Japan's history. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I utterly loved reading it, and learned a huge amount about the samurai, their history, and their views on themselves, the world and more. An interest in the samurai almost makes this book a must-have addition to your library.

During the Pacific Conflict of WWII, the Japanese where characterized as brutal imperialistic conquerors, hungry for more territory and more resources as well as greater control over their asian neighbors in China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Phillipines. The United States is viewed as the pure of heart liberators who had come to rescue and aid such people. It is a sad and shameful fact that America had roughly committed the same act of vicious colonialism on the Phillipines years before Japanese troops set foot on the islands.

After the fall of Spanish-American War, rather than attempting to help the Fillipinos to rebuild their occupied homeland, the United States government, in a deeply disturbing turn to greed and arrogance, opted to occupy them just as their Spanish adversaries had done. Huge divisions of soldiers where sent to the Phillipines. The Fillipino guerillas and resistance fighters found themselves battling an enemy that they had considered a friend and ally only a few years before. Though a "successful" counterinsurgency, the Phillipine Insurrection is often thought of as a precursor to the American experience in Vietnam.

This is a conflict that the history books should stop trying to ignore. I love this country but if we want to avoid brutal and senseless campaigns like those in Iraq and Vietnam we need to take into account the wrongdoings of our country such as the occupation of the Phillipines. In fact, during WWII many Fillipino guerilla groups where reluctant to join forces with the US troops and even considered attacking BOTH sides to ensure that either Japanese or American occupation would not happen.

Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.

(click the author's name for several other editions of this book)

From: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 26, 2003 SECTION: 8

"LITTLE BROWN BROTHER" is the title of the book Leon Wolff wrote in 1961. It was an eye-opener not just for Filipinos but for Americans as well, most of whom had grown up believing the American seizure of the Philippines, along with Cuba and Puerto Rico, before the turn of the last century was done with the noblest of intentions and wrought through the most benign of intrusions. The original title of the book was "Little Brown Brother: The Forgotten American Bid For Empire Which Cost 250,000 Lives," which was eventually shortened. The subtitle pretty much sums up what the book is about. The 250,000 lives were of course the Filipinos', the American occupation force, as in Iraq more than a century later, suffering few casualties.

Wolff's book told not just of the way a good portion of the new colony's population was wiped out but of the way the entire population's memory was wiped out. The first claimed only 250,000 lives, the latter the souls of nearly every inhabitant of the island. Superimposed on the horrific reality was the general patronage movie version of the occupation, not unlike Fernando Poe's, which told of the making of the "little brown brother," the sidekick, with the face of Dencio Padilla, who would forever be at the hero's side. It was to become the cornerstone of "special relations," relations which have proven especially comfortable for the United States and especially excruciating to the Philippines. "


From The Washington Post, February 24, 1985:
The story of how, and why America liberated the Philippines from Spain and then took the islands back from their inhabitants two weeks later is a complicated one, already well told in one of the classics of American historiography, Leon Wolff's Little Brown Brother, published in 1960.



From BusinessWorld October 21, 1998:

"Little Brown Brother." The author is Leon Wolff, who also wrote the celebrated "In Flanders Field." The subhead on the front cover title and the introduction by the publishers provide an idea of the contents:

"America's Forgotten Bid for Empire Which Cost 250,000 Lives - At the end of the last century, when British imperialism was at its peak, the United States embarked on an acquisitive venture unique in that freedom-loving nation's story. The extra-ordinary circumstances of the annexation of the Philippine Islands and the bloody three-year war that followed the insurrection of its eight million inhabitants (a war in which a quarter of a million U.S. troops and Filipinos died) are today all but forgotten, even in America...

"It was after America's easy Caribbean victory in the war with Spain (1898) that the imperialist faction in American politics, whose leaders included President McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, provoked a political controversy of almost unparalleled bitterness. Meanwhile, ten thousand miles away in the western Pacific, Filipino patriots under Emilio Aguinaldo, who had helped the invading Americans drive out the hated Spaniards, found themselves betrayed by their liberators and saddled with a fresh domination - against which they promptly revolted."

Wolff presents a balanced narrative, depicting an America split between the anti-imperialists, typified by William Jennings Bryant and Mark Twain, and politicians like McKinley, with his delusions of his country's "manifest destiny," and Roosevelt (Theodore), the former Rough Rider, who lumped Filipinos along with the native Americans whom he had fought in the bloody Indian wars.

According to Wolff, in accepting his vice-presidential nomination, Roosevelt declared: "... the presence of (U.S.) troops in the Philippines during the Tagal (Tagalog) insurrection has no more to do with militarism or imperialism than had their presence in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wyoming during the many years which elapsed before the final outbreaks of the Sioux were definitely put down... (Self-government) under Aguinaldo would be like granting self-government to an Apache reservation under some local chief..."

