New Arrivals at The Penang Bookshelf in August 2019

New Arrivals at The Penang Bookshelf

in

August 2019

(Last Updated 31-8-19)

This is a list of new arrivals advertised at The Penang Bookshelf for this month. Please note: -

• Each book advertised below includes a brief description of its contents and condition as well as the price in Malaysian Ringgit. If you want a fuller description of a used book's condition, to look at the scanned contents page, if any, and/or to find out the price in USD, please click on the link in blue for the relevant book. 
• If you click on a link after the current month and find nothing, the book's been sold.  
• Of course, if you want to buy anything you see here, you can either do so from the site or contact me at penangbookshelf@gmail.com. 
• This page will be updated constantly until the end of the month.
• The prices shown here hold good for at least this month, but for out of print books, the prices may change in subsequent months.
• All prices include free postage to anywhere in Malaysia. 
• Orders for Singapore also shipped free, where the order weighs 6 kg and more. Other orders from selected customers in Singapore will also be shipped free, by a refund of the shipping charge. 

Malaysia & Singapore - Anthropology & Sociology

Dimensions of Tradition and Development in Malaysia - Rokiah Talib and Tan Chee-Beng (eds)  RM220

The contributors to this volume tackle a wide range of subjects exploring how both traditional cultural and religious beliefs and economic development interact with each other for good or ill. The book is divided into five main sections - I - Traditions and Development exploring, for example Aboriginal, Chinese and Malay agricultural methods, II - Issues in Development, where the informal sector, low cost housing, foreign workers and consumer culture are discussed, III - Development and Changing Economic Life, where changes affecting aboriginal communities on both the peninsula and in Borneo are covered, IV - Religion and Ethnic Relations, where Buddhism in Penang, religious revivalism, intermarriage and the Chinese Malaysian community are included and V - Social Problems where issues of drug dependence, girls in custody and the menopause amongst rural Malay women are examined. 557 pages with an index Very Good Hardback in a  Good Dust Jacket

The British in Malaya, 1880-1941 - John G Butcher   RM400

While literature on colonial Malaya is awash with studies on the three main ethnic groups, Malay, Chinese and Indians, there is very little academic literature on how the colonisers, the British, functioned as a community. Butcher seeks to redress that imbalance by analysing the this group's accepted way of living and their interaction with other communities in the country. Good Hardback First Edition. 292 pages with black and white plates, appendices, glossaries, maps, tables and an index.

Malaysia & Singapore - Armed Forces

Ibrahim: Pahlawan Melayu/Malay Warrior - Ibrahim Ismail   RM150

The autobiography of the fifth Chief of Defence Forces in Malaysia from 1970 to 1977. He started his military career with the British Special Operations Executive and was parachuted behind Japanese lines and was also responsible for commanding the Government's efforts to suppress the 1969 race riots. Near Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket 298 pages with an index and several black and white plates.






The Malayan Special Force in the Heart of Africa - Siew Soo Tan   RM120

A Malaysian army officer recounts the little known history of the Malayan Special Force which served as peacekeepers with the United Nations in Zaire for nineteen months between 1960 and 1963. It was an extraordinary honour for a country, barely three years independent itself and facing its own internal struggles with the communist insurgency, to be involved in attempts to calm the turmoil in another newly independent state. With a foreword by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first prime minister.  Very Good Hardback. First Edition. 107 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.

Malaysia & Singapore - Arts & Crafts

The Landscape Palimpsest - Sophia McAlpine   RM140

While much has been written about the British in Malaya, very little has been written about both the amateur and professional art produced by those who lived in or visited the country. McAlpine peels away the veneer to discover what in nature inspired these artists and what that reveals about their conscious and subconscious ideas and values. New Paperback. First Edition. 79 pages with several black and white plates and a bibliography.

Malaysia & Singapore - Biography & Memoirs

A Nyonya in Texas: Insights of a Straits Chinese Woman in the Lone Star State - Lee Su Kim    RM120

The author not only used her four years in Texas to collect a doctorate in Language and Culture, but also to bring back home her amusing observations on those she met while there, both Americans and other visitors, like herself. The book makes a refreshing change from the myriad books of Westerners observing exotic Asiatic life on their travels. New Paperback. First Edition. 185 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.





Blood on the Golden Sands - Lim Kean Siew   RM80

Lim Kean Siew was one of Penang's best known lawyers and politicians in the period that led to Malaya's independence. This book starts where the author's previous memoir finished, i.e. at the start of the Japanese invasion of Malaya in late 1941 through to the dropping of the atom bomb which ended the war. Although Lim Kean Siew and most of his family friends and associates had no truck with the Japanese, he explains how their audacious strike against British colonialism sparked the movement for independence. Near Fine Paperback. First Edition 276 pages.




