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Wednesday 30 September 2020

New Arrivals at The Penang Bookshelf in September 2020

 

New Arrivals at The Penang Bookshelf

in

September 2020

(Last Updated 30-9-20)


  • 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 and to Singapore.

Malaysia & Singapore - Anthropology & Sociology


Clammer, a visiting sociologist attached to the National University of Singapore and author of several books on society in the region, here attempts to asses the state of the city state's society roughly 20 years after the country became independent. Good Hardback. First Edition. 170 pages. For further details please see the scanned contents page.





Malaysia & Singapore - Arts & Crafts



This is an extensive and well-informed survey of this ancient craft. with historic black and white illustrations and colour photographs of current Batik styles.192 pages The contents include - A Brief Cultural History of the Malay World, Batik Technique, Applications of Batik Cloth, Batik Design - Classical Batik, Pasisir Batik, Batik in Sumatra & Batik from The Malay Peninsula.There is also a Glossary, Index & a Bibliography. As New Paperback





This is a facsimile of the original 1910 edition. Published at a time when Malay Silverwork was barely known in Europe, this work introduces some magnificent specimens with 170 black and white plates and line drawings of over 250 items. The items were designed by Malay craftsmen for their royal patrons and South Chinese craftsmen for wealthy business families. It was originally designed as a handbook for "Connoisseurs, Collectors, Students and Silversmiths" and remains so to this day. with a newly written introduction by Sylvia Fraser-Lu. Near Fine Hardback. Reprint. 300 pages with an index



Malaysia & Singapore - Biography & Memoirs


An account of visits to China and her family connections to the country by a Malaysian Chinese lawyer, who was born in Kuching and retired in Penang. The book reveals the changes that she observed at the end of the 20th century and her appreciation of her identity. As New Paperback. First Edition 177 pages








A collection of letters written to and by Wallace on his journey from England to Singapore at the start of his momentous journey around the Malay Archipelago. His correspondents include the naturalists Darwin, Bates and Hookers as well as family and friends. With a Foreword by David Attenborough. 319 pages. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket








Vaunay has collected together the journals and sketches of an unsung, but pioneering, traveller in the Malay peninsula of the 19th century. De Morgan came to Malaya to secure a tin mining concession and set off into the interior of Perak to prospect for a suitable site for his employers. In doing so he was probably the first European to visit the dense jungles inhabited by orang asli (indigenous peoples) whom he treated with respect. The resulting record of his travels is part adventure story, part botanical record and part ethnographical study. New Paperback. 226 pages with numerous line drawings and a fold out map



Frank Swettenham's preface, which opens with the words 'It is well for the Malay races of Sarawak that they should find an advocate in their Ranee, for she loves them,' shows him at his insightful and patronising best. The Ranee then proceeds to match him in imperiousness with her opening words - 'Everyone has heard of Rajah Brooke. He was my husband's uncle, and this is how he became ruler of Sarawak.' She became Ranee about forty years before this book was written and gave up the position on her husband's death shortly after the book was published. So this biography gives the reader a rare insight into life behind the scenes in the anomaly that was the Sarawak of the Brookes. 320 pages with a map on the inside front cover and a front end paper, 27 black and white plates and an index. Originally published in 1913. Near Fine Paperback. Reprint 



The history of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia is peppered with rags to riches stories, some manufactured and others genuine. This biography follows Loh Boon Siew, who arrived in Penang as a labourer at 13 and died more than sixty years later as the head of a business empire that spread from Southeast Asia into Australia. Despite such a transformation, he never lost touch with his roots, preferring to relax in local coffee shops rather than smart hotels and establishing one of the main charitable hospitals in Penang. 196 pages with an index New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. First Edition 




St. John started his career as private secretary to James Brooke. This book a prequel to his earlier book 'Adventures of a Naval Officer', written under the pseudonym of Charles Hunter, about his adventures in naval operations around the island of Borneo. There are also appendices on the character of James Brooke, Sacred jars used by the Ibans, Orang Utans, Alligators, the Bajaus and Lanuns (Iranun pirates.) Fair Hardback. First Edition. 296 pages and 31 pages of advertisements







This is both a harrowing and uplifting book. Its inspiration springs from the author's harrowing imprisonment in a Burmese jail for a year. There this now retired photojournalist discovered that, if he wanted to survive and keep his sanity while doing so, he was going to have to reorient his life. From his fellow inmates he discovered eastern holistic approaches to health which he shares in this book and which have driven his fulfilled and happy life for many years since then. Very Good. Paperback. First Edition. 211 pages with several black and white and colour photographs 


Borneo


An in depth study of the effects of the construction of the Babagon dam which resulted in the displacement of a Kadazandusun indigenous community. Besides the expected general social, economic and psychological toll and the loss of ancestral land, this book highlights the particular plight of women in the community, whose marginalisation led to special difficulties. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 217 pages with figures, tables, several black and white plates and a bibliography. 