This attitude was reflected in the way the Americans conducted the war. Two officers of a U.S. regiment leaked a particularly gory episode to the New York World, which wrote:

"... our soldiers here and there resort to horrible measures with the natives. Captains and lieutenants are sometimes judges, sheriffs and executioners... 'I don't want any more prisoners sent to Manila,' was the verbal order from the Governor-General three months ago... It is now the custom to avenge the death of an American soldier by burning to the ground all the houses, and killing right and left the natives who are only 'suspects.'"...

Liberation meant conquest
New York Times Review March 5, 1961
...Wolff also author of "In Flanders Field," condemns a few cruel men, but writes understandingly of the pressures and counter-pressures that led to inhuman conduct. The struggle became, for all the participants, a nightmare war fought in torrential tropical rains and ankle deep mud, involving incessant fatigue and hunger and a sudden horrible death along jungle trails...Wolff, drawing upon a mass of contemporary writing, published documents and the memoirs of Anguinaldo, has succeeded admirably in re-creating both sides of this nearly forgotten conflict. It is a shame that the American troops, fighting with courage and fortitude, were not enlisted in a better cause. At the time it appeared far more noble than it does today, but even then a British magazine commented, "There have never been more wicked wars than this...but never a more shabby war."

"Little Brown Brother" gives the reader an excellent introduction to the American conquest of the Philippines. With a copyright granted in 1960, the title may be dated, but the narrative is thorough.

This book is concentrated on the Philippine theatre of the Spanish American War. Leon Wolf begins with backgrounds of the Imperialist sentiment in the U. S. and the Philippine struggle for independence. The nature of the Spanish domination of the islands, largely through control of government and church offices, is laid out.

Action in the Far East began with Adm. Dewey's destruction of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. This left a multi-polar balance of power, with American dominance of the Bay, challenged by German and British fleets and the city under the control of the Spanish, but surrounded to landward by the Filipino insurgents. This state led to a series of discussions during which the Spanish negotiated with the Americans for an arrangement which would satisfy their pride while protecting them from massacre by the Filipinos. The Filipinos, meanwhile, were negotiating with the Americans for support for their revolution. These negotiations would lead to conflicting claims as to what was promised which would be adjusted by the American Army. With the build-up of the American Army the balance of power shifted and the American conquest began. Extending over several years, the Americans occupied first the Bay, next Manila and, after a drive across Luzon, the entire archipelago.

Much attention is devoted to the political struggles over whether the U. S. should take the islands and, if so, how much they should take. Other nations stirred in the troubled pot. Japan's offer to help govern the islands was spurned. German bellicose behavior was opposed by the Royal Navy.

American debate over taking the islands was reminiscent of more recent debates over foreign interventions. Many of the issues are similar to ones which have arisen at other times in history and which continue to arise. As the war with the Filipino insurgents dragged on, the Americans were accused of conduct which was similar to Spanish actions which led to American intervention in Cuba. Imperialists and Anti-imperialists argued over whether or not American treasure should be expended and blood spilled in tropical jungles and whether we were liberating or murdering their inhabitants. The concentration of natives in villages was not only reminiscent of Spanish measures but prescient of American actions decades later in another Asian battleground. American actions in the islands became a political football, while Filipino patriots attacked American troops while awaiting the election of William Jennings Bryan in anticipation of receiving a grant of independence from his hands. With the reelection of William McKinley, Filipino independence was deferred for over 40 years.

Throughout this book I enjoyed reading the history and comparing its issues with those of later eras. The conquest of the Philippines really set the pattern for American victories and defeats throughout the rest of the 20th Century. These comparisons provide fuel for hours of contemplation.

Throughout this work the author maintains a good balance between detail and broad themes, without ever becoming bogged down or detached from reality. It is informative and readable. As you can see from my other reviews, a really good book earns four stars from me. Only the exceptional ones, such as "Little Brown Brother", earn five.

Mr Wolff has compiled a classic account of this savage and mostly forgotten conflict that brough America into a war that would be very similar in the sixties. A brilliant telling of both sides of the war, from the political figures, Filipino field commanders, volunteer soldiers from Oregon and Kansas, the "Buffalo Soldiers", Marines, Moros wielding their razor-edged barongs to generals like Lawton, Merritt, Pershing, Funston and Arthur MacArthur. If you are interested in this story, I recommend this book and Muddy Glory by Russel Roth to name but a few. History as it should be taught in school.

