Ancient China, Life, Myth And Art  •  Edward L. Shaughnessy HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A brief survey of the artistic, social, cultural, scientific, mathematic, musical, and literary achievements of ancient China. Shaughnessy presents, through informed text, 80 photographs and 30 illustrations, Buddhist cave paintings, the Terracotta Army, examples of calligraphy and silks, and many more fine examples of the marvels of the ancient Chinese world. (CHN285, $23.00)
Anthology of Chinese Literature, Volume II: From the 14th Century to the Present Day  •  Cyril Birch ANTHOLOGY •  1988 •  PAPER  • 476 PAGES An excellent collection of representative verse, song, stories, essays and excerpts from classic novels, a sampling of Chinese writing over the last 700 years with an introduction by the editor. It includes Ghosts and other Marvels, Red Chamber Dream and writing by masters little known in the West. This volume follows Birch's well received anthology of writings from ancient China, a banquet of love stories, operatic plays, drinking poems and other traditional Chinese writing. (CHN14, $16.50)
Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana  •  Stephanie Elizondo Griest BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES The offbeat memoirs of a native Texan who spent four years as a volunteer in Moscow, a propaganda officer in Beijing, and a belly dancer in Havana. You may have come across Griest's distinctive voice in a collection of Travelers' Tales, where she is a regular contributor. She's young, a witty observer with a way with words, and utterly passionate about travel. This is her first book, as much memoir as travel account, spanning four years and three continents. (RUS242, $14.95)
The Arts of China  •  Michael Sullivan ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES • COMING IN DECEMBER A comprehensive survey of Chinese visual arts -- and culture -- through the ages. It's a lively overview, thoroughly illustrated and accessible, covering bronzes, lacquer, ceramics, painting and architecture, from the Neolithic to the modern. With 380 illustrations, half in color. This is the fourth edition of Sullivan's popular textbook, equally appropriate for the serious traveler or general reader. (CHN16, $39.95)
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress  •  Sijie Dai  •  Ina Rilke LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES A charming, unexpectedly witty, tale of two teenage boys in China sent off to the countryside during Mao's Cultural Revolution. This slim novel celebrates the power of stories and literature and the imagination. (CHN159, $12.95)
Beijing: From Imperial Capital to Olympic City  •  Lillian Li  •  Alison Dray-Novey  •  Haili Kong HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 321 PAGES This engaging acholarly history chronicles the full sweep of Beijing's transformation from ancient imperial capital to a modern international metropolis. (CHN409, $18.95)
Between Mecca and Beijing, Modernization and Consumption Among Urban Chinese Muslims  •  Maris Boyd Gillette CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  PAPER  • 296 PAGES Published by Stanford University, this scholarly paper looks at how the Hui people of Xi'an -- ethnic Muslims -- have negotiated the right to religious freedom in the PRC. It focuses especially on their eating habits. (CHN180, $23.95)
Bradt Guide The Great Wall of China  •  Thammy Evans GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 278 PAGES Practical, reliable and up-to-date, this Bradt guide covers Beijing and northern China in companionable detail. With 35 local and town maps, chapters on Dandong, Hebei and Tainjin, Bejing Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Gansu, and a general overview of people, culture and history. (CHN351, $22.95)
Buddhist Art and Architecture  •  Robert Fisher ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A wide-ranging, illustrated survey of Buddhist art, architecture and iconography in the excellent World of Art series. It includes examples from throughout Asia. (ASA30, $18.95)
Cadogan Guides Beijing  •  Peter Neville-Hadley GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 422 PAGES • COMING IN SEPTEMBER A practical region-by-region guide in the British series, with good maps as well as introductory chapters on the history and culture of Beijing. (CHN503, $24.95)
China Map  •  International Travel Maps 2006 •  MAP A fine, double-sided map of China, at a useful scale of 1:3,800,000, featuring colorful shaded relief, indexed with an inset map of central Beijing. Fifth edition. It also shows parts of Korea, Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. (CHN06, $11.95)