This guide was produced by the North Borneo Government to give potential investors and visitors an overview of the country. The Company first issued a handbook in 1886 to coincide with the Colonial and Indian Exhibition held in that year in London. It was further revised in 1890 before this edition which covers activities in the territory until the end of 1919 Good Hardback. Revised Edition. 112 pages with some black and white plates. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 







A brief guide to the state of mainly woven crafts in what is now the Malaysian state of Sabah. The book was prepared at a time when craft production for tourists was not prevalent, with the artifacts being mainly for home use. However the authors foresee that such items may generate tourist income in the future. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 130 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 







A collection of essays highlighting various aspects of society in present day Sarawak. The eleven essays cover a wide range of topics dealing with such issues as disability, health, urbanisation, identity, the indigenous community and the after effects of colonialism. A recurring theme is the successes and failures of the marginalised to be heard in today's amidst the cacophony of competing voices around them. New Paperback. First Edition. 292 pages with an index. 





A facsimile reprint of Ling Roth's classic work on the aboriginal peoples of present day Sabah and Sarawak. An encycolpedia on every aspect of these peoples' lives at the end of the 19th century. Very Good Hardbacks in Good Dust Jackets. Reprints. Originally Published in 1986. Copiously illustrated with line drawings and black and white plates. Maps including a large fold out map.. A bibliography and index.Very Good Hardbacks in Good Dust Jackets. Reprints. Originally published in 1986  xxxii, 464, iv, 302, ccxi pages.



This is principally a photographic record of the Iban of Sarawak, the most numerous and powerful tribe in Sarawak at the time of Brooke rule. As with many similar tribal societies, their way of life is now under threat. So with a hundred  full page photographs, 25 of which are in colour, and accompanying text, the authors attempt to capture the main features of Iban life before it disappears. Wright was an academic with ten years' research experience in Borneo, Morrison, was a photographer and writer who had lived in Sarawak for 20 years and Wong, a Sarawakian who, at the time, was the only photographer to have made such an extensive survey of tribal life. further details, Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket  First Edition 152 pages.For further details please see the scanned contents page.


Malaysia & Singapore - Children


A children's story about a little girl and her three sisters and their adventures. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. Signed by the Author. 78 pages. 








Malaysia & Singapore - Cooking & Food


When not preoccupied with her main profession as a historian and archivist, the author makes time to not only cook, but also write about what she likes to cook. In this book she introduces the reader to a wide range of breakfast recipes from the country's Malay, Chinese and Indian culinary traditions. Near Fine Paperback. First Edition. 140 pages with colour photographs of the many of the recipes. For further details please see the scanned contents pages.






As one might expect from an organisation representing the busy mems of Malaya  this is a no nonsense cookery book packed with lots of tips and tried recipes for the tropics.  Most of the recipes are Western ones, but there are also chapters of Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Malay dishes.xxiii & 243 pages with an index. For further details, please see the scanned contents pages. Very Good Board Book. Ninth Edition






Malaysia & Singapore - Dance, Drama & Music


This study demonstrates what happens when a government decides to take over a popular adaptive and developing art form and ossify it so as to fit in with the government's message. Tan, one of Malaysia's leading musicologists, describes the evolution of bangsawan, the most popular form of multi ethnic entertainment in Malaya before the arrival of cinema, and how it was, from the 1970s onwards, transformed into a 'traditional' Malay theatre. 261 pages with a bibliography, index, some black and white plates and musical scores. New Paperback. Reprint. First published in 1993.