This is the Philippines Centennial Year of celebrating a noble attempt at Independence as a Nation . Incredible that in this day and age, nothing much has changed in the Philippines. Today wears a cloak of sophistication, outward love of all things American by a population that has no idea of the blood that was spilled by America in the process of a rough and dirty attempt at colonization of the Philippines. The Little Brown Brothers were denied their birthright by the American Gatling gun on the pretext of replacing the well known cruel tyranny of Spanish rule with the so called justice of the United States. 100 Years later, - it is just a bit more modern, the action faster. the politics the same, the poor still poor and the rich much, much richer. The Reader is vividly reminded that everything is the same. Powerful authenticated stuff for the modern educated Filipino, far more enlightening than Rizal's "Noli ne Tangere" and should be compulsory reading for all Filipino's. - if it were available

What becomes abundantly clear as one reads through this bok is that H.E. Davey writes from experience. He has practised several of the "ways" to a very high level, and he is able to write about his experiences in a readable, almost conversational manner. He sees quite deeply into the heart of Japanese culture, taking the reader along a path of understanding and discovery as he presents the key concepts of that tradition. In addition to the text, the marginal reminders and definitions of the key concepts reinforce what one has already encountered in the text, and serve as a glossary of important terms. Davey provides exercizes to try at home, as well. All in all, this is a first-rate book -- helpful, accessible, accurate, and often profound.

H.E. Davey excels at communicating an approach for the Westerner to Japanese concepts of universality, aesthetics, and human spirituality. Written in a very accessible form, this book is an excellent introduction to those topics for the beginner; as well as being a great reference book for those already practicing any form of meditation, martial art, or fine art. Full of concrete descriptions of ideas and relationships that often go mute in Western culture. Read it over and over!

This book is unique in that it gives Westerners a comprehensive insight into Japanese arts and ways. Not many are able to capture something so inangible as Japanese aesthics as well as Davey. A great read.

Davey provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the principles and aesthetic qualities that characterize the Japanese arts. Ideal for Westerners interested in Japanese arts, particularly those who have practiced an art for some time and are looking to go beyond merely practicing the form and delve into the spiritual dimensions embodied in these arts. Highly recommended.

H.E. Davey excels at communicating an approach for the Westerner to Japanese concepts of universality, aesthetics, and human spirituality. Written in a very accessible form, this book is an excellent introduction to those topics for the beginner; as well as being a great reference book for those already practicing any form of meditation, martial art, or fine art. Full of concrete descriptions of ideas and relationships that often go mute in Western culture. Read it over and over!

This is wonderful collection of stories based on Browning-Larsen's personal experiences in Asia--cerebral, sensitive, well-written and interesting!

Several short stories with explicit details of Asian love. From the gardens of Japan to the Filipino "guest houses". How it happens, where to find it, and who is doing it.

If you're planning to take a trip to any country in Southeast Asia you can't miss this book. Some stories will touch your heart and some will make you laugh. Avoid getting rip-off by street merchants and visiting great sites is just a few thing you should check out.

I just finished reading Lucky at Love, and having spent the better part of the past ten years living, working and travelling in Asia I feel the author, Eric Browning-Larsen, did an excellent job.

The book is a witty, often times hilarious, and all together personal account of Mr. Browning-Larsen's various travels in the Asia region, as well as his observations of Asian-American lifestyles in the United States.

From red raccoons in Bangkok, working girls in the Philippines and landmines in Laos to the death of a Chinese family in the Unites States, the struggles of a Cambodian refugee family and the father of Gary Locke, Washington State's Asian-American governor, Mr. Browning-Larsen provides deeply caring insight into the lives of Asians both here in the United States and in Asia.

Lucky at Love is the perfect, late night reader, and I recommend anyone with an interest in contemporary Asia consider reading this book.

(And, it should be noted, the author's profits from Lucky at Love will be donated to the Pacific Pathfinder's Foundation, an organization providing educational assistance to Asian students in Southest Asia and the US. So additional kudos to Mr. Browning-Larsen for having such a charitable heart!)

Great book, tastefully written, and tough to put down. I laughed, cried, and was even shocked at the cultural differences and dedication to love in Asia. Suitable for all ages.

I've read or recommended Ji-li Jiang's retelling of the classic Monkey stories to dozens of kids, and have never met a kid who wasn't completely captivated. This selfish, boastful, impulsive, hilarious creature causes the worst kinds of trouble, and seems to get away with it all.

The more chaos Monkey stirs up, the more stunned we are that no one can stop him.

Kids seem to zero in on the unfairness of a creature being so powerful, and yet so unworthy of the power he's been given. We hope against all evidence that Monkey will gain some wisdom.

This volume contains only the beginning of the Monkey saga. And we hope the rest will be published soon.