The China Reader, The Reform Era  •  Orville Schell  •  David Shambaugh HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 553 PAGES This sourcebook on contemporary China includes first-hand material by Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, along with insightful essays by several scholars on the culture and politics of China over the last 25 years. Dean of the graduate school of journalism at Berkeley and a China scholar, Schell is also the author of Mandate of Heaven and Virtual Tibet. Co-editor and contributor David Shambaugh, professor at George Washington University, is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. (CHN224, $17.95)
China Wakes, The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power  •  Nicholas Kristoff  •  Sheryl WuDunn CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  PAPER  • 501 PAGES This book is an engrossing, disturbing portrait of contemporary China and its cultural dissidents. The authors journeyed from Tibet to Tiananmen, reporting in depth on a nation struggling to hold onto tradition while modernizing its economy. (CHN33, $16.95)
China, A New History  •  John Fairbank  •  Merle Goldman HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 546 PAGES An awesomely detailed 2,000-year history of China, revised, with a new chapter by Merle Goldman. Second edition. After setting out his historical biases in a lengthy introduction, Fairbank takes us chapter-by-chapter from Paleolithic China up to Tiananmen Square in 430 pages. His approach is expansive, taking into account the huge diversity of terrain and peoples within what we now call modern China. Fairbank ponders at length the great advances in China circa 1000-1500 -- and of China's failure to fall in line with the industrial revolution that catapulted the West into prominence. This is an opinionated, absorbing standard history. (CHN11, $22.50)
China, Its History and Culture  •  W. Scott Morton HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES A concise survey of Chinese history, people and culture from the Neolithic to present times. Morton, who wrote a similar book on the history of Japan, weaves together politics, culture and history, and includes selections from literature and arts, anecdotes and illustrations. Aimed at the college student, the book is also appropriate for the traveler. (CHN22, $18.95)
The Chinese Kitchen  •  Eileen Yin-Fei Lo FOOD •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 452 PAGES An authoritative and delightful book about food and cultural practices in a very food-oriented culture. "Have you eaten yet?" the Chinese traditionally ask each other when they meet by chance in the street, and here Eileen Yin-Fei Lo has written a cookbook which doubles as an introduction to China itself. It's a compendium not only of recipes (of which there are hundreds, all authentic, all clearly explained), but also of lessons in Chinese history, folkloric tales, and reminiscences of the author's childhood in Guangdong province, where she learned to cook at her grandmother's side. With chapters on Chinese tea and how to stock a Chinese pantry, plus a recipe for the 28-ingredient feast dish known as "Buddha Jump over the Wall", this is a book -- in English! -- that any Chinese cook would want. (CHN134, $39.95)
Chinese Rugs: A Buyer's Guide  •  Lee Allane GUIDEBOOK •  1994 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A guide to the history, techniques and variety of carpets produced throughout China, including typical motifs and materials. It features a practical guide to price and quality for the prospective buyer. (CHN30, $15.95)
Chinese, A Language Map  •  Kristinek Kershul LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2001 •  PLASTIC CARD This durable, foldout card, featuring 1,000 words and phrases, works as a quick reference for travelers. (CHN284, $7.95)
The Death of Woman Wang  •  Jonathan Spence LITERATURE •  1978 •  PAPER  • 169 PAGES The turbulent saga about a runaway wife who is murdered by her husband, set in 17th century China and written by one of the foremost western scholars on China. (CHN58, $14.00)
Did Marco Polo Go to China?  •  Frances Wood EXPLORATION •  1998 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES A critical look at the manuscripts and evidence regarding this most famous of journeys, Wood's book raises fascinating questions as to the authenticity of the travel journals written while Marco Polo was in prison in Genoa. (CAS28, $35.00)
Dragon Lady, The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China  •  Sterling Seagrave BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1993 •  PAPER  • 601 PAGES (CHN229, $18.95)
Explorer Beijing, The Complete Residents' Guide  •  Explorer Publishing GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 430 PAGES A comprehensive practical guide to the region. It also includes a healthy amount of historical, natural and cultural information. (CHN505, $24.95)
Eyewitness Guide Beijing and Shanghai  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES This superb guide features color photography, dozens of excellent maps and a neighborhood-by-neighborhood synopsis of the top attractions in two of China's most fascinating cities. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (CHN385, $23.00)