This book details about the history, development and analysis of Malaysian music. The authors categorise the types of music genres found in Malaysia into theatrical forms, dance forms, percussion ensembles, vocal and solo instrumental music, social popular music as well as contemporary art and popular music. This revised an updated edition includes time lines and listening guides. 437 pages with an appendix (sample music scores), bibliography, discography and videography, two audio CDs and an index. New Paperback. Second Edition.






The pop music music scene in many parts of the world in the 1960's and 1970's  was populated a whole host of bands imitating the more successful Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and others. Malaysia was no different as this story of Malaysia's most important band singing in English demonstrates. To this day no other band has been signed by an international record label to sing English language songs. This book has been compiled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band's first hit, 'I Wanna Thank You.' New Paperback. First Edition. 135 pages with many photographs and lyrics of their hits



Malaysia & Singapore - The 'Emergency'


This book is written based on the author's personal experience of twelve years of the 'Emergency' in Malaya and three years as Head of the British Advisory Mission in South Vietnam. Thompson looks at the theories of insurgency and counter-insurgency gleaned from these experiences. He is concerned more with the administrative necessities of running a counter-insurgency campaign rather than battle operational details. Good Hardback in a Good Dust Jacket. Fifth printing. Originally published in 1966.  171 pages with maps. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.  




This book gives a general picture of the British operations against Communist insurgents in Malaya from 1952 to 1954. Chapters cover such as pect of the campaign as the Gurkhas in 63 Brigade, The Statetate War Executive committee, the Fijians, the Green Howards and operations in Kuala Lumpur and Johore. The book has 303 pages which ends with the writer's reflections and conclusions .The book also contains a some photos illustrations and maps. Good Hardback. First Edition 




Malaysia & Singapore - Environment, Nature & Wildlife


Flowering hoyas are a popular house plants in cooler climates and garden plants in the tropics. Borneo is only second to the Philippines in the variety of hoya that grow there. 67 of the 72 named species are covered in this guide. Advice is also given on cultivation both as house and garden plants. New Paperback. Signed by the author 210 pages.








The author, a biochemist, marine scientist and experienced photographer, spent most of his leisure hours on Malaysia's varied coral reefs. This book is the culmination of years of study where he introduces the reader, through informative text and a wealth of colour photographs, to just about everything one needs to know about a little recorded aspect of Malaysia's natural beauty. Near Fine Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. First Edition. 196 pages with a bibliography and an index. 






Cryptocoryne, otherwise known as water trumpets, are most commonly seen outside their natural habitat in aquaria. In their natural state they are much more difficult to come across as they originate from natural rivers and streams in rainforests. This book, originally published in 2009, sets out to be the first comprehensive account of the species on the Malaysian peninsula. Packed into its 102 pages is information on the history, names, synonyms, floral biology, ecology, biogeography and conservation of the plants. There is also a chapter on the evolution of cryptocoryne backed up by evidence from chromosome numbers and molecular DNA analysis. With several colour photographs. New Paperback. Reprint. 




A comprehensive photographic and botanical survey of the majority of ferns to be found in peninsular Malaysia with a few in Sabah and Sarawak. Of the 392 fern species and varieties recorded at the time of publication, approximately 80% of them are depicted in nearly 1,500 photographs. Scientific names, habitat and description are also given for each species mentioned. Photographs by CJ Piggott. This work is the result of 20 years' research in the country. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. Second Printing. Originally published in 1988 458 pages with a glossary, bibliography and an index to scientific names




The author was Professor of Botany at the University of Malaya as well as Director of the Botanic Gardens before and after World War II. This book is probably still the most definitive work on the subject. Besides line drawings throughout the text  there are also some  black and white photographs taken by the author. Very Good Hardback.in a Good Dust Jacket  First Edition 653 pages . There is also an index.




A book written to introduce children to the variety of frogs and toads in Malaysia. Very Good Paperback. 41 pages with many colour illustrations Very Good Paperback. 










The authors introduce the reader to over a hundred Malaysian trees - fruit trees, forest and plantation trees, palms and bamboos, and shrubs. Each is illustrated in colour with the Malay or English name, and botanical and family names. There is also information on the structure of trees in general and on propagation and planting. New Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. Reprint. Originally published in 1988. 180 pages including an index.






A new 'definitive edition' of  Wallace's classic account of his eight year journey through the archipelago, travelling 14,000 miles by foot and canoe and collecting about 125,000 specimens of insects and animals. John van Whyte, a leading expert on Darwin and Wallace, through an extensive introduction and hundreds of annotations answers many long standing questions about the work. New Paperback. Reprint  801 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.