A film based on Monkey King is in production now with Jet Li and Jackie Chan which I'm sure will fan interest in the original stories, once it is released.

Ji-li Jiang's retelling is the best available in English for intermediate students. We look forward to her finishing the story. And seeing more of You-shan Tang's energetic and fresh ink painted illustrations.

I purchased this book, hoping it would stimulate my ten year old grandson to enjoy his introduction to The Monkey King, and want more. It did just that! He has enjoyed the action, and the unique stories, and is now ready to delve further into a more mature rendering of The Monkey King. This book is an excellent first step into this magical world.

Excellent!. These Monkey King episodes have kept the interest of middle school students examining the idea of heroes and superheroes.

Also available in a paperback edition (1885008255, $6.95), The Magical Monkey King is a retelling of classic Chinese folktales by Ji-Li Jiang. Ideal reading for children ages 7 to 10, and enhanced with black/white drawings by Youshan Tang. The Magical Monkey King tells of the Monkey King's rambunctuous adventures, from his studies with a wise sage to learn the secret of immortality, to taking a job as royal gardner in the Kingdom of Heaven, and his encounter with the great Buddha. Simple yet delightful prose of Monkey King's fantastic exploits make The Magical Monkey King an amazing, enjoyable, and whimsical read for all ages.

My kids are a bit familiar with this story already, because we live in Hong Kong and have seen parts of the series on TV and because they've also read parts of it extremely abdridged in Chinese "comic book" form.

They (aged 7 and 5) loved this book. It is written in clear English, that nonetheless gives a feel for the names amd action of the characters. It is abridged enough so the kids don't get bored, but is complete enough to be faithful to the full-length novel. We just finished reading it aloud 5 days ago and the kids REALLY wanted to know what happens next.

Unfortunetely, the second installment of the story is not yet published. So, my family is now waiting impatiently for the next bit.

The only thing that could be better were the illustrations. They were small and in black and white. While I know that making the book larger and with color illustrations would have made it more expensive, I would have been willing to pay for it.

Excellent book.

If one wants to understand the debacle or "quagmire" know as the Vietnam War, look no further than this riveting account! In "The Making of a Quagmire," David Halberstam pin points all of the failures of the system years before the first official U.S. troops splash ashore at Danang, Vietnam. His account, a collection of observations about Vietnam under the Diem presidency, is refreshing while at the same time shocking in its findings. While many observers insisted that efforts in Vietnam were progressing so well from 1961-63, Halberstam sees the light. His expose of all the failings of the system includes candid words about the inept south Vietnamese leadership and the American advisors who grow increasingly frustrated with their mission. Most importantly though, Halberstam offers a glimpse into the life of a journalist caught in his own war of censorship.

Before reading this book, my knowledge of the Vietnam war was limited to the movies I had seen on the subject, until recently when a friend recommended this book to me after a brief discussion of the war, its political agenda and its intrigue. Making of a quagmire is an extensive and thourough account of the events in 1961 and 1962 that lead to the eventual full american involvemnt in Vietnam. Halberstam provides an unbeleivable and at times jaw-dropping first hand account of the political and military events of the period, and translates with remarkable skill the frustration of the vicious circle that was the american policy in Vietnam. A must read for any one with even a slight interest in the subject

Halberstam's work is a classic, outlining the dilemma that Vietnam posed to American policymakers in the early 1960s, and written in lucid, newspaper-reporting style. The author's perceptiveness is particularly striking when one considers that he wasn't even 30 years old when he covered Vietnam.

Unfortunately, this McGraw-Hill edition abridges Halberstam's masterpiece. Most of the essential pieces of the story remain, but much of the rich, colorful narrative, which makes this such a fascinating book, is lost. Hopefully, a complete version will return to print soon.

In the early 1960s, David Halberstam was a New York Times correspondent who initially viewed the U.S. political and military-advisory roles in South Viet Nam as a necessary stance against the Communist menace (as defined by Dwight Eisenhower's "domino theory" in Southeast Asia).

But his pessimism grew during tours of the nation, interviews with American military advisors and his concerns surrounding the corrupt South Vietnamese government of President Ngo Dinh Diem. His criticism became so much of a problem to the Kennedy Administration that the president himself lobbied NYT editors to have Halberstam yanked out of South Viet Nam if his reporting continued to run contrary to the government's optimistic pronoucements.

The abridged edition - to make the text more accessible to those not familiar with this history - is a classic retrospective on how Halberstam grew to question the policies of Diem and Kennedy. It also importantly takes the reader through a journey on how he had to walk gingerly through the web of censorship that is played out between the government & the news media.

I read this book when I was a Cadet at West Point. It changed the way I looked at U.S. policy.