Formosan Odyssey

Formosan Odyssey

Author: John Grant Ross

Publisher:

Published: 2019-10-22

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 9781788691635

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Until the early twentieth century, Taiwan was one of the wildest places in Asia. The author's travels, made around the island in the wake of the devastating 921 earthquake, and his experiences from five years of living in a small town, provide an intimate picture of modern Taiwan.


Taiwan in 100 Books

Taiwan in 100 Books

Author: John Grant Ross

Publisher:

Published: 2020-06-11

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9781788692007

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Taiwan in 100 Books is the distillation of hundreds of titles and decades of reading into a riveting narrative of Taiwan from the early sixteenth century to the present. Long-time resident John Ross, the author of You Don't Know China and Formosan Odyssey, delves into the most acclaimed, interesting, and influential books on Taiwan, along with some personal favorites. Most entries are non-fiction works originally published in English (translated Chinese-language books will be covered in a separate upcoming title). Relive Taiwan's most dramatic historical event in Lord of Formosa and Lost Colony. Learn about the White Terror in A Pail of Oysters, Green Island, and Formosa Betrayed. Discover dated "time capsule" accounts such as Flight to Formosa and Taipei After Dark, and others like John Slimming's Green Plums and a Bamboo Horse that have stood the test of time. Turn the pages of obscure books such as The Jing Affair and Dragon Hotel, undeserved best-sellers like the The Soong Dynasty, and some of the best academic works. Experience unique facets of life in Taiwan in Shots from the Hip: Sex, Drugs and the Tao and Barbarian at the Gate: From the American Suburbs to the Taiwanese Army. Follow authors on their quests, whether conservationists going undercover to expose the illegal wildlife trade, adoptees returning to find their biological parents, or foodies in search of the perfect beef noodle soup. Taiwan in 100 Books is an accessible introduction to works on the country and and an enjoyable shortcut to understanding the country's history and culture. It's also a bibliophile's elixir packed with the backstories of the authors and the books themselves; there are tales of outrageous literary fraud, lost manuscripts, banned books, and publishing skulduggery.


The Fire of the Dragon

The Fire of the Dragon

Author: Ian Williams

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Published: 2022-08-04

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 1788855140

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2023 As seen in The Times, Sunday Times, Spectator, and on Tonight with Andrew Marr (LBC) Under President Xi Jinping, China's global ambitions have taken a dangerous new turn. Bullying and intimidation have replaced diplomacy, and trade, investment, even big-spending tourists and students have been weaponised. Beijing has strengthened its alliance with Vladimir Putin, supporting Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and brooks no criticism of its own flagrant human rights violations against the Uyghur population in western China. Western leaders say they don't want a cold war with China, but it's a little too late for that. Beijing is already waging a more complex, broader and more dangerous cold war than the old one with the Soviet Union. And it is intensifying. This thought-provoking and alarming book examines this new cold war's many fronts – from Taiwan and the South China Sea to the Indian frontier, the Arctic and cyberspace. In doing so it proclaims the clear and sobering message that we must open our eyes to the reality of China's rise and its ruthless bid for global dominance.


The Five-Million-Year Odyssey

The Five-Million-Year Odyssey

Author: Peter Bellwood

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2024-05-14

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0691258813

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Human beings are incredibly diverse, from appearance and language to culture. How do we understand this diversity as a product of evolution and migration over millions of years? In this book, Peter Bellwood brings together biology, archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology to provide a sweeping look at human evolution from 5 million years ago to the rise of agriculture and civilization, presenting modern human diversity as a product of the shared history of human populations around the world. Bellwood opens the book by explaining what allows us to understand and reconstruct the human past, including the importance of archaeological, biological, and cultural approaches as well as an understanding of climate and chronology on vast time scales. From there he proceeds forward in time from the split with chimpanzees c. 6 million years ago, the emergence of Homo 2.5 million years ago, and the appearance of modern humans c. 300,000 years ago. Each chapter is driven by a set of major questions that we have new answers to, such as when did human first leave Africa?, was Homo a new species?, what was the path of migration for early humans and did early humans have discernible social life and material culture? Moving forward in time, Bellwood describes cultural and then linguistic evolution over the last 20,000 years, again driving each chapter with big questions. He concludes the book by asking how much human behavior has changed based on what we know about the past and whether humans are still evolving genetically and culturally. Ultimately, this book shows that to understand human history and ongoing modern human diversity we must first understand human populations as a the result of millions of years of shared genetic and cultural evolution"--


Taiwan

Taiwan

Author: Steven Crook

Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 184162330X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From sword-wielding shamans to unique birds an in-depth guide to Taiwan s human and natural attractions."


You Don't Know China

You Don't Know China

Author: John Ross

Publisher:

Published: 2016-03-01

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9781910736210

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Informative, entertaining, and sometimes controversial, You Don't Know China is a welcome antidote to the schizophrenic hyperbole surrounding China's supposed rise to global supremacy or, conversely, its eminent collapse. The book is an amusing, eye-opening, and ultimately uplifting shortcut to understanding this complicated country.


PT Boat Odyssey

PT Boat Odyssey

Author: Robert P. Gelzheiser

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2019-09-18

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1476662649

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

 During the Pacific War between the United States and Imperial Japanese navies, the author's father, Francis Gelzheiser, deployed with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 16A, from New Orleans to Panama to Seattle and to Attu Island in the Aleutians. After their return voyage, the PT boats journeyed to New Guinea, then battled Japanese kamikazes for the Philippine Island of Mindoro. Like many World War II veterans, Gelzheiser only shared his recollections of combat later in life. The author chronicles his father's experience, details the roles PT boats played in the war and examines why, despite America's overwhelming wartime manufacturing capacity, the Japanese believed they could still win the war.