Eyewitness Top 10 Beijing  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions in Beijing. (CHN427, $12.00)
Farewell My Concubine  •  Kaige Chen 1993 •  DVD The moving story of a fifty-year friendship between two men who meet as children in the Peking Opera. Their friendship continues against the backdrop of China's tumultuous political history, as their roles as king and concubine become widely recognized throughout the region, and as a beautiful woman almost comes between them. (CHN226, $14.99)
Fodor's Beijing  •  Emmanuelle Morgen  •  Deborah Kaufman GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 251 PAGES A practical, frequently revised guide to Beijing and Shanghai featuring hundreds of annotated listings of where to eat, stay and shop. (CHN253, $17.95)
Fodor's Beijing's 25 Best  •  Fodors GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES This slim book includes a separate full-color map of the center of Beijing, along with a handy 96-page shirt-pocket guide with essential information on its highlights, including restaurant recommendations and sightseeing. (CHN48, $11.95)
Fodor's Exploring China  •  Christopher Knowles GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES This excellent series has done it again with a stylish guidebook laced with maps and color photos that brings to life old and contemporary China. With separate sections on suggested places to visit, recommended walks, practical information including travel facts, the basics of communications, climate, money, electricity, photography, and transportation, descriptions of restaurants and hotels, ratings of sights, a language guide with Chinese phrases and numbers, a chronology of dynasties and historic events, even a small section on traditional arts and crafts, and chapters on the Silk Road, Beijing, and Xi'an, this is a complete and handy reference for any trip to China. (CHN25, $22.00)
Frommer's Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop Hong Kong, Shanghai & Beijing, The Ultimate Guide for Travelers Who Love To Shop  •  Suzy Gershman GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 294 PAGES A guide to shopping for designer labels, contemporary art, lacquer, jade, porcelin and more. (CHN397, $15.99)
Giant Pandas in the Wild, Saving an Endangered Species  •  Lu Zhi NATURAL HISTORY •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES In this important new book, Dr. Lu Zhi offers an indepth portrait of the giant panda and international conservation efforts to protect the panda and its habitat in China. A researcher since 1985 and former coordinator of WWF's panda program in China, Dr. Zhi chronicles the social lives and population dynamics of 20 individuals in a number of reserves, both in text and photographs. With a foreword by Claude Martin, Director General of WWF-International, and excellent color photos by George Schaller and Lu Zhi. (CHN173, $35.00)
The Ginger Tree  •  Oswald Wynd LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES The best-known work of the Japanese-born Scot Oswald Wynd (1918 -1998), in which a naïve 20-year-old Scots girl at the turn of the century sails to China to marry a military attache in Peking … only to get mixed up with a handsome young Japanese aristocrat and horrify the British community. The novel, which was the basis for a popular Masterpiece Theatre miniseries, follows Mary MacKenzie's adventures with love and life in early 20th Century China and Japan. Originally published in 1977. (JPN125, $12.95)
Global Cities: Beijing  •  Nancy Pellegrini GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 61 PAGES Beijing is the capital of China, the most populous country in the world. After a period of communist rule, China relaxed its economic controls in the mid-1990s to allow growth. (CHN476, $30.00)
God Lives in St. Petersburg, and Other Stories  •  Tom Bissell LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Bissell (Chasing the Sea) returns to his years in Central Asia as a Peace Corps volunteer in these sharp, witty fictionalized accounts. His six fast-paced tales are set in Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and the Aral Sea. (CAS117, $13.95)
The Golden Days  •  Cao Xueqin  •  David Hawkes LITERATURE •  1974 •  PAPER  • 544 PAGES Volume One of The Dream of the Red Chamber, an epic family tale first published in 1793, (still one of China's favorite novels) beautifully translated, edited and with an introduction by David Hawkes. The Golden Days is the first book in a five-volume masterpiece which follows the fate of the Jia family and the magical stone of the title. It's an absorbing romantic tale, often called the greatest of Chinese novels, as interesting for its commentary on culture, aethestics, religion and world view as for the story. (CHN223, $16.00)