Malaysia & Singapore - Fiction


A dramatic novel that follows the lives of three individuals struggling with what life throws at them in a middle class setting in Malaysia. New Paperback  450 pages. 










The novel relates how the bucolic bliss of a Malay kampung is shattered in the run up to the merger between Singapore and Malaya. Adi, a young boy, is suddenly sucked into a new world of race riots, gang warfare and the Konfrontasi with Indonesia. This is a translation from the original Malay. New Paperback. First English Language Edition 176 pages. 









One of Singapore's best selling literary figures introduces her readers to the spooky world where the living interact with the departed. A collection of 14 short stories. Near Fine. Paperback. Reprint. Originally published in 1999  127 pages.








A debut novella by a young Malaysian writer, who uses his own rural upbringing to inform a story about a country boy who 'makes good' by going to university to lead a life different from that of his family and peers. His main preoccupation is coping with the conflicts between his home environment and the new world presented to him. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 77 pages. 





Malaysia & Singapore - Guide Books


Irish have been fleeing their homeland since at least the 16th century, often to serve as soldiers and officials of foreign governments. Singapore too has benefitted from this exodus - town planning in Singapore was initiated by an Irishman. In this book an Irish woman, now resident in Singapore, who became the city's first Specialised Literary Tour Guide, also introduces the reader to the many other Irish men and women who contributed to the island's history. Near Fine Hardback. First Edition. 128 pages with a bibliography, index, map and several black and white photograph


Malaysia & Singapore - History


A collection of articles, many from noted academics, outlining historical information to be found on Malaysian history from the earliest times until the mid 20th century. Good Hardback First edition. 130 pages. For further details please see the scanned contents page. 









Wright seemed to make his living advertising 'the permanent planting of the Union Jack' in various parts of the world. This book, originally published in 1912, is in many ways a follow up to his better known Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya, published at the turn of the century. The authors record the country's recent history and the advances made by British power in 'converting this No-Man's-Land of a few decades since into the home of one of the most thriving and contented communities owning the British sway.' The book has nothing to do to with what is today known as 'The Middle East.' Good Hardback. Second Impression. Originally published in 1912



A charming straightforward history of Malaya told from the British point of view. In its time it must have been quite popular as this is the book's ninth printing. 124 pages.. Very Good Hardback. Reprint











A journalist of more than 20 years' experience in Malaysia and Singapore gives his popular account of Malaysia's history.Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. 264 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.







Malaysia & Singapore - Indian Community & Culture


While supposed racial and religious differences receive a good airing in Malaysian politics and society, other potential sources of discrimination within each of the main communities is, more often than not, seldom openly discussed. In this book an academic from the University of Malaya produces a trenchant examination of the extent to which caste pervades all aspects of Indian Tamil life from birth, in marriage and, of course, in politics in Malaysia at the time of publication. Good Paperback. First Edition. 102 pages with a bibliography






Malaysian Indians have usually managed to get the raw end of the deal from the time they arrived in Malaya as indentured, or enslaved, labourers to work on British plantations. After independence they did not fare much better thanks in part to inept representation. (Tamils in Asia arguably have a knack of following leaders with something of a self-destructive streak.) This book tells the Indian story, but this time refreshingly from an Indian point of view. 400 pages including several black and white plates, tables, an index and a bibliography. The book's chapters include 1 - Indians in Malaysia: General Information, 2 - The Arrival of Indians in the Malay Archipelago, 3 - The Early Indian Migrants and Their Struggle for Survival 1786-1940, 4 - The Emergence of the Malayan Indian 1941-1957, 5 - The Status of Indians in Post-Independent Malaya 1970-1990, 6 - The New Economic Policy and the Malaysian Indians 1970-1990, 7 - The National Development policy and the Malaysian Indians 1990-200, 8 - The Urban Indian Quagmire, 9 - The National Vision Plan and The Malaysian Indians 2000-2010, 10- Whither from Here 2010-2020. New Paperback. Third Edition

Kelantan


This book is an ideal for anyone wanting to understand both the complexities and responsibilities of writing history. Cheah takes a relatively minor incident, an uprising in a remote part of the peninsula that nevertheless not only inspired the people's imagination but also several different versions of what actually happened. He has looked at a range of literature, both public and confidential, as well as folklore, but leaves us to decide which version, if any, represents the real truth. 168 pages New Paperback Reprint. Originally published in 2006. .



Malaysia & Singapore - Language & Linguistics

The Evolution of Malay Affixes - Syed Zainal Ariff Syed Jamaluddin  RM60

This book looks at the history of the evolution of the Malay language between the 17th and 20th centuries by focussing on one of the language's most distinctive characteristics, its affixes. The author singles out the per-, ber- and memper- affixes. He also deals with the transitive and intransitive nature of certain verbs at various stages in history and various other aspects of the language's evolution. New Paperback. First edition. 145 pages with appendices, tables, a bibliography and an index. 




Malaysia & Singapore - Law

How to Complain and Get Results - Consumers Association Penang  RM50


Based on actual cases handled by Consumers Association Penang this book advises consumers on how to tackle common problems faced by Malaysian consumers. New Paperback Revised edition. 254 pages.







Malaysia & Singapore - Literature


Although the title refers to 'Malaysian' literature, this is a collection of translations of Malay literature from World War II until 1983. The selection  includes short stories, poems, plays and literary criticism. The editor is one of Malaysia's best known poets and was a Professor of Literature at the time of publication. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 413 pages. 







This book is the first comprehensive historical anthology of English-language literary works from Singapore. Amongst many of its features it enables the reader to access to narratives and poems which have been forgotten or are now hard to obtain. These literary works represent the historical and contemporary imagery inspired by Singapore, one of the world's most cosmopolitan countries.  This book is divided into 3 sections: literature before 1965, 1965-1990 and 1990-present. 677 pages including references. Near Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. First Edition.




Malaysia & Singapore - Malay Community & Culture

The Malay Keris: Its Origin and Development - GC Wooley  RM130

This is an off print from the Society's Journal Vol. XX Part II from December 1947 containing three articles, i.e. The Malay Keris: Its Origin and Development 43 pages with many line drawings and a bibliography, Malay Cannon 5 pages with a black and white plate and references and Notes on Two Knives at the Pitt-Rivers Museum 2 pages with line drawings. Fair Paperback Reprint. 





Malaysia & Singapore - Media & Journalism

A Bibliography of Malay and Arabic Periodicals 1876-1941 - W.Roff (ed)  RM220


This useful annotated list covers nearly 200 periodicals published mainly in Malay, with a few in English that were devoted to Malay concerns, between 1876 and 1941. The majority of these were published in Penang and Singapore where most Maly-literate people lived. The annotations give details of times of publication, editors and where copies were known to be held when this book was published. 74 pages including a bibliography and indexes of Titles, proper names and publication by state.  Very Good Hardback. First Edition






A glossy celebration of the year's events in the second year of  Malaysia's existence. With numerous black and white and colour photos, 80 pages of articles by well known writers of the time and 61 pages of advertisements.  Please see scanned photo of the contents page for a list of the chapters. The book will need heavy protective packaging which may attract additional postage when posted outside Malaysia. Good Paperback. First Edition 



Malaysia & Singapore - Miscellaneous



Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 125 pages For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 








Negeri Sembilan


An account of the quaint attempt by the ruler of part of Negeri Sembilan to stop the encroachment of the British into the Malay peninsula. What followed were various skirmishes between a raggle taggle of the Yamtuan's followers and a raggle taggle of whatever the British could muster against him until the British got serious with a battleship and reinforcements and sent the Yamtuan packing to Johor. Very Good Paperback. Reprint. 23 pages




This is an interesting book for anyone who wants to see how Penang has changed in the last four decades and, perhaps more importantly, what remains. The book is now fairly rare, so it's collectible too. The 88 pages contain sections on Air and Shipping Services, Clubs, Societies and Associations, Festival and Holiday Events, Places of Entertainment and Interest, a fold out map and much much more. Illustrated with black and white photographs and advertisements.     Very Good Paperback    






Streets of George Town Penang - Khoo Su Nin    RM150  

This third edition edition of probably Penang's best selling guide book  was written by one of the island's best known scholar activists whose campaigning was partly responsible for the island's capital, George Town, being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The highly readable, but well researched text is backed up by colour photographs and maps of one of the more vibrant  multicultural city centres in Asia which comes to life in this 190 page book.           Very Good Paperback. Third Edition. Originally published in 1993




Perak


At the time he wrote this McNair had been first a British East India Company employee and a colonial official in Malaya for more than twenty years. The book was probably prompted by the killing of the Resident of Perak, JWW Birch, three years before the book's publication. This event served to bring the Malay peninsula to the attention of the British public. So, in some considerable detail, McNair sets out not only to describe almost every aspect of the state and its peoples, but also the events that led up to Birch's death and the subsequent 'pacification' afterwards. New Paperback. Reprint and Reedited. Originally published in 1878. 316 pages with 13 engravings 

Malaysia & Singapore - Peranakan/Straits Chinese


Building on their collaboration in writing about and photographing houses influenced by Chinese design in Asia, Knapp and Ong in this book turn their attention to the architecture, artifacts and customs of the Peranakan Chinese. This group of emigrants settled in Southeast Asia before the major influxes from the 19th century onwards, married into their host communities and produced a distinct culture. The informative text and lavish photographs highlight the Peranakans' multicultural tastes, drawing on influences from Chine, Europe and their new home communities. New Hardback in a Good Dust Jacket. 160 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 

Malaysia & Singapore - Poetry

Bukit Lagi Bintang Berkarang - Wan Khazim (Muhammad Haji Salleh ed)  RM80


Buku ini mengumpul untaian daripada bakat pemantun terkenal Wan Khazim , yang sudah menyerikan dunia pantun tidak kurang daripada 40 tahun. New First Edition Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. 131 pages For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 









Kuntum biru kembang lestari dipetik dari taman renungan dan fikiran sasterawan negara Muhammad Haji Salleh yang paling rimbun. Karya-karya yang memantau tamadun dan masalah zaman ini diukir dalam bahasa halus, padat dan menyentuh pusat kewujudan manusia mutakhir. Rentang pengalamannya luas - dari Pulau Pinang ke Semporna, dari New Zealand ke Tahiti dan Samoa, kerana kepada beliau inilah satu-satunya dunia yang dikongsi bersama, dan harus dijaga bersama  New First Edition Paperback. 141 pages .





Yang membuat bait-bait ini unik ialah hakikat bahawa pantun-pantun ini ditulis di Jepun, Brunei, Indonesia, Britain, Amerika Syarikat dan juga Malaysia. Sudut pengalaman yang berlainan juga menganugerahkan citra dan makna yang baharu. Dalam cara begini pantun dijadikan wadah pengalaman antarabangsanya. New Paperback First Edition. 97 pages 




Malaysia & Singapore - Politics


As a diversion from being a full time academic teaching human rights and environmental law, the author entertains and informs his readers in two popular newspaper columns. This book is a collection of those articles, published between 2007 and 2015, covering Merdeka (independence) whether or not Malaysia is an academic state, the role of the monarchy in the country, who's responsible for landslides and much more. The book also comes with a CD with two original songs by the author. New Paperback. First Edition 272 pages.





A former career diplomat, turned trainer of diplomats, seeks to tease out various strands that could have influenced Malaysia's foreign policy over recent years. He cites the importance of the Malay Identity, ASEAN and neutrality as being  the main drivers that underpin policies to date. New Paperback. First Edition. 126 pages. 






Malaysia & Singapore - Religion



A collection of papers presented at a 2008 conference on 'Religion in the Quest for Global Justice and Peace.' The contributors include peace academics and activists with a religious background from Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States. Very Good  Paperback. First Edition. 201 pages with an index.





Malaysia & Singapore - World War II


There have been several accounts of Major Tom Harrisson's exploits leading a group of Kelabit, Australians, British and New Zealanders in behind the lines operations to disrupt the Japanese forces in Sarawak at the end of World War II. In this book, the author, a veteran Australian journalist, provides the most up to date account of how this small group, in the Semut 1 operation, killed more than a thousand Japanese. Despite this Harrisson's relationship with his men was so bad that many wished that he hadn't survived either. Perhaps one can understand why the main biography of Harrisson is titled, 'The Most Offending Soul Alive.' New Paperback 200 pages with an index.


Of the many books written about the fall of Singapore, this is probably one of the better known and more readable as Barber was an experienced journalist and successful novelist. Good Paperback. Reprint. Originally published in 1968. 286 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. 








This is not an account of the British military operations during the Japanese invasion of Malaya from 1941 to 1942, but rather an account of the role played by organised civil defence at the time. From 1940 onwards it was compulsory for all British males in the colony to be part of the force, while anyone else was welcome to volunteer. The narrative is based on the accounts of civilians who managed to escape the conflict before the fall of Singapore. 127 pages with a fold out map. For further details, please see the scanned contents page. Very Good Hardback in a Fair Dust Jacket. 



Asia


I-Tsing was a Chinese Buddhist monk who, dissatisfied with Chinese interpretations of Buddhism, decided to travel to India to collect authentic Pali Buddhist texts to translate into Chinese. He travelled for 25 years before returning to China, collecting texts, learning languages and translating on his way. In this book he records his experiences of visiting scholars in present day Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula and Indochina. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. Reprint. Originally published in 1896. Translated from the original by J. Takakusu. 240 pages with an index and a fold out map. For further details please see the scanned contents page



This is a transcript of a 2008 lecture, and the question and answer session which followed it, given by the Professor of Islamic History at the Georgetown University in Washington DC. He particularly questions the impact of inter faith dialogue which does not lay sufficient emphasis on impact. New Paperback. First Edition. 43 pages.









This book claims to be the first attempt to advertise what was available to the tourist in Southeast Asia and the Malay world in the 1920s. Based on what Thos Cook staff had learned about the region since their Singapore office opened in 1922, through black and white photographs, line drawings and text, this book sets out to explain what is worth seeing and buying in and how to travel between various places throughout the region. Good Paperback. First Edition. 164 pages with several advertisements and a fold out map. For further details, please see the scanned contents page




The editor, a Turkish lecturer at the International Islamic University in Malaysia, through a series of essays by him and his colleagues introduces the reader to the influence of  Ottoman thought and teaching on the evolution of law, particularly Islamic law, in the Malay world. 253 pages including the following essays - The religious-intellectual network: the arrival of Islam in the archipelago - Nurulwhidah Binti Fauzi, Ali Mohammad & the editor, Baba Davud: A Turkish Scholar in Acheh, A preliminary note on the Dayah Tanoh Abee - both by Mehmet Ozay, Legal Developments in the Ottoman State (1299-1926) - Ahmed Akgunduz, Evolution of the Muslim judicial system, Judicial pluralism in the Malaysian legal system - both by the editor & Fiqh education at Ottoman madrasahs: A case study of Suleymaniye madrasahs - Servet Bayindir. There is also a bibliography and an index. New Paperback. First Edition


The contributors to this volume analyse the various roles the middle classes have played in the 20th century in the democratic process in the region. Unlike in the West, in Southeast Asia the rise of the middle class has not necessarily gone hand in hand with more open societies. This, the contributors argue, is because modernisation there has been driven by the state rather than by private capitalism. As a result the middle classes have traditionally been more beholden to the whims of authoritarian rulers than in the West. Nevertheless the end of the century began to see change in the increased politicisation of this once servile group. Very Good Paperback. First Edition with an index.



The editors of this book have collected together a selection of essays about forty three significant Muslim intellectuals, from North Africa and the Middle East through to South Asia and on to China, who have made crucial contributions to the development of Muslim thought from the time of the Prophet Mohamed to the end of the twentieth century. The editors claim to have included a broad and inclusive range including traditionalists and reformists. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. 353 pages with an index. 







In this well researched book, Gordon, an academic with Asia as his specialty, demonstrates how travellers and academics of Asia and the Middle East laid the ground work that opened up Asia to, firstly, European colonists and subsequently to the focus of Western interest that continues to this day. The book's 220 pages includes at least 10 pages of maps and 16 pages of black and white illustrations as well as extensive source notes and suggested further reading on the subject matter of each chapter.     Near Fine Hardback in a Fine Dust Jacket                    The Contents include -  1 - Monasteries & Monarchs: Xuanzang, 2 - Caliph and Caravan: Ibn Fadlan, 3 - Philosopher and Physician: Ibn Sina, 4 - Ingots and Artifacts: The Intan Shipwreck, 5 - Pepper and Partnerships: Abraham Bin Yiju, 6 - Nobles and Notables: Ibn Battuta, 7 - Treasure and Treaty: Ma Huan, 8 - Blood and Salt: Babur, 9 - Medicines and Misