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About Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship With China

About Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship With China


by James Mann

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

A history and analysis of Chinese-American relations. (CHN111, $17.95)

The Analects of Confucius

The Analects of Confucius


by D. C. Lao | Confucius

  • RELIGION
  • 1979
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

A popular and acclaimed modern translation of the writing of Confucius, an essential introduction to the man and his thoughts. Includes explanatory notes. (CHN123, $12.00)

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

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

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

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)

Between Mecca and Beijing, Modernization and Consumption Among Urban Chinese Muslims


by Maris Boyd Gillette

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 296 PAGES

An academic study of the minority Muslim population of Xi'an. (CHN180, $24.95)

Beyond the Stone Arches, An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932


by Edward Bliss, Jr.

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

An account of a missionary doctor in China. (CHN95, $24.95)

Bones of the Master, A Journey to Secret Mongolia

Bones of the Master, A Journey to Secret Mongolia


by George Crane

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

An odd, captivating biography of a 75-year-old Zen monk who escaped Inner Mongolia in the wake of China's Great Leap Forward in 1959, and the tale of his unlikely journey back to China with the author. (CHN96, $17.00)

Bridge of Birds


by Barry Hughart

  • LITERATURE
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A novel of whimsy and fantasy set in ancient China. (CHN117, $7.99)

Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey

Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey


by Kenneth Ch'en

  • RELIGION
  • 1972
  • PAPER
  • 560 PAGES

A well organized, scholarly history of the development of Mahayana Buddhism in China, originally published in 1964. (CHN151, $57.50)

Buddhism in Chinese History

Buddhism in Chinese History


by Arthur F Wright

  • RELIGION
  • 1983
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A brief overview of the transformation of the culture of pre-modern China by Buddhism and the legacy of Buddhism in modern China, originally presented as a series of six lectures in 1959. (CHN131, $24.95)

Buddhist Art and Architecture

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 Cambridge Illustrated History of China

The Cambridge Illustrated History of China


by Patricia Buckley Ebrey

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A concise, handsomely illustrated survey of Chinese history. Organized chronologically, this book marches confidently through 8,000 years of Chinese civilization, balancing social issues with politics and culture. (CHN79, $46.99)

Cave Temples of Mogao, Art and History on the Silk Road


by Roderick Whitfield | Susan Whitfield | Neville Agnew

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 138 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A magnificently illustrated survey of the history and art of the ancient Buddhist monastery along the Silk Road. (CAS60, $29.95)

Central China Map

Central China Map


by Nelles

  • 2007
  • MAP

From Shanghai west across China, at a scale of 1:1,500,000. (CHN65, $13.95)

Chasing the Panda


by Michael Kiefer

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • HARD COVER
  • 230 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

The spellbinding tale of an unlikely duo and their successful expedition to Wolong in 1936 to recover a panda bear. (CHN166, $24.95)

China Map

China Map


by International Travel Maps

  • 2006
  • MAP

A double-sided shaded-relief map of China, at a useful scale of 1:3,800,000, indexed with an inset map of central Beijing. (CHN06, $11.95)

China Men


by Maxine Hong Kingston

  • LITERATURE
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 308 PAGES

A novel of three generations of Chinese men adjusting to life in a America. (CHN118, $15.95)

China North Map

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 New Shanghai, The Rocky Rebirth of China's Legendary City


by Pamela Yatsko

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 298 PAGES

An examination of the recent cultural and economic renaissance in Shanghai. (CHN140, $18.95)

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

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, Its History and Culture

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)

The Chinese

The Chinese


by Jasper Becker

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

An insightful, up-to-date account of the contradictions, diversity and potential in contemporary Chinese society and economy, by a veteran journalist and astute observer. (CHN97, $24.99)

Chinese (Mandarin), Start Speaking Today!

Chinese (Mandarin), Start Speaking Today!


by Educational Services Corporation

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 1993
  • AUDIO CD

A 90-minute crash course in Mandarin featured in two compact discs and a phrasebook packaged in a vinyl sleeve. Geared for travelers, the course follows the foreign service method -- which focuses on dialogues and useful sentences instead of individual words. (CHN92, $24.95)

Chinese Art

Chinese Art


by Mary Tregear

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

A quick, but surprisingly thorough survey of Chinese art, including calligraphy and painting, sculpture and ceramics, as well as garden design, architecture, and various crafts. (CHN153, $19.95)

Chinese Poetry, An Anthology of Major Modes and Genres

Chinese Poetry, An Anthology of Major Modes and Genres


by Wai-Lim Yip

  • LITERATURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 360 PAGES

Wai-Lim Yip combs the literature for the finest and more unusual examples of poems from Chinese traditions. (CHN174, $26.95)

Conquering the Desert of Death, Across the Taklamakan

Conquering the Desert of Death, Across the Taklamakan


by Charles Blackmore | Peter Hopkirk

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 268 PAGES

Blackmore's vivid account of tenacity and courage is all the better for its matter of fact detail and generous credit to the Uyghur camel handlers who made it possible. (CAS68, $16.95)

The Death of Woman Wang

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

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

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)

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

A Field Guide to the Birds of China


by John MacKinnon | Karen Phillipps

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 586 PAGES

A comprehensive field guide to the birds of China, featuring 128 color plates illustrating 1,300 species of birds. Contains introductory chapters on the history of ornithology in China, biogeography, and conservation. (CHN85, $124.00)

Five T'ang Poets

Five T'ang Poets


by David Young

  • LITERATURE
  • 1990
  • PAPER

A collection of T-ang poetry. (CHN157, $15.95)

Fodor's Exploring China

Fodor's Exploring China


by Christopher Knowles

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES
  • CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
    • >

This excellent guidebook, featuring maps and color photos, brings old and new China to life, with sections on places to visit, a useful language guide and practical information. (CHN25, $22.00)

Fodor's Hong Kong's 25 Best

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)

Fodor's Shanghai

Fodor's Shanghai


by Fodor's Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

A practical guide in the popular series, filled with valuable information on accommodation, shopping, sights, and dining. (CHN543, $18.95)

The Forbidden City, Center of Imperial China

The Forbidden City, Center of Imperial China


by Gilles Beguin | Dominique Morel

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

This slim volume is packed with maps, archival photographs and illustrations. With a useful chronology and a carefully chosen selection of writings over the ages, it's an indispensable guide to the Forbidden City and the history of Imperial China. (CHN32, $15.95)

Frommer's Shanghai

Frommer's Shanghai


by J.D. Brown

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 328 PAGES

A practical guide in the popular series, strong on where to eat, sleep and shop. (CHN220, $19.99)

Frommer's Shanghai Day by Day


by Graham Bond

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER

A compact shirt pocket guide, ideal for a short visit, featuring remarkably good suggestions for everything from food, hotels and neighborhoods to shopping. With a separate foldout map of the city center. (CHN591, $12.99)

Fruitful Sites, Garden Culture in Ming Dynasty China

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 Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and Invention

The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and Invention


by Robert Temple | Joseph Needham

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

The revised, lavishly illustrated edition of Needham's multi-volume, best-selling survey of Chinese innovation over the millennia. Organized thematically, it covers the suspension bridge, wheelbarrow, circadian rhythms, decimal system, seismograph, parachute, gunpowder and rockets. (CHN82, $29.95)

Giant Pandas in the Wild, Saving an Endangered Species

Giant Pandas in the Wild, Saving an Endangered Species


by Lu Zhi

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2002
  • HARD COVER
  • 128 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A portrait of the giant panda, its habitat in China and international conservation efforts. Includes excellent color photographs by George Schaller and text chronicling the lives of 20 individual pandas. (CHN173, $35.00)

God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan

God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan


by Jonathan Spence

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 430 PAGES

(CHN178, $18.95)

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

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)

Governing China, From Revolution Through Reform


by Kenneth Lieberthal

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 461 PAGES

A scholarly political history of China. (CHN112, $28.50)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong


by Jan Morris

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A wonderful portrait of Hong Kong by one of our favorite writers. Morris enumerates the many personal pleasures of the city, deftly interweaving reportage, history and culture. (HKG02, $17.00)

Hong Kong Map

Hong Kong Map


by Nelles

  • MAP

A detailed, colorful folded map of Hong Kong, scale 1:22,500. (HKG15, $13.95)

Hungry Ghosts, Mao's Secret Famine


by Jasper Becker

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

The definitive work on the devastating famine that overtook China in the 1950s and 1960s. (CHN99, $21.99)

The Importance of Living

The Importance of Living


by Lin Yutang

  • RELIGION
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 462 PAGES

A philosophical treatise on living the good life. (CHN121, $16.99)

In the Red: On Contemporary Chinese Culture

In the Red: On Contemporary Chinese Culture


by Geremie R. Barme

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

Examination of Chinese culture, both "official" and "unofficial." (CHN88, $32.50)

Insight Guide China

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

Insight Pocket Guide Beijing


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 92 PAGES

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

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

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

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)

The Last Panda

The Last Panda


by George Schaller

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 291 PAGES

Naturalist George Schaller spent almost five years in the wild 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. (CHN24, $17.50)

Leaving Mother Lake

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)

Legacies, A Chinese Mosaic

Legacies, A Chinese Mosaic


by Betty Bao Lord

  • HISTORY
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 242 PAGES

A memoir of contemporary China, interweaving a family tale with interviews and testimony. (CHN84, $19.00)

Lonely Planet Beijing

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

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 Hong Kong & Macau City Guide

Lonely Planet Hong Kong & Macau City Guide


by Nicko Goncharoff | Damian Harper

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 380 PAGES

A practical guide to Hong Kong. (HKG14, $21.99)

Lonely Planet Taiwan

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)

Looking for Chengdu, A Woman's Adventure in China

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)

The Lost Camels of Tartary

The Lost Camels of Tartary


by John Hare

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 239 PAGES

A vivid account of three expeditions on the trail of the migrating Bactrian camel through the deserts of Xinjiang and Mongolia. The author includes vivid portraits of the people he encounters along the way. (CAS67, $14.99)

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)

The Mao Case

The Mao Case


by Qiu Xiaolong

  • MYSTERY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Evocatively set in the elegant 1930s Shanghai mansion of a woman who may once have been Mao's mistress, this sixth deft book in the Inspector Chen series (subtitled Sex, Lies and the Forbidden City) finds the always discreet Chief Inspector Chen Cao probing the secrets of Mao-era China. (CHN539, $14.99)

Mao's China and After, A History of the People's Republic


by Maurice Meisner

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 587 PAGES

A vivid, comprehensive history of China since the Communists came into power in 1949. (CHN165, $36.95)

Mao, The Unknown Story

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)

Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World

Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World


by John Larner

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A scholarly, insightful study of the impact of the venetian merchant-explorer's impact on European ideas and knowledge of the world. (EXP22, $21.00)

Michelin Shanghai, Must Sees

Michelin Shanghai, Must Sees


by Gwen Cannon

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

A compact guide to the sights of Shanghai, organized thematically. (CHN634, $11.99)

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)

Minor Heresies, Major Departures, A China Mission Boyhood

Minor Heresies, Major Departures, A China Mission Boyhood


by John Jenkins Espey

  • HISTORY
  • 1994
  • HARD COVER
  • 357 PAGES

Son of Presbyterian missionaries, Espey writes with sly wit of his dual life in the American compaund and along the alleys of old Shanghai. (CHN585, $55.00)

Monkey, A Journey to the West

Monkey, A Journey to the West


by David Kherdian

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

The 16th-century Chinese epic of adventure and pilgrimage, brilliantly retold by David Kheridan. It's the wild tale of the encounters of the rogue-trickster Monkey and his Buddhist companion Tripitaka on the Silk Road. (ASA32, $16.95)

Moon Beijing and Shanghai


by Helena Iveson

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 350 PAGES

A practical guide in the popular series. (CHN537, $17.95)

Mountain of Fame, Portraits in Chinese History

Mountain of Fame, Portraits in Chinese History


by 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. (CHN10, $29.95)

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha


by Dorothy Gilman

  • MYSTERY
  • 1988
  • PAPER

Grandma Pollifax, the CIA agent, is at it again, hot on the trail of jewel thieves, drug dealers and murderers in the city of Hong Kong. Part of the popular series, this mystery is great fun. (HKG17, $6.99)

National Geographic China

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)

News from Tartary

News from Tartary


by Peter Fleming

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

Fleming's rousing account of a 3,500-mile jaunt from Peking to Sinkiang and on to India, a classic of imperial British wit and style. (CAS46, $18.95)

Noble House

Noble House


by James Clavell

  • LITERATURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 1376 PAGES

Another Clavell novel set in Asia, this one finds Russian, Chinese and English businessmen and intelligence agents caught up in a struggle to control the largest trading house in 1960s Hong Kong. (HKG16, $18.00)

Northeastern China Map

Northeastern China Map


by Nelles

  • MAP

A double-sided map of the northeastern portion of the country at a 1:1.5 scale. (CHN172, $13.95)

Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road

Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road


by Justin Jon Rudelson

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A survey of Uyghur identity based on the author's fieldwork in Turpan. (CAS92, $29.50)

Odyssey Guide China

Odyssey Guide China


by Charis Chan | Peter Neville

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 440 PAGES

A handsomely illustrated compact guide, strong on culture and history. With 15 regional and local maps, hundreds of photographs -- and all 31 World Heritage Sites in China. (CHN87, $19.95)

The Open Empire, A History of China to 1600


by Valerie Hansen

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 458 PAGES

This account of premodern China depicts the empire as heterogenous, vibrant, and open to the outside world. (CHN138, $55.40)

Oracle Bones

Oracle Bones


by Peter Hessler

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

In this fine portrait of tumult and tradition, Hessler (River Town) finds clues to modern China's realities in the personal stories of peasants, scholars, day laborers and activists. (CHN316, $15.99)

The Origins of the Cultural Revolution, Volume 1: The Contradictions among the People 1956-1957


by Roderick MacFarquhar

  • HISTORY
  • 1974
  • PAPER
  • 439 PAGES

China's Cultural Revolution from 1956 to 1966. (CHN115, $33.50)

Pandas


by Heather Angel

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 72 PAGES

A series of gorgeous color photographs of pandas, mostly concerned with the Giant Pandas of Wolong and with a section on the red panda. Includes some information on natural history. (CHN137, $17.95)

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)

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)

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)

Precious Records, Women in China's Long Eighteenth Century


by Susan Mann

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

Respected scholar Mann seeks to given voice to the underrepresented women of Qing China. (CHN139, $27.95)

The Private Life of Chairman Mao, The Memoirs of Mao's Personal Physician


by Dr. Li Zhisui

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 682 PAGES

22 years in the life of Mao Tse Tung (and communist China), as seen through the eyes of his doctor. (CHN100, $22.95)

Red China Blues, My Long March from Mao to Now

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)

Red Dust, A Path Through China

Red Dust, A Path Through China


by Ma Jian | Flora Drew

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 324 PAGES

An astounding memoir by an urban poet, painter and writer on the road to Tibet. A vagabond, rebel and Buddhist, Jian abandons his Beijing life for a 3-year southwestern journey through Tibet, Burma and Guizhou Province. (CHN150, $16.00)

Religions of China in Practice

Religions of China in Practice


by Donald S. Lopez Jr.

  • RELIGION
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 472 PAGES

Confucionism, Daoism and Buddhism, and how they overlap and interact with each other. (CHN127, $42.00)

Religions of China, The World as a Living System


by David L. Overmyer

  • RELIGION
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 125 PAGES

A brief primer on the religions of China. (CHN154, $11.50)

The Retreat of the Elephants, An Environmental History of China

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)

Riding the Iron Rooster


by Paul Theroux

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 528 PAGES

A wry account an utterly exhausting, exasperating travels, mostly by rail, throughout China for an entire year. Theroux gets himself to every corner of the huge country and includes memorable passages on his experiences in Mongolia, Xinjiang, Manchuria and Tibet (where his journey ended). (CHN133, $15.95)

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

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

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)

Rough Guide China

Rough Guide China


by Simon Lewis | David Leffman

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 1284 PAGES

A no-nonsense, opinionated travel guide in the British series aimed at independent-minded travelers. (CHN78, $27.99)

Rough Guide Shanghai


by Simon Lewis

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A compact, practical guide to the city, jammed with maps, site plans, suggested sightseeing and recommended restaurants and hotels. (CHN488, $27.50)

The Sand Pebbles

The Sand Pebbles


by Richard McKenna

  • LITERATURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 624 PAGES

A reprint of the now-classic novel, which revolves around mate Jake Holman and life aboard U.S. Navy gunboat on the Yangtze River in the early 20th century. (CHN147, $24.95)

Selected Stories of Lu Hsun


by Hsun Lu | William Lyell

  • LITERATURE
  • 1975
  • PAPER
  • 255 PAGES

A collection of 18 stories by an important modern Chinese writers (1881-1936). (CHN122, $15.95)

The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World


by Chris Scarre

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1999
  • HARD COVER
  • 304 PAGES

A comprehensive, illustrated overview of the great monuments of the ancient world and how they were built. (GEN92, $40.00)

Shanghai Triad


by Zhang Yimou

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • DVD

A provincial boy related to a Shanghai crime family is recruited by his uncle into cosmopolitan Shanghai in the 1930s to be a servant to a ganglord's mistress. (CHN646, $14.99)

The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1


by Joseph Needham | Colin A. Ronan

  • HISTORY
  • 1978
  • PAPER
  • 337 PAGES

The first entry in a multi-volume history of science and engineering in China. (CHN120, $75.00)

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang


by Sally Wriggins

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A nicely illustrated account of an extraordinary, 16-year trek from Xi'an to India by way of Central Asia in search of the origins of Buddhism by Xuan-Zang, the famous 7th-century Chinese monk. (ASA31, $25.00)

The Silk Roads, A Route and Planning Guide

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

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

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 Small Woman


by Alan Burgess

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1996
  • HARD COVER
  • 221 PAGES

A biography of the missionary Gladys Aylward. (CHN77, $35.95)

The Soong Dynasty


by Sterling Seagrave

  • HISTORY
  • 1986
  • PAPER
  • 560 PAGES

The epic story of one the most powerful and influential families in 20th-century China. (CHN114, $18.99)

South of the Clouds, Tales from Yunnan

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)

The State of China Atlas

The State of China Atlas


by Robert Benewick | Stephanie Donald

  • REFERENCE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

A bold visual survey of political, economic and social change in China. (CHN68, $19.95)

Streetlife China

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)

Taiwan and Taipei Map

Taiwan and Taipei Map


by ITMB

  • 2000
  • MAP

A full color travelers map with the city of Taipei on one side and all of Taiwan on the other at a scale of 1:386,000. (TWN03, $12.95)

Taiwan, A New History

Taiwan, A New History


by Murray A. Rubinstein

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

This scholarly history of Taiwan by diverse contributors covers the economy, culture, politics and development of Taiwan from ancient time to modern nation. (TWN01, $45.95)

Tales of a Chinese Grandmother


by Malthe Hasselriis | Frances Carpenter

  • LITERATURE
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 261 PAGES

An illustrated, old-fashioned book of folk tales, originally published in 1937. (CHN156, $8.95)

The Tarim Mummies, Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West


by J.P. Mallory | Victor H. Mair

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 190 PAGES

A magnificently illustrated account of the Tarim mummies -- Bronze Age inhabitants of the Taklamakan Desert along the Silk Road. (CAS58, $36.40)

Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

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 Gorges of the Yangtze River

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 Thousand Years of Chinese Painting

Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting


by Richard Barnhart | Yang Xin

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

An oversize, nicely illustrated survey of Chinese art traditions with contributions by leading specialists and 300 well chosen color illustrations. (CHN152, $55.00)

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)

Thunder from the East, Portrait of a Rising Asia

Thunder from the East, Portrait of a Rising Asia


by Nicholas Kristoff | Sheryl WuDunn

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 377 PAGES

A study of the changing face of Asia's economic situation and its effects on the continent's culture. (ASA24, $15.95)

Thunder Out of China

Thunder Out of China


by Theodore H. White | Annalee Jacoby | Harrison Salisbury

  • HISTORY
  • 1980
  • PAPER
  • 331 PAGES

A classic account of the Chinese Revolution. (CHN113, $16.50)

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)

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding


by Lenore Look | Yumi Heo

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 40 PAGES
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Chinese wedding traditions come alive in this story of a mischief-making Chinese-American girl who worries that her uncle will forget about her after he marries. With charming mixed-media illustrations. (CHN348, $17.99)

Waiting

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

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)

When Red is Black

When Red is Black


by Qiu Xiaolong

  • MYSTERY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Chen's vacation is interrupted by dirty dealing and murder in this third installment of Qui's popular series, which is steeped in the atmosphere and culture of modern Shanghai. (CHN411, $15.00)

Wild China

Wild China


by John MacKinnon | Nigel Hicks

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1996
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

A beautiful oversize book of photographs featuring Chinese wildlife and natural history. This informative, up-to-date survey of the wildlife of China also features excellent maps and detailed explanatory text. (CHN19, $39.95)

Wild West China, The Taming of Xinjiang

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

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 Soldier's Own Story


by Xie Bingying | Barry Brissman | Lily Chia

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 336 PAGES

The first English translation of feminist, nationalist and polemicist Xie Bingying's autobiography. Her intensely political memoir reveals the desperate mood in China during the decades leading up to the revolution. (CHN158, $36.00)

A Woman's Asia

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

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)

Yangtze Remembered, The River Beneath the Lake


by Linda Butler | Simon Winchester

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

Photographer Linda Butler's photographic essay about the Yangtze valley before and after the 2003 flooding of the Three Gorges Dam. (CHN218, $70.00)

Yangzi River Map

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)

Years of Red Dust

Years of Red Dust


by Qiu Xiaolong

  • LITERATURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

A collection of linked stories that trace the changes in China from the 1949 Communist revolution to the late 1990s, all from the perspective of one street in Shanghai, Red Dust Lane. (CHN625, $14.99)

 

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