The Good Earth  •  Pearl Buck LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 379 PAGES The second of Buck's more than 70 books, The Good Earth has shaped American attitudes toward China and its people for many years. A modern classic presented in this edition with critical notes and a long introduction, it won her the Pulitzer Prize upon its publication in 1931. Drawing heavily on her personal experience as a young newlywed in rural China, it is the plainly told story of a poor farmer and his stalwart wife. The book captures the daily life of China's poorest people, very different from the usual exotica that most writers of her day were producing on the "inscrutable Chinese." (CHN15, $15.00)
Inside China  •  National Geographic Society CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 272 PAGES The diverse landscapes and peoples of China as seen through the lenses of photographers past (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Li Zhensheng, Marc Riboud) and present (Mark Leong, Edward Burtynsky, Sebastio Salgado). Jonathan Spence, Minxin Pei and other modern experts offer essays on the history and future of the country. (CHN444, $50.00)
Insight City Guide Beijing  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This eyecatching guide features hundreds of color photographs, illuminating area maps, a separate pullout map, street atlas and practical information. (CHN538, $15.95)
Insight Guide China  •  Manfred Morganstern GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 411 PAGES In its hallmark style, this Insight Guide combines short essays on the history, politics and culture of China with hundreds of color photographs. It's a short whirlwind introduction to the country. The book begins with a brief history of the Middle Kingdom, then ventures out into the countryside and through the halls of the Forbidden City. The second half presents each region of China with pages on each of the major sites, then concludes with some practical travel information and listings. (CHN05, $24.95)
Insight Pocket Guide Beijing  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 92 PAGES This convenient, slim volume features color photographs, many maps (including a handy fold-out map of the city), good short descriptions of major points of interest, and other practical information. (CHN26, $13.95)
Iron and Silk  •  Mark Salzman TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1990 •  PAPER  • 211 PAGES Salzman gets himself to Changsha in the mid-1980s on the pretext of teaching English to Chinese doctors. His real mission, however, is to become a kung fu master. In this wonderfully readable travelogue he conveys a sense of contemporary life, its realities and frustrations -- and of his growing understanding of an alien culture. A major subplot is his ongoing relationship with Pan, the mentor to this awkward and overly enthusiastic American martial arts student. (CHN52, $13.95)
Knopf Mapguide Beijing  •  Knopf Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES A handy set of full color, ingeniously folded maps, each indicating favorite sites, shops, restaurants and attractions. (CHN349, $9.95)
Knopf Mapguide Shanghai  •  Knopf Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES Full-color foldout maps make this guidebook a handy and practical way to find information on where to go and what to do in the city. (CHN283, $9.95)
Last Chance to See  •  Douglas Adams  •  Mark Carwardine NATURAL HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 222 PAGES A whirlwind visit to remote habitats around the world by two wonderfully entertaining traveling companions. Sponsored by BBC radio, Douglas Adams and Mark Cowardine traveled to Zaire, New Zealand, China, Mauritius and other far-flung places in search of endangered animals. Often hilarious, this book is also a portrait of threatened animals. This is such a wonderfully entertaining and informed book, we can forgive its focus on charismatic species. Adams is the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Cawardine, a biologist, has been a staff zoologist for World Wildlife Fund. (CON04, $14.95)
The Last Emperor  •  Bernardo Bertolucci 1987 •  DVD Bernardo Bertolucci's rendering of the true story of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, the last emperor of China's Ching Dynasty. Told in flashback, the film begins at Pu Yi's involuntary initiation as emperor in 1908 at age three, and continues through his entire reign in the Forbidden City until his death in 1967. Pu Yi witnesses the dynamic changes of the modernizing empire, experiences the temptations of ultimate power, and is seduced by the Western lifestyle of his Scottish tutor (Peter O'Toole). The film won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. (CHN225, $14.98)
The Last Panda  •  George Schaller NATURAL HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 291 PAGES The great naturalist George Schaller spent almost 5 years in the wild in Sichuan province studying the panda in the 1980s. This book is both his description of the great panda in nature, and an eloquent plea for how to save the species in the wild. With 16 color plates. (CHN24, $15.00)