Footprints in the Paddy Fields - Tina Kisil   RM80

A memoir of childhood growing up in Sabah, then British North Borneo, in the 1960s. The author is from the indigenous Dusun community and makes a special effort to record her memories of their customs and beliefs. Near Fine Paperback. First Edition. 219 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 







My Brush with Fortune - Ashley Jackson   RM60

This is the autobiography of Ashly Jackson, a well known water colourist, who was born in Penang just before World War II. He and his mother escaped to India, but his father remained and was killed by the Japanese. Much of the book deals with his attempts to piece together his family history. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. Reprint. 126 pages.





P.Ramlee: The Bright Star - James Harding & Ahmad Sarji   RM150

An experienced British biographer of classical musicians and a Malaysian expert on P Ramlee teamed up to write this biography. It's packed with information about his films and his music and his emergence as Malaysia's most popular entertainment personality. The book details his film plots extensively, but fails to convey much about the complexities of the man himself. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. First Edition  280 pages including a limited index.





Planting Tales of Joy and Sorrow - Roger Anton (ed)   SOLD

A collection of often humourous anecdotes compiled by John Kyrle Money about life on the plantations in Malaysia. Although many of the tales centre on the life of Europeans on the estates, there is also a fair sprinkling of stories from the lives of those who did the hard work. Near Fine Hardback. First Edition 64 pages with a few photographs and many illustrations. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.





Prince and Premier - Harry Miller    RM200

Abdul Rahman's foreword indicates that this is very definitely an authorised biography. Nevertheless Miller didn't write a hagiography either. He sums the country's first prime minister up as a man who succeeded because of his honesty and common touch rather than because he could match the intellect of his great contemporary hero, Jawaharlal Nehru. The book also benefits from being written when the memory of the events described are fresh. 224 pages including an index. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. First Edition. 




The Right to Differ: A Biographical Sketch of Lim Kit Siang - Ooi Kee Beng   RM100

Malaysia managed at the the ballot box to end several decades of government dominated by one party, UMNO, in the middle of 2018. It is unlikely that this could have happened without the contribution of Lim Kit Siang, who has been in politics since the founding of the Democratic Action Party, now a member of the new ruling coalition, in 1966. In this book, based on interviews with the noted political biographer, Ooi Kee Beng, Lim reflects on his imprisonment without trial and generally on the difficulties of expressing opposition views in Malaysia, but also demonstrates his determination to highlight injustice. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 180 pages with a CD of the interviews in a pocket in the back cover

Through Wars and Peace : From the Gunfire of the Sino-Japanese War to the Golden Oil of Malaya : A Memoir - Samuel SW Kam   RM100

The memoir of one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Malaysian palm oil industry. This was written when Kam was well into his nineties and so enables him to take a philosophical look back at all the changes and turmoil in East and Southeast Asia that he lived through in order to enjoy a contented retirement. Very Good Paperback First Edition. 356 pages. 






Tropic Temper: A Memoir of Malaya - James Kirkup  RM60

Tropic Temper: A Memoir of Malaya - James Kirkup  RM50

This book captures Kirkup's experiences for the year that he was in Malaya teaching at the University of Kuala Lumpur. He started by being disappointed after his stay in Japan, but then made a point of escaping the capital city to travel the length and breadth of the peninsula and discovered a completely different world, which captivated him completely. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket Reprint 287 pages with an index. 





Which I Have Loved - Ruth Ho   RM150

The autobiography of the writer and former principal of the Methodist Girls School, Ipoh. 286 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details Very Good Paperback First Edition.

Borneo

Farewell to Democracy in Sarawak: The Making of a Neocolony - Roy Bruton   RM60

This is principally an anthropological work looking at the effects of 'Malaysianisation' on the aboriginal peoples of Sarawak. Bruton argues that the education system and 'development' generally imposed by central government has ruined the essentially democratic nature of the Bidayuh and Iban communities. Very Good Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. First Edition. 278 pages with various forms, diagrams and tables, a bibliography and an index. 





The White Rajahs of Sarawak - Robert Payne   RM80

This book recounts the entire history of three white men who ruled Sarawak in the 19th and 20th centuries: James Brooke, Charles Brooke and Vyner Brooke. Their exploits include pirate attacks, battles, extending the territory under their rule and eventually being pushed out by the Japanese. The events detail British colonialism in miniature. 189 pages which includes of photo illustrations, a bibliography and an index.  Please see scanned photos for a list of the chapters. Very Good Paperback. Reprint 




Wanderer in Malaysian Borneo - Pengembara (C.H. Gallop)  RM120

A series of articles, originally published in the Borneo Bulletin, a Brunei newspaper, recording the author's adventures in the nearby Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Near Fine. Paperback. Reprint. 139 pages.

Malaysia & Singapore - Business, Economics & Labour

Privatizing Malaysia Rents, Rhetoric, Realities - Jomo KS (ed)   RM150

In the early 1980s, Malaysia had the biggest programme of sales of state assets outside the United Kingdom. The various contributors to this volume conclude, with different arguments, that rather than increase efficiency or equality, the main effect of Malaysia's UMNO-led scheme was to channel resources to its supporters. 281 pages with figures, tables, a bibliography and an index. First Edition. Very Good. Paperback.

Malaysia & Singapore - Chinese Community & Culture

Chinese Minority in A Malay State - Tan Chee-Beng   RM240

This is a timely study of a Chinese community which has not had too much attention in the past, both the 'pure' Chinese and the Peranakan, or mixed, Chinese minorities in a state dominated politically by an ethnocentric Malay political party, PAS. The author divides his work into three parts 1 - History of Settlement and Society, 2 - Peranakan-Type Chinese in Tirok and 3 - Ethnic Relations. The 162 pages also contain several black and white illustrations of local society, a bibliography and an Appendix on the Chinese in Pulai Baharu.    New Paperback First Edition 



Poverty & Household Economic Strategies in Malaysian New Villages - Hin Fui Lim    RM150

During the Malayan 'Emergency' New Villages were established mainly for Chinese Malayans so as to prevent them from providing food and other support to Communist insurgents in the jungle. When the fighting stopped the villages remained as did many of their inhabitants. This study was carried out to highlight the economic conditions of such communities, which were dire compared with other members of the Chinese community, which at that time was the most affluent ethnic community in the country. Besides exposing the poverty prevalent in these communities, the author also looks at how the inhabitants try to better themselves and makes suggestions for other improvements. The study was carried out in the state of Perak which hosted one third of the new villages in the country at the time of the study. Good Hardback. First Edition. 250 pages  with tables, maps appendices, references and an index.

The Peranakan Chinese of Kelantan - Teo Kok Seong    RM300

This unique study of assimilation concentrates on a community of mixed Chinese, Malay and Thai ancestry which has been living in Kelantan since at least the 18th century. The author chooses to focus mainly on the community's mother tongue, how it reflects the Chinese Peranakan hybrid nature and how it facilitates interaction with the group's neighbours. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. First Edition. 335 pages. with three maps, some black and white plates, a bibliography and an index.

Malaysia & Singapore - Cooking & Food

Rasa Singapura: Taste of Singapore - Josephine Chia   RM60

A collection of recipes demonstrating the multicultural origins of Singapore food. Unusually there are also suggestions for vegetarian alternatives for each recipe. Very Good Paperback. 51 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.

Malaysia & Singapore - Crime & Policing

Eastern Customs: The Customs Service in British Malaya and the Opium Trade - Derek Mackay   RM80

This book covers a little reported aspect of British colonial rule in Malaya, i.e. the operation of the customs service, established at the beginning of the 20th century. Its main function initially was to regulate the opium trade, which, for most of the century, accounted for about 50% of the Government's revenue. From 1946 onwards the service switched to functioning as an ant-narcotics unit, amongst its other duties. The author was a customs officer and bases this history on his own and fellow officers' experiences as well as Government records. Very Good Hardback. in a Very Good Dust Jacket. First Edition 298 pages with some black and white plates and an index

Malaysia & Singapore - Fiction

S.O.P.H.I.A - Pierre Boulle  RM100

The author of The Bridge Over the River Kwai sets this novel in Malaya in a jungle rubber plantation. The book's title is an acronym for the Society for Overseas Promotion of Horticulture, Industry and Agriculture, the company which owns the plantation and regulates the lives of most of the characters in the novel. Boulle's wit and descriptive style bring to life the expatriates' isolated life of intrigue and romance. 320 pages. Very Good Paperback. Reprint. The book was originally published in 1959  

Souvenirs d'un Agent Malais - Nor Nalla   RM130

The book, originally published in English in 1931, purports to be the autobiography of a plainclothes Malay policeman recruited from boyhood to work undercover. In the introduction the author says he withholds his name to protect himself and others and yet there is apparently a photo of the diminutive author standing next a towering Englishman as the frontispiece.  That said, the book gives an interesting insight to undercover police work in Malaya before the First World War, in the first World War in France and then back in Malaya tackling the beginnings of Communism. The book was sufficiently popular to translated into French shortly after its original English publication. Very Good Paperback. First French Language edition   235  pages. 

Malaysia & Singapore - History

A History of Malaya and Her Neighbours - Volume 1 - FJ Moorhead  SOLD

Malaysia & Singapore - History (Pre-18th Century)

The Golden Khersonese - Paul Wheatley  RM60

In this comprehensive work the author attempts to piece together the historical geography of the peninsula before more reliable written records started appearing from the mid 16th century onwards. The work was ground breaking because for the first time Wheatley painstaking re-examines whatever first hand resources were available rather than relying on second hand translations and suppositions. This 388 page book is divided into seven parts namely I - China & the Malay Peninsula, II - The Malay Peninsula as Known to the West, III - The Indians in Malaya, IV - The Arabs in Malaya, V Three Forgotten Kingdoms, VI - The Isthmian Age, and VII - A City that was Made for Merchandise. There are also numerous maps, diagrams and a bibliography of more than 40 pages. Near Fine Paperback Reprint. Originally published in 1961   

The Study of Ancient Times in The Malay Peninsula and Straits of Malacca - Ronald Braddell   RM300

This a reprint of articles by Braddell on the early history of the peninsula previously published, between 1935 and 1951, in the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. The book also includes notes by FW Douglas on The Historical Geography of Malaya and Sidelights on the Malay Annals. 511 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Very Good Paperback. 

Malaysia & Singapore - History (20th Century)

British Policy and Malay Politics During the Malayan Union Experiment 1942-1948 - AJ Stockwell  SOLD

The progress towards independence in Malaya following the end of World War II was far from smooth. Although the most visible and disruptive events during the period were as a result of the Communist insurgency, there was a fair amount of turmoil in the domestic political scene as well. In this book, Stockwell recounts the efforts of the British to foist a Malayan Union, concocted by the British with little consultation during the war, on the Malayan people. Good Paperback. First Edition. 206 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 



Journeys Hazardous: Gurkha Clandestine Operations - Borneo 1965 - Christopher Bullock   RM120

The author  was in charge of a Gurkha company that specialised in operating deep inside Indonesian territory during the Konfrontasi/Confrontation between Malaysia, supported by Commonwealth forces, and Indonesia. Based on this personal diaries, Bullock recounts with humour and care the difficult nature of these operations, the existence of which were officially denied at the time. New Paperback. Reprint. 182 pages with six maps.





Singapore Its Past, Present and Future - Alex Josey   RM130

A long time resident of Singapore and, for a while, Lee Kuan Yew's press adviser on his overseas trips, casts a well qualified, but critical, eye over Singapore's recent past and even ventures to predict what life will be like after Lee Kuan Yew. Near Fine Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. 218 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.








The Lights of Singapore - Roland St.John Braddell  RM100

The noted jurist and a member of three generations of a Singapore family, recalls the Singapore and the peninsula of the 1930s with a series of anecdotes and vignettes. Very Good Paperback. Reprint. Originally published in 1934  205 pages. with 39 illustrations Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.

Johor

Johore and the Origins of British Control, 1895-1914 - Nesalamar Nadarajah  SOLD

Once the British became serious about expanding their sphere on influence to the Malay Peninsula, the state of Johore was always going to be a principal target. Not only was it host to the hinterland behind an increasingly flourishing, but geographically restricted, Singapore, but it was virtually uninhabited and so offered opportunities for cultivation of rubber and other cash crops. In this book the author details the British strategies for extending their control of the state and the court intrigues that helped and hindered them in their objective. 198 pages. Near Fine First Edition Hardback. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.

Malaysia & Singapore - Journalism & The Media

Media Enthralled: Singapore Revisited - Francis T. Seow  RM120

Seow, both  a one time Solicitor-General of Singapore and political prisoner there, gives the reader an informed and detailed account of how he believes the Singapore Government set out to turn not only the country's press, but the international press as well, into apparently unquestioning followers of the Government's line. The author has lived in exile in the USA since 1988. 253 pages with appendices, a bibliography and an index. Near Fine Hardback. First Edition

Malaysia & Singapore - Language & Linguistics

The Sindhis of Malaysia: A Sociolinguistic Study - Maya Khemlani David   RM300

This study is based on the Hindu Sindhi community in Malaysia, one of the country's smallest minorities. Ancestors of the community moved to the Malay peninsula from present day Pakistan from the 19th century onwards and established themselves as merchants. The author's study examines to what extent the original Sindhi language is maintained and variants used by the community, mixing in English and the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. 213 pages with a bibliography, author and subject index and a glossary. New Hardback  First Edition in a New Dust Jacket.

Malaysia & Singapore - Laws & Constitution

The Bedrock of Our Nation: Our Constitution - Shad Saleem Faruqi   RM100

The author, a senior Malaysian law professor, takes the reader on a tour of the country's constitution and its history. Although Faruqi is generally a wholehearted supporter of the way the constitution was drafted as a means of of regulating the lives of citizens with different religions while attempting to appease competing racial claims, he is not slow to point out where the law has been misapplied for political ends. 258 pages with a general index as well as as an index of cases and relevant statutes. New Paperback. First Edition.





The Sultan Azlan Shah Law Lectures - Faculty of Law, University of Malaya   RM300

In 1986 Sultan Azlan Shah, a former Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia, established a series of law lectures, to be given annually by distinguished judges and academics from the Commonwealth. This is a selection of lectures given in the series to date. 224 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Very Good Hardback. First Edition.

Malaysia & Singapore - Magic & Popular Religion

Malay Poisons and Charm Cures - John D Gimlette  SOLD

This is a reprint of the 1929 revised and enlarged edition of Gimlette's classic work, which was based on his 18 years' experience as a doctor in the Malay States. Despite the possibly negative connotations of the title, the book was written for the benefit of the medical profession as an encouragement to carry out research into the efficacy, if any, of the potions and practices of traditional bomoh/pawang, medicine men. Very Good Paperback. Reprint. 301 pages with appendices on charms used, poisonous plants and Kelantan poisons and an index. 

Melaka

Hang Tuah; Tokoh Epik Nasional - Ahmad Sarji  RM100

An assessment of the Malaysian historical or mythical figure, depending on one's point of view. Hang Tuah remains an important figure in popular culture today. The book is in Bahasa Malaysia. New Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. First Edition. 121 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 

Malaysia & Singapore - Nature & Wildlife

A Scientific Journey Through Borneo: Tawau Hills Park, Sabah - Ghazally Ismail & Others (eds) RM400

This book presents the findings of an expedition carried out in 1989 by a group of scientists to study the natural features and flora and fauna in the park which had only been set up as a protected area some ten years previously. The various studies cover the park's geology, the water quality of its rivers, its trees and other plants, primates and bird and insect life. Very Good Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket First Edition 213 pages. 


Very Good Without Dust Jacket  RM300



Birds of the Malay Peninsula: Conclusion and Survey of Every Species v. 5 - Lord Medway and David R Wells   RM220

This volume concludes the most comprehensive record of birds of the Malay peninsula that began with Volume I, published some 50 years and four authors earlier. The current two authors have drawn together and updated the previous findings. 448 pages with 24 colour plates and seven maps. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket First Edition. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 






Common Malayan Butterflies - R Morrell  RM120

A handy guide with 20 colour plates and information on butterfly habits and distribution. Very Good Hardback. Reprint 64 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Originally published in 1960 








Mammals of Malaysia - MWF Tweedie  RM100

One of Southeast Asia's most distinguished 20th century naturalists, after a career of 25 years on the Raffles Museum staff, introduces the reader to the wide variety of mammals still living in the wild in Malaysia. Very Good Hardback. Reprint. This book was originally published in 1978.  87 pages with over fifty colour plates as well as line drawings throughout the text. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.






Mountains of Malaysia: A Practical Guide and Manual - John Briggs  RM220

Although Malaysia has no mountains with snow, it has hundreds of high mountains. Kinabalu rises to the height of the Tibetan plateau and Low's Peak is higher than Lhasa. The author sets out a very detailed guide for both amateurs, botanists and seasoned rock climbers with details of tracks to follow and suitable equipment to use. 228 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details. Very Good First Edition Paperback

Pahang

Call of the Dragon: A History of Tioman Island - Tarek Amin & Karen K Gustafson   RM80

A history of one of Malaysia's better known beauty spots, which is now a major tourist attraction. The authors recount a range of stories, both mythical and factual, about the island which, besides always being an important fishing hub, was also an vital staging post for traders from many lands. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 97 pages with suggestions for further reading and several line drawings.






Communication, Social Structure and Development in Rural Malaysia: a Study of Kampung Kuala Bera - William D. Wilder    RM100

In this analysis of communication and society in Kampung Kuala Bera, Pahang,  Dr. Wilder looks at communication networks of all kinds as found in a long-established Malay village, including the uses of language, small-scale (kinship and village-based) networks, and higher-level systems (the district and the nation as a whole). His field work reflects how these networks functioned  during a period of rapid and induced social change. His study includes the first-ever publication of a Malay village genealogy, a systematic account of birth-order names (a major feature of the kinship system), complete figures on marital breakdowns for the whole village population, and a thorough analysis of leadership in its local context. 234 pages with an index. Near Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket

Penang

A Narrative History of the Prai River Wharves from 1899 to Date - BP Bryson and A Palmer   RM600

This is a document presented to the Federal Council presider over by the High Commissioner, Sir Laurence Guillemard, to enable the council to determine the vexed question of building another slipway on the Prai River on the mainland opposite the island of Penang. It offers an interesting insight into the way the colonial administration worked at the time as it gives a detailed account of interactions between various departments and individuals on the matter. 61 pages including a map and two fold out plans. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Good First Edition Soft cover




Penang Shophouses: A Handbook of Features and Materials - Tan Yeow Wooi  RM80

Penang has the largest selection of pre-independence architecture in the country. The most pervasive form of architecture is the shophouse, where traditionally the store operator lived above the business. This handbook by one of Penang's leading conservation architects gives a detailed guide to the shophouse's traditional construction. It is intended to be useful to the interior designer, the conservationist and anyone else interested in architectural history. 93 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details. New Paperback. First Edition.



The Connection Phuket, Penang, and Adelaide - Ian Morson   RM240

Morson's account of the Light family, Francis and his son William, takes us from Phuket, Francis Light's base before taking over Penang, to Adelaide, founded by William. As New Hardback in a As New Dust Jacket. First Edition. 126 pages with some colour photos. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.








Through Turbulent Terrain: Trade of the Straits Port of Penang - Loh Wei Leng & Jeffrey Seow  RM140

The island of Penang has never had sufficient natural resources to make it a source for agricultural or mineral exploitation. It was taken over by British traders in the late 18th century for the purpose of maximising trade between its neighbours and places further afield and has lucratively fulfilled this purpose for most of its history. In this book the authors concentrate on this commercial aspect of the island's history, demonstrating how it continued to flourish from the British arrival until their return at the end of World War II. New Hardback. First Edition. 273 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.


Paperback   RM60

Malaysia & Singapore - Photography

The Blessed Land, Malaysia in My Eyes, a Photo Essay - You Jae Ryuk   RM500

You Jae Ryuk, although a prize winning photographer in Korea, had been based in Malaysia for several years when this book was published. In the year of publication he was the official photographer of the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism. This collection of colour photographs, although it contains several scenic shots, is refreshing for its concentration on the variety of people to be found in the length and breadth of the country. Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. First Edition. 250 pages

Malaysia & Singapore - Poetry

The Puppeteer's Wayang: Selection of Modern Malaysian Poetry - Muhammad Haji Salleh (ed)   RM150

A selection of poems by well known Malaysian poets translated, in most cases, from Malay into English. Most of the translations were made by the editor, a Malaysian poet of international standing, who writes in both Bahasa Malaysia and English. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 113 pages.

Malaysia & Singapore - Politics

Challenging Times - Tunku Andul Rahman   RM80

Besides being the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman was also Chairman of the Star newspaper, then based in Penang, after leaving politics. He used the paper to write frequent columns, sometimes so critical of the Government that the newspaper was banned for a time. This book is a collection of some of those articles and is divided into the following parts - I - Rulers, II - Contemporary Politics, III - Islam, IV - Profiles, V - Reminiscences. 240 pages.  Very Good Paperback. Reprint. 





Government and Politics of Malaysia - Zakaria Haji Ahmad (ed)   RM180

This book was published as part of a project to produce text books on Southeast Asian subjects by authors from the region. In this book the contributors survey the Malaysian governance and political scene thirty years after independence. Near Fine Hardback. First Edition. 178 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 






Passing the Baton from Dr Mahathir to Abdullah Badawi - Ismail Noor   RM150

This book is an analysis of the apparently well-planned seven step process set up by Mahathir Mohamad to hand over power to his chosen successor, Abdullah Badawi, the fifth prime minister of Malaysia. The author claims that the process was "the most structured, yet egalitarian, leadership process in modern political history" and argues that it should be followed elsewhere, not only in politics, but in business or any other organisation. New First Edition Hard back in a New Dust Jacket. 182 pages with a bibliography and index as well as a few black and white photographs.

Malaysia & Singapore - Postal History

Singapore Retrospect Through Postcards: 1900-1930   RM130

A collection of Singapore postcards from the early 20th century with explanatory notes in Chinese and English. Very Good. Paperback. First Edition. 136 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.

Malaysia & Singapore - Race Relations

The Chinese Dilemma - Ye Lin-Sheng   RM450

After a few decades of The New Economic Policy (NEP) designed to improve the financial standing of Malays through affirmative action, Ye examines its effects generally and on the Chinese community in Malaysia in particular. The book is partly in response to Mahathir's The Malay Dilemma, which inspired the NEP. However it mainly seeks to examine and often dispute various Chinese community grouses about life after the NEP, which the author generally supports. Well written and cogently argued. 197 pages with an index and a bibliography. Chapters include  Political Backdrop, Seeds of Discord, The Malay Dilemma Revisited, Chinese Grievances, The American Dilemma, Affirmative Action: American and Malaysian Experiences, Criticisms of Affirmative Action, Immigrant Chinese Society, The Ugly Chinaman, Minority Experiences Compared, Cultural Crossing, Striking a Balance, The New Economic Policy a Recapitulation. New Paperback.

The Naked Social Order: The Roots of Racial Polarisation in Malaysia - C Abraham   RM350

Abraham sets out to identify the origins of racial tension in Malaysia by using a socio-historical approach to examine what happened after the British arrived in the country. He explains the colonial ideology which informed the British administration, the effect on Malay society and the exploitation of Chinese and Indian labour.  Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 462 pages with a bibliography and an index


And A Good Copy   RM250

Selangor

Kuala Lumpur 1880-1895: A City in the Making - J.M. Gullick   RM120

With about half a dozen books about Kuala Lumpur's history to his name, Gullick was the principal historian in English of the city in the latter part of the 20th century. This reprint of a 1955 monograph was his original work on the subject. Although the early days described here might appear to bear little relationship to the sprawling metropolis of today, both settlements shared at least one common characteristic - a rapid growth with which administrators found it difficult, if not impossible, to keep up. 173 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details. Good Hardback Reprint 



Selangor: 300 Early Postcards - Cheah Jin Seng    RM120

One of Malaysia's principal postcard collectors shares cards depicting 19th and 20th century Selangor, the state which has hosted, Kuala Lumpur, now the nation's capital, since the late 19th century. Cheah also provides background information on the production of postcards in this period. 192 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. New Soft Cover





Service Above Self: 30 Years of the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya - Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya   RM80

This branch of the Rotary Club was founded in 1961 and the book charts the club's development in tandem with the growth of the new suburb of Petaling Jaya over the period. Good Hardback. First Edition. 75 pages with some black and white photographs.

Malaysia & Singapore - The 'Emergency'

Guerrilla Communism in Malaya - Lucian W Pye  RM170

Having just got rid of one threat to their interests at the end of World War II, the West was a bit taken aback to be confronted with another one - guerrilla Communism. Soldiers fought it and academics puzzled over its significance. This book is the result of several months of interviews with ex-Communists, by the author, a US academic to try to find out what on earth made the Commies tick. Very  Good Hardback in a Good Dust Jacket. First Edition 369 pages with an index.

Malaysia & Singapore - World War II

Singapore, 1941-42: The Japanese Version of the Malayan Campaign of World War II - Masanobu Tsuji   RM70

This fascinating book is written by the officer commanding the small group of Japanese officers who planned their country's 70 day campaign to inflict on Britain its worst defeat in the war. The book contains significant insights into how Japan was able to overrun ill-prepared colonial forces in such a short period of time. 358 pages. Very Good Paperback. Reprint. There are three appendices,an index and about 30 black and white photos.





The Malayan Communist Party as Recorded in the Comintern Files - Fujio Hara    RM50

In 1991 the files of Comintern, The Communist International or Third International, were opened to the public for the first time. 170 pages of the files were devoted to the Malayan Communist Party from its formation until 1943. The author here pieces together this information, a combination of reports from Malaya and instructions from Moscow, to determine the extent to which it corroborates, contradicts or amplifies other evidence about the party's early history. 161 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. New Paperback 




Where are All the Mad Men - Arthur Lane   RM50

An account of the fall of Malaya to the Japanese by a British soldier who survived the experience. What is unusual about this history is that the author took time to meet up with a Japanese soldier who was part of the invasion force to compare notes. What results is an expose of the idiocy of war, where foot soldiers like him and many others were expected to follow orders blindly which often resulted in their death or injury while those who gave the orders were relatively unscathed. 252 pages. Very Good Paperback. First edition.

Asia

Reflections On Asean: Selected Speeches Of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Of Malaysia   RM150

A collection of 33 speeches by Mahathir Mohamed, during his first period in office, on The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where Malaysia usually plays a central role. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 301 pages with an index.










Sea Turtles of the Indo-Pacific: Research Management & Conservation - Nicolas Pilcher & Ghzali Ismail (eds)     RM300

Based on papers submitted at the Second ASEAN Symposium and Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, this book gives a comprehensive account of the state of sea turtle populations in the ASEAN area and efforts made to maintain them. Various sections deal with management and conservation, nesting and foraging populations, the behaviour of sea turtles at sea and on the beach, research and conservation tools and turtle excluder devices. 361 pages with a CD of the presentations laid in. Near Fine Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. First Edition. 



Secret Hydrographic Surveys in the Spratly Islands - David Hancox & Victor Prescott   RM300

This is a history of the charting of marine features in an area known as the Dangerous Ground in the South China Sea. For some time mariners doubted the existence of  some of the reefs, banks and shoals, originally charted in the 19th century. A hundred years later, in the years preceding World War II, British and Japanese surveyors carried out their own secret research in the area to determine the true nature of the area. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. First Edition 219 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.




Tock Tock Birds: A Spider in the Web of International Terrorism - Tim Hatton   RM200

An autobiography of a British officer who was both involved with providing protection to civilians at the time of Partition in India and in leading British operations against communist guerrillas in Malaya. In Malaya he rose to be Director of Intelligence. 422 pages with appendices, maps and an an index. New Paperback Reprint 

Brunei

Prehistoric Wood from Brunei, Borneo - Tom Harrisson  RM180

This monograph details the results of excavations at Kota Batu, the epicentre of a powerful sultanate for many centuries before it was subdued by the Spanish in the mid sixteenth century. One of the most remarkable features of the work at the site was the discovery of remains of wooden items from the iron age which expanded existing knowledge on the lives of the early inhabitants of the island of Borneo. Very Good Paperback. First edition.  174 pages including 33 black and white plates and a map. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 

China

Chinese Ghost Stories - Lafcadio Hearn   RM50

These stories were originally published in the late 19th century  by an Anglo/Irish/Greek/American who was fed up with the restrictions of Western literature which he felt needed to be shaken up by an infusion of what the East had to offer. He pledged himself to worship "The Odd, The Queer, The Strange, the Exotic, the  Monstrous." These six stories testify to the success of his quest. 96 pages including a foreword on this extraordinary man by Virginia Cass, Notes and a Glossary. Very Good Paperback Reprint 




Entangled Landscapes: Early Modern China and Europe - Yue Zhuang & Another (eds)   RM80

This interesting study of China-Europe relationships bypasses the more common description and analysis of events and instead focuses on the role played by concepts of landscape, borrowed from each other, in determining the relationship between them. The contributors look at landscape design, cartography, literature, philosophy and the material culture between 1500 and 1800 to produce some fascinating insights. 328 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Very Good Paperback 




Qi Gong Therapy: The Chinese Art of Healing with Energy - Tzu Kuo Shih   RM50

All the benefits of the Qi Gong Chinese healing system are explained together with a simple introduction as to how to get started. Very Good Paperback 94 pages with some line drawings and black and white photographs.








The Swimming Dragon: The Chinese Way to Fitness, Beautiful Skin, Weight Loss & High Energy - Tzu Kuo Shih   RM50

Most of life's problems seem to be taken care of in this little book written by a fifth generation Chinese healer. All this can be achieved by practicing a short cycle of exercises lasting from five to twenty minutes 124 pages with some line drawings and some black and white photographs Like New Paperback







The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine - Ilza Veith (trans)   RM60

The Nei Ching, more popularly known as The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, was originally written in the third century BC as a record of a dialogue between the emperor and Ch'i-Po on health and healing. To this day the book remains the foundation upon which all branches of Chinese medicine, e.g. acupuncture, breathing exercises and reflexology are based. Near Fine Paperback. Reprint 260 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.

India

Baillie-ki-Paltan: A History of the 2nd Battalion, Madras Pioneers - HF Murland   RM600

A history of one of the oldest regiments in the Indian army from the mid 18th century up to 1930.  As the history unfolds, the British struggles to gain control of South India are revealed 602 pages with numerous maps and plans including at least two fold out maps. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Good Hardback. Revised Edition