More Books

Anthology of Chinese Literature, Volume II: From the 14th Century to the Present Day

by 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. (CHN14, $16.50)

Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana

by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2004
PAPER
416 PAGES

The offbeat memoirs of a Texan who spent four years as a volunteer in Moscow, a propaganda officer in Beijing, and a belly dancer in Havana. (RUS242, $14.95)

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

by 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. (CHN159, $13.95)

Buddhist Art and Architecture

by 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, $19.95)

The Buddhist Handbook

by John Snelling

RELIGION
1992
PAPER
345 PAGES

Subtitled, "The Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice and History, " this even-handed book is a concise primer covering the history, philosophical foundation and practice of Buddhism. (ASA08, $19.95)

China North Map

by Nelles

MAP

A detailed travel map of North China, at a scale of 1:1,750,000. (CHN40, $13.95)

The China Reader, The Reform Era

by Orville Schell | David Shambaugh

HISTORY
1999
PAPER
553 PAGES

A comprehensive and well-researched sourcebook on China over the last 25 years. (CHN224, $17.95)

China South Map

by Nelles

2005
MAP

A detailed travel map of Southern China, from Taiwan to Hong Kong and the Yunnan Province, at a 1:1,500,000 scale. (CHN27, $13.95)

China Wakes, The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power

by Nicholas Kristoff | Sheryl WuDunn

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1995
PAPER
501 PAGES

The authors journeyed from Tibet to Tiananmen, reporting in depth on contemporary China and its cultural dissidents. An engrossing portrait of a nation struggling to hold onto tradition while modernizing its economy. (CHN33, $16.95)

China, Its History and Culture

by W. Scott Morton

HISTORY
2004
PAPER
368 PAGES

A concise survey of Chinese history, people and culture from the Neolithic to present times. Morton weaves together politics, culture and history, and includes selections from literature and arts, anecdotes and illustrations. (CHN22, $19.95)

Chinese Rugs: A Buyer's Guide

by Lee Allane

GUIDEBOOK
1994
PAPER
144 PAGES

A guide to the history, techniques and variety of carpets produced throughout China, featuring a helpful buyer's guide. (CHN30, $15.95)

Chinese, A Language Map

by Kristine K. 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

by 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?

by Frances Wood

EXPLORATION
1998
PAPER
208 PAGES

A critical look at the manuscripts and evidence regarding this most famous journey. (CAS28, $38.00)

Dragon Lady, The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China

by Sterling Seagrave

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1993
PAPER
601 PAGES

Reappraises the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi and portrays a strong, complex woman struggling to keep her country from unraveling. (CHN229, $19.95)

Empress Orchid

by Anchee Min

LITERATURE
2005
PAPER
346 PAGES

In this novel of the glorious, decadent last days of 19th-Century Imperial China, Min (Red Azalea, Becoming Madame Mao) combines her tale of a young girl from the provinces who marries an emperor -- and then improbably becomes the Last Empress -- with a lovingly re-created portrait of life in the Forbidden City. (CHN267, $14.00)

Farewell My Concubine

by Kaige Chen

1993
DVD

The moving story of a fifty-year friendship between two men who meet as children in the Peking Opera. (CHN226, $14.99)

Fodor's Hong Kong's 25 Best

by Fodor's

GUIDEBOOK
2009
PAPER
128 PAGES

A handy shirt-pocket guide and map. (HKG09, $11.99)

Fruitful Sites, Garden Culture in Ming Dynasty China

by Craig Clunas

HISTORY
1996
PAPER
240 PAGES

A study of Ming Era (1450-1650) gardens in the Jiangnan Valley of the Yangtze, especially in wealthy Suzhou and to a lesser extent in Hangzhou. With 48 illustrations. (CHN175, $26.95)

Gardens in China

by Peter Valder

NATURAL HISTORY
2002
HARD COVER
400 PAGES

A gorgeous book featuring over 500 color photographs of Chinese gardens in 11 provinces. (CHN176, $59.95)

The Golden Days

by Cao Xueqin | David Hawkes

LITERATURE
1974
PAPER
544 PAGES

The classic enchanting love story set in 18th-century China which follows the Jia family and the magical stone at the center of the tale. (CHN223, $17.00)

The Good Earth

by Pearl Buck

LITERATURE
1994
PAPER
379 PAGES

The modern classic that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1931. Drawing heavily on Buck's personal experience as a young newlywed in rural China, it is the plainly told story of a poor farmer and his stalwart wife. (CHN15, $15.00)

Inside China

by Jonathan Spence

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2007
HARD COVER
272 PAGES

The editors at National Geographic pair a breathtaking selection of historic and contemporary photographs with essays by six experts for this visually striking portrait of China. (CHN444, $50.00)

Insight Guide China

by Manfred Morganstern

GUIDEBOOK
2011
PAPER
411 PAGES

This lavishly illustrated guide includes essays on the history, politics and culture of China with hundreds of color photographs, providing a concise, informative introduction to the country. (CHN05, $24.99)

Insight Pocket Guide Beijing

by Insight Guides

GUIDEBOOK
2005
PAPER
92 PAGES

A convenient practical guide to Beijing. (CHN26, $13.95)

Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism

by John Powers

RELIGION
2007
PAPER
591 PAGES

A comprehensive study of the history and philosophy behind Tibetan Buddhism, suitable for the general reader. (TBT40, $22.95)

Iron and Silk

by 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. (CHN52, $15.00)

Knopf Mapguide Shanghai

by 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, $10.95)

Kowloon Tong, A Novel of Hong Kong

by Paul Theroux

LITERATURE
1998
PAPER
248 PAGES

With its strong sense of place and contemporary setting in Hong Kong at a time of transition, this fast-paced novel is an illuminating and imaginative look at the city. (HKG12, $15.95)

Last Chance to See

by Douglas Adams | Mark Carwardine

NATURAL HISTORY
1992
PAPER
222 PAGES

A whirlwind visit to remote habitats around the world by two entertaining traveling companions. (CON04, $16.00)

The Last Emperor

by Bernardo Bertolucci

HISTORY
1987
DVD

Bernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning rendition of the true story of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi, the last emperor of China's Ching Dynasty. (CHN225, $29.95)

Leaving Mother Lake

by Yang Erche Namu | Christine Mathieu

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2004
PAPER
320 PAGES

In this entrancing memoir, Chinese singing sensation Namu recounts her coming-of-age among the matriarchal Mosuo people in Southwest China near the Chinese-Tibetan border. (CHN270, $14.99)

Life and Death in Shanghai

by Nien Cheng

HISTORY
2010
PAPER
560 PAGES

A plainly told account of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution in Shanghai, from an author who was a six-year political prisoner. (CHN42, $17.95)

Lonely Planet Beijing

by Damian Harper

GUIDEBOOK
2009
PAPER
272 PAGES

This practical guide to Beijing features maps, an overview of culture, history and nature, and a good deal of nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. There's even a section on the locally spoken dialect of Mandarin. (CHN47, $19.99)

Lonely Planet Beijing

by Damian Harper

GUIDEBOOK
2009
PAPER
272 PAGES

This practical guide to Beijing features maps, an overview of culture, history and nature, and a good deal of nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. There's even a section on the locally spoken dialect of Mandarin. (CHN47, $19.99)

Lonely Planet China

by Lonely Planet

GUIDEBOOK
2011
PAPER
1048 PAGES

An excellent practical guide to China, geared for independent travelers. (CHN39, $31.99)

Lonely Planet Taiwan

by Andrew Bender

GUIDEBOOK
2011
PAPER
392 PAGES

A travel guide to Taipei and Taiwan noteworthy for its attention to practical detail on food, accommodations and excursions. (CHN67, $26.99)

Look What Came From China!

by Miles Harvey

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1999
PAPER
32 PAGES
YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

An illustrated guide to China, its products and inventions, for children ages 4-8. (CHN155, $6.95)

Looking for Chengdu, A Woman's Adventure in China

by Hill Gates

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1999
PAPER
272 PAGES

Anthropologist Hill Gates sets off on a series of excursions through the inland province of Sichuan. Gates is especially curious to learn how the economic boom has effected the women of Sichuan, which was the birthplace of Chinese economic reforms in the 1970s. (CHN74, $26.95)

Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh

by 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 Zedong

by Jonathan Spence

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2006
PAPER
192 PAGES

Yale Sinologist, writer and historian Spence tracks the life of the Chinese ruler from his provincial upbringing through his powerful rule. (CHN66, $14.00)

Mao, The Unknown Story

by Jung Chang | John Halliday

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2006
PAPER
814 PAGES

In this extraordinary biography Chang (Wild Swans) and her historian husband reveal Mao as a brutal, power-hungry monster with close ties to Joseph Stalin. (CHN301, $20.00)

Mao: A Biography

by Ross Terrill

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1999
PAPER
571 PAGES

A no-holds-barred biography of the Chinese leader. (CHN51, $33.95)

Ming Furniture in the Light of Chinese Architecture

by Sarah Handler

ART & ARCHITECTURE
2005
HARD COVER
233 PAGES

A beautifully illustrated overview of Ming furniture and its architectural setting. (CHN318, $50.00)

National Geographic Atlas of China

by National Geographic Society

REFERENCE
2009
PAPER
128 PAGES

A portrait of China as seen in 300 maps, including traditional cartography, ten detailed city plans, satellite imagery and scores of thematic maps and charts. (CHN445, $21.95)

National Geographic China

by Damian Harper

GUIDEBOOK
2007
PAPER
400 PAGES

A generously illustrated guide to China with the usual National Geographic attention to maps and photographs. With a 50-page appendix of practical travel information. (CHN163, $27.95)

A Naturalist and Other Beasts

by George B. Schaller

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2010
PAPER
272 PAGES

The eminent zoologist writes with authority and affection of his many field expeditions over a long career in conservation, including his time among the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, snow leopards in Nepal and his groundbreaking work on giant pandas in Sichuan. (NAT119, $16.95)

Passions of the Cut Sleeve, The Male Homosexual Tradition in China

by Bret Hinsch

LITERATURE
1992
PAPER
256 PAGES

A well-written, scholarly survey of the traditions of same-sex male love in Chinese literature. (CHN167, $26.95)

Pimsleur Quick & Simple Chinese (Cantonese)

by Pimsleur Language Method

LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
2005
AUDIO CD

An audio CD with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Cantonese, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. (CHN279, $19.95)

Pimsleur Quick & Simple Chinese (Mandarin)

by 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. (CHN280, $19.95)

Red China Blues, My Long March from Mao to Now

by Jan Wong

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1997
PAPER
368 PAGES

Jan Wong tells of her experiences in the "hermetically sealed bubble of Maoism" as one of two westerners to attend Beijing University, then offers a first-hand account of recent reforms in China. (CHN37, $15.95)

The Retreat of the Elephants, An Environmental History of China

by Mark Elvin

NATURAL HISTORY
2006
PAPER
564 PAGES

A thorough examination of the damage that has been done to China's environment through war, modernization and new farming developments. (CHN221, $24.00)

The Rise of Modern China

by Immanuel C.Y. Hsu

HISTORY
1997
PAPER
976 PAGES

A comprehensive history of China from the 17th century through the present. (CHN62, $69.95)

The River at the Center of the World

by Simon Winchester

EXPLORATION
2004
PAPER
410 PAGES
FAVORITE

Winchester writes about the character of Yangtze and people and places along its banks with easy grace in this absorbing portrait of the great river flowing through the heart of China. (CHN31, $16.00)

River Town, Two Years on the Yangtze

by Peter Hessler

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2006
PAPER
432 PAGES

Hessler's compelling, personal story of life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fuling, where foreigners are a curiosity, explores the culture, traditions and ideas of an isolated world. (CHN125, $14.99)

The Search for Modern China

by Jonathan Spence

HISTORY
1999
PAPER
992 PAGES

A sweeping history of China including events until 1999, geared fo the general reader. With maps, charts and black-and-white photographs. (CHN98, $59.65)

Shanghai Modern, The Flowering of a New Urban Culture in China, 1930-1945

by Leo Ou-Fan Lee

HISTORY
1999
PAPER
416 PAGES

A scholarly look at Chinese urban culture in pre-war Shanghai. (CHN64, $34.00)

The Silk Roads, A Route and Planning Guide

by Paul Wilson

GUIDEBOOK
2011
PAPER
447 PAGES

A compact, practical guide to the network of ancient trade routes extending from Turkey and the Mideast across Central Asia to China. (CAS21, $24.95)

A Single Pebble

by John Hersey

LITERATURE
1989
PAPER
181 PAGES

A haunting novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winner. Hersey writes, with deceptive simplicity, of an American engineer looking for a dam site on the Yangtze. Think Hemingway on the Yangtze. (CHN03, $14.00)

Sky Burial, An Epic Love Story of Tibet

by 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. (CHN282, $14.95)

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow: A Novel of Shanghai

by Wang Anyi | Michael Berry

LITERATURE
2008
PAPER
440 PAGES

Evocatively set in post-World War II Shanghai, this novel follows the adventures of Wang Qiyao over four tumultuous decades. A girl born of the longtong -- Shanghai's crowded, working-class neighborhoods -- Wang sees fame as Miss Shanghai, indulges in the decadent pleasures of the pre-liberation city and emerges as an icon of Old Shanghai. (CHN570, $19.95)

South of the Clouds, Tales from Yunnan

by Lucien Miller

ANTHOLOGY
1997
PAPER
342 PAGES

Featuring memorable tales from throughout the Yunnan Province, this book showcases 54 wonderfully insightful and entertaining stories. (CHN45, $32.95)

Streetlife China

by Michael Dutton

ANTHOLOGY
1999
PAPER
320 PAGES

A scholarly collection of essays about the realities of living in modern-day China, by a variety of contributors. (CHN222, $36.00)

Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

by Raynor Shaw | Judy Bonavia

GUIDEBOOK
2009
PAPER
248 PAGES

Compact, illustrated and up-to-date, this Odyssey Guide focuses on the most popular 120-mile cruise from Chongqing to Wuhan. (CHN368, $22.95)

Three Kingdoms, A Historical Novel

by 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). (CHN57, $28.95)

Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China

by Arthur Waley

RELIGION
1982
PAPER
216 PAGES

An elegantly written, classic introduction to traditional Chinese philosophy. (CHN164, $18.95)

Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn, The Destruction Of Wildlife For Traditional Chinese Medicine

by Richard Ellis

NATURAL HISTORY
2005
HARD COVER
312 PAGES

Ellis exposes the environmental havoc unleashed by the commercial globalization of traditional Chinese medicines in this eye-opening account. (CHN457, $35.00)

Time Out Shanghai

by Time Out

GUIDEBOOK
2008
PAPER
310 PAGES

An up-to-date guide on what to do and where to go by the people who publish Time Out Magazine. (CHN309, $19.95)

To Live

by Yimou Zhang

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1994
DVD
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

Zhang Yimou's moving film follows one family from the 1940s through the 1960s in China. (CHN227, $19.98)

To the Edge of the Sky

by Anhua Gao

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2003
HARD COVER
398 PAGES

The autobiography of a Chinese woman whose hopes and health were wrecked by the Cultural Revolution. (CHN190, $27.95)

A Traveller's History of China

by Stephen G. Haw

HISTORY
2008
PAPER
310 PAGES

An admirably brief, lively history of China from early origins to today, remarkably clear and necessarily condensed. With a historical gazetteer, chronology and list of dynasties. (CHN43, $14.95)

Waiting

by Ha Jin

LITERATURE
2000
PAPER
308 PAGES

A spare, haunting story of a military doctor who tries for 18 years to divorce his peasant wife so he can marry a more sophisticated nurse at his hospital. Greatly evocative of quotidian life in China during the Cultural Revolution and after. (CHN80, $15.00)

Ways of Being Ethnic in Southwest China

by Stevan Harrell

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2002
PAPER
370 PAGES

A scholarly ethnography of the peoples of Southwest China, including the Nuosu (Yi), Prmi, Naze, and Han. With detailed case studies. (CHN271, $24.95)

Wild West China, The Taming of Xinjiang

by Christian Tyler

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2004
HARD COVER
336 PAGES

A portrait of the changing face of the Xinjiang region in northwest China. (CHN231, $28.95)

The Wisdom of the Buddha

by Jean Boisselier

RELIGION
1994
PAPER
191 PAGES

A pocket-size primer of Buddhism, this book is an illustrated history of the sixth-century Indian prince and his quest for enlightenment. With 207 illustrations, 160 in full color. (IDA55, $12.95)

A Woman's Asia

by 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. (ASA49, $17.95)

World Religions: Eastern Traditions

by Willard G. Oxtoby

RELIGION
2010
PAPER
515 PAGES

A clear and insightful introduction to Eastern religions by a team of scholars, covering Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist and East Asian traditions. Scholarly, but still rewarding for the general reader. (ASA07, $79.95)

Yangzi River Map

by Richard Perry Hayman

2003
MAP

Double-sided, this full-color map guide features photos and 10 maps showing the Yangzi from the Himalayas to the East China Sea. (CHN177, $14.95)

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More Books

by Cyril Birch

by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

by Sijie Dai | Ina Rilke

by Robert Fisher

by John Snelling

by Nelles

by Orville Schell | David Shambaugh

by Nelles

by Nicholas Kristoff | Sheryl WuDunn

by W. Scott Morton

by Lee Allane

by Kristine K. Kershul

by Jonathan Spence

by Frances Wood

by Sterling Seagrave

by Anchee Min

by Kaige Chen

by Fodor's

by Craig Clunas

by Peter Valder

by Cao Xueqin | David Hawkes

by Pearl Buck

by Jonathan Spence

by Manfred Morganstern

by Insight Guides

by John Powers

by Mark Salzman

by Knopf Guides

by Paul Theroux

by Douglas Adams | Mark Carwardine

by Bernardo Bertolucci

by Yang Erche Namu | Christine Mathieu

by Nien Cheng

by Damian Harper

by Damian Harper

by Lonely Planet

by Andrew Bender

by Miles Harvey

by Hill Gates

by David Fraser | Barbara Fraser

by Jonathan Spence

by Jung Chang | John Halliday

by Ross Terrill

by Sarah Handler

by National Geographic Society

by Damian Harper

by George B. Schaller

by Bret Hinsch

by Pimsleur Language Method

by Pimsleur Language Method

by Jan Wong

by Mark Elvin

by Immanuel C.Y. Hsu

by Simon Winchester

by Peter Hessler

by Jonathan Spence

by Leo Ou-Fan Lee

by Paul Wilson