Lonely Planet Best of Beijing  •  Ellis Quinn GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A pocket guide in the popular series. (CHN355, $14.99)
Lonely Planet China  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 1028 PAGES An impressively comprehensive guide to travel in China, packed with detailed information on excursions, hotels and restaurants. With 2,200 maps and a section of color photographs. (CHN39, $31.99)
Look What Came From China!  •  Miles Harvey CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1999 •  PAPER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A slim guide to China, its products, animals, food, tools, crafts and inventions, with color photographs and accompanying text. For children ages 4-8. (CHN155, $6.95)
Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh  •  David Fraser  •  Barbara Fraser ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER An abundantly illustrated study of the textiles of the Chin peoples of southern and eastern Asia. With more than 600 color illustrations. (ASA46, $60.00)
Mao, The Unknown Story  •  Jung Chang  •  John Halliday BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2006 •  PAPER  • 814 PAGES In this no-holds-barred biography, the author of Wild Swans and her historian husband reveal Mao as a brutal, power-hungry monster with close ties to Joseph Stalin. Ten years in the making, their extensive research demolishes the myths of Mao a great leader and man of the people. (CHN301, $18.95)
Mao: A Biography  •  Ross Terrill BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1999 •  PAPER  • 571 PAGES A no-holds-barred biography of the Chinese leader and his times -- well written, scholarly and authoritative. Terrill, a sinophile, combines journalism, history and anecdote to create a lively portrait of the man and his country. Originally published in 1980 and revised for this edition, the book has sold more than a million copies in China. Terrill is also the author of Madame Mao: The White-Boned Demon." (CHN51, $31.95)
Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture  •  Sarah Handler ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 233 PAGES A beautifully illustrated and authoritative overview of Ming furniture and its architectural setting by art historian Sarah Handler, who specializes in Chinese furniture, architecture and related arts. With 50 black-and-white architectural drawings and 60 full-color photos of Ming furniture from private and museum collections around the world. (CHN318, $50.00)
Moon Beijing and Shanghai  •  Helena Iveson GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series. (CHN537, $17.95)
Mountain of Fame, Portraits in Chinese History  •  John Wills HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES An intriguing, novel approach to Chinese history. Instead of marching through the dynasties, Wells illuminates themes and continuities within Chinese tradition through 20 representative personalities. His book is a series of biographies, wonderfully told, of statesman, poets and philosophers through the ages. He tells of great events through the lives of individual Chinese. It's an excellent, immediately accessible approach to history. (CHN10, $26.95)
National Geographic Beijing  •  Paul Mooney REFERENCE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES (CHN486, $22.95)
National Geographic Traveler China  •  Damian Harper GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A generously illustrated guide to China with the usual National Geographic attention to maps and photographs, covering the big cities and the Yangtze, as well as southern, western and northeastern China in unusual depth. Harper writes with authority in a lively, opinionated style; no surprise, since he is also the co-author of three guides on the region for Lonely Planet. With a 50-page appendix of practical travel information. (CHN163, $27.95)
Northern China Map  •  Nelles MAP A detailed travel map of North China, imported from Germany, at a 1:1,500,000 scale. It covers from Xinjing to Beijing. (CHN40, $10.95)
Odyssey Guide Beijing & Shanghai  •  Bill Mooney GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 599 PAGES A comprehensive, illustrated guide to the two cities, jammed with photographs, maps and great information on culture and history. (CHN228, $24.95)
Odyssey Guide Three Gorges of the Yangtze River  •  Raynor Shaw GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES • NEW Compact, illustrated and up-to-date, this detailed guide focuses on the 120-mile-long Three Gorges section of the Yangtzi, including Chongsing, Yichang and Wuhan. With 12 color maps and diagrams. (CHN368, $21.95)
Oracle Bones, A Journey Between China's Past and Present  •  Peter Hessler HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 512 PAGES • NEW Peter Hessler (River Town) captures the confounding pace of change in these tales of travel and conversation in contemporary China. The Beijing correspondent for the New Yorker with a depth of knowledge and love of the place, Hessler draws on his familiarity with the country, linguistic ability and his many friends for this penetrating report from the field. (CHN316, $15.95)
Passions of the Cut Sleeve, The Male Homosexual Tradition in China  •  Bret Hinsch LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A well written, scholarly survey of the traditions of same-sex male love across 3,000 years of Chinese literature -- much livlier than the title would indicate. Hinsch draws from dynastic histories, erotic novels, popular Buddhist tracts, love poetry, legal cases, and joke books in this fascinating overview. (CHN167, $21.95)
Peking: Temples and City Life, 1400-1900  •  Susan Naquin HISTORY •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 816 PAGES Encyclopedic in scope and with excellent illustrations and maps, this comprehensive, scholarly history is noteworthy for the depth of its sources, original research and treatment of all aspects of life in imperial Peking. Naquin, a professor of History at Princeton, is especially interested in temples and the role of religion, Chinese, Tibetan, Muslim, and Christian, in the development of the city. (CHN526, $95.00)
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of China  •  John MacKinnon  •  Nigel Hicks FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A slim pocket guide to 252 of the most conspicuous birds of China, featuring color photographs, concise descriptions and range maps. 2nd edition. (CHN29, $15.95)
Pimsleur Quick & Simple Chinese (Cantonese)  •  Pimsleur Language Method LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Cantonese, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. The Pimsleur method emphasizes the use of listening skills without reading materials (so there isn't a book to follow along). It's advertised as "Totally audio: hear it, learn it, speak it." (CHN279, $19.95)
Pimsleur Quick & Simple Chinese (Mandarin)  •  Pimsleur Language Method LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2005 •  AUDIO CD Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Mandarin, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. The Pimsleur method emphasizes the use of listening skills without reading materials (so there isn't a book to follow along). It's advertised as "Totally audio: hear it, learn it, speak it." (CHN280, $19.95)
The Retreat of the Elephants, An Environmental History of China  •  Mark Elvin NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 564 PAGES A comprehensive history of environmental change and its impact upon Chinese culture and politics. Mark Elvin has written prolifically on China, and in this book he focuses on the damage done to China's environment through war, modernization and technological developments, including a farming method which drove the elephant out of its natural habitat. Elvin draws on diverse literature to trace changes over the course of 3,000 years. (CHN221, $24.00)
The River at the Center of the World  •  Simon Winchester EXPLORATION •  2004 •  PAPER  • 410 PAGES • FAVORITE In this wide-ranging journalistic overview of the Yangtze (it's a great river of a book itself) veteran journalist Simon Winchester travels upstream into the heartland of China. He and his guide log 4,000 miles over many months, interviewing peasants and politicians throughout the region. It's a remarkable, wonderfully written portrait: an excellent introduction to the great river that is at the symbolic and literal heart of China. Long based in Hong Kong and a frequent commentator on things Asian, Winchester writes about the character of the river itself, and the people and places along its banks, with an easy grace. First published in 1996. (CHN31, $16.00)
Rough Guide Beijing  •  Rough Guide GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A compact, practical guide to the city, jammed with maps, site plans, suggested sightseeing and recommended restaurants and hotels. With a front-of-the-book introductory color overview and not-to-be-missed attractions, glossary and listings. (CHN234, $19.99)
The Sextants of Beijing, Global Currents in Chinese History  •  Joanna Waley-Cohen HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 322 PAGES (CHN356, $17.95)
The Silk Roads, A Route and Planning Guide  •  Paul Wilson  •  Dominic Streatfield-James GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A compact, practical guide to the network of ancient trade routes extending from Turkey and the Mideast across Central Asia to China. With 50 maps and town plans. Excerpts from the book and others in the British series are online at www.trailblazer-guides.com. The book is a revised and expanded version of Silk Route by Rail. (CAS21, $22.95)
A Single Pebble  •  John Hersey LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 181 PAGES The most famous novel set on the Yangtze. Pulitzer Prize-winner Hersey writes with deceptive simplicity of an American engineer traveling on the Great River in search of a dam site. In this short, controlled novel, the river itself is as much of a character as the Chinese trackers who haul a traditional Yangtze junk up the river through rapids, floodwater and narrow gorges. Think of Hemingway on the Yangtze. It's a haunting, prophetic book that evokes a traditional way of life. (CHN03, $12.95)
Sky Burial, An Epic Love Story of Tibet  •  Xinran LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 206 PAGES Xinran turns the tale of a young Chinese woman's lifelong search for her husband in Tibet, based on an 1994 interview, into a powerful, gut-wrenching tale, evoking the customs, traditions and challenges of contemporary Tibet. Shu Wen's story intersects with some of the darker moments in Chinese history, including the years under Mao's rule and the invasion of Tibet by the People's Liberation Army. (CHN282, $18.95)
South of the Clouds, Tales from Yunnan  •  Lucien Miller ANTHOLOGY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 342 PAGES Featuring memorable tales from throughout the Yunnan Province, this book showcases 54 wonderfully insightful and entertaining stories. The collection also includes an overview of the places and people of Yunnan. It is an excellent introduction to the province. (CHN45, $30.00)
Streetlife China  •  Michael Dutton ANTHOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A scholarly collection of essays about the realities of living in modern-day China. The book covers a wide range of social, cultural and political subjects, and its focus lies in the changing concept of human rights and how it differs in the Eastern and Western societies. By examining such minute phenomena as the advent of tattoos in Chinese popular culture and broader issues like the effects of Mao Zedong on modern life, the book presents a comprehensive picture of the contemporary society told from a multitude of perspectives. (CHN222, $32.99)
Three Kingdoms, A Historical Novel  •  Lo Kuan Chung  •  Moss Roberts ANTHOLOGY •  1990 •  PAPER  • 500 PAGES First published in the 14th-century, this epic saga is a compilation of fact and fiction based on ancient storytelling traditions. It's a fantastic tale of heroes and villains, monsters and wizards, fighting for the control of China during the last days of the Han Dynasty (150 AD). Much of the action centers on the middle and upper Yangtze -- and some familiarity with the rival kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu will much enhance your appreciation of a voyage along its banks. This abridged edition is translated and edited by Moss Roberts, who also translated the full three-volume edition. (CHN57, $25.95)
Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China  •  Arthur Waley RELIGION •  1982 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES An elegantly written, classic introduction to traditional Chinese philosophy. Waley, who provides lyrical translations, discusses three great threads in this slim book: Daoism, Realism and the writings of Meniscus (closely related to Confucianism). Originally published in 1953, Waley's entertaining anecdotes, evident humor and aphorisms, enliven the text. The first section is entitled In the Realm of Nothing Whatever. (CHN164, $17.95)
To Live  •  Yimou Zhang 1994 •  DVD A moving film which follows one family from the 1940s through the 1960s in China. The two protagonists, a husband and wife, constantly struggling with poverty, become dedicated Communists during the reign of Mao Zedong and witness the devastating effects of the Cultural Revolution. The director Zhang Yimou was forced by the Chinese government to write a formal apology and banned from making another film for two years following the release of this honest and politically important work. (CHN227, $19.98)
Travelers' Tales China  •  James O'Reilly  •  Larry Habegger  •  Sean O'Reilly ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 356 PAGES This eclectic compendium reveals China's history and culture as told by its mostly modern travelers. Contributors include Peter Hessler, Mark Salzman, Gretel Ehrlich and Ji-Li Jiang, who provides the introduction. Organized thematically with sections on Essence of China, Some Things to Do and Going Your Own Way. (CHN217, $18.95)
A Traveller's History of China  •  Stephen G. Haw HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 310 PAGES An admirably brief, lively history of China (including a chronology, list of dynasties, historical gazeteer and index), remarkably clear and necessarily condensed. It's an engaging overview covering the full range of China's history through the 1990s. (CHN43, $14.95)
The Treasures of Beijing  •  Mario Sabattini GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 632 PAGES (CHN391, $45.00)
Waiting  •  Ha Jin LITERATURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 308 PAGES A spare, haunting story of of an ineffectual military doctor who tries for 18 years to divorce his peasant wife so he can marry a more sophisticated nurse at his military hospital. Along the way, the story is greatly evocative of quotidian life in China during the Cultural Revolution and after. Though the main characters are not all that likeable, and the story is somewhat tragic, Ha Jin succeeds utterly in communicating the travails of finding love in China during these years. Winner of the National Book Award. (CHN80, $14.95)
Where Beijing Cityguide  •  Where Magazine GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 64 PAGES A sturdy pocket guide to city neighborhoods, hotels, shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, cultural events and other top sights, helpfully keyed to overview maps and featuring a detailed downtown PopOut map. (CHN441, $9.95)
Wild China  •  John MacKinnon  •  Nigel Hicks NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES An informative, up-to-date survey of the wildlife and natural history of China in a handsome, oversize volume. The book, published in association with World Wildlife Fund, features excellent maps and 400 superb color photographs by Gerald Cubitt. The detailed text covers the enormous range of habitats and natural areas in China with a particular focus on reserves (and the panda). (CHN19, $39.95)
Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China  •  Jung Chang BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 524 PAGES • FAVORITE A riveting tale of three generations spanning the end of Old China, Mao's regime and the Japanese occupation. Chang chronicles the enormous changes in China since 1929 through her family's story, which includes arrest during the Cultural Revolution, exile to the Sichuan wilderness and coming to terms with the bewildering state of China today. It's quite a tale, wonderfully told without a trace of rancor or bitterness. Living in London since 1978, Chang visits her mother back in China every year. You can imagine Chang with notebook in hand back in the family apartment absorbed in the stories of her much-loved mother. The book opens with the statement, "At the age of 15 my grandmother became the concubine of a warlord general. It was 1929 and China was in chaos." (CHN04, $16.00)
Wild West China, The Taming of Xinjiang  •  Christian Tyler CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 336 PAGES A portrait of the changing face of the Xinjiang region in northwest China. (CHN231, $27.95)
A Woman Soldier's Own Story  •  Xie Bingying  •  Barry Brissman  •  Lily Chia BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 336 PAGES The first English translation of Xie Bingying's autobiography, published in two installments in China in 1936 and 1946. Xie (1906-2000) chronicles her rebellious youth in pre-Communist China, especially her time as a soldier in the 1920s (fighting the feudal warlords) and 1930s (fighting the Japanese). A feminist, nationalist and polemicist, Xie was -- to put it mildly -- no shrinking violet. Her intensely political memoir reveals the desperate mood in China during the decades leading up to the revolution. Xie's daughter and son-in-law translated. (CHN158, $34.50)
A Woman's Asia  •  Marybeth Bond ANTHOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 310 PAGES These thirty-five personal, often hilarious accounts of women's adventures from China to Sri Lanka to Turkey to Bhutan, not only illuminating the everyday, oft-overlooked cultural practices of Asia, but also giving a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the female traveller. Featuring selections from Jan Morris, Pamela Logan and Alison Wright. (ASA49, $17.95)
World Religions: Eastern Traditions  •  Willard G. Oxtoby RELIGION •  2002 •  PAPER  • 515 PAGES A clear and insightful introduction to Eastern religions by a team of scholars. It's a handsomely produced concise overview of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, and East Asian traditions, as rewarding for the general reader as the student. This second edition features additional suggested reading, photographs, glossary and thought-provoking review questions. (ASA07, $64.95)
Yangzi River Map  •  Richard Perry Hayman 2003 •  MAP A full-color, comprehensive map of the Yangzi River from its source in the Himalayas down to Shanghai and the East China Sea. With color photographs and travel notes. Ten maps are featured in all, including orientation maps of all China, several detailed maps of the Three Gorges area plus the cities of Shanghai, Chongqing, and Wuhan. The 4,000-mile-long course of the river is broken into two main maps of the Upper and Lower Yangzi, each at a 1:1,000,000 scale. The double-sided map, which features hypsometric shaded relief derived from USGS data, unfolds to 27 x 39 inches. (CHN177, $14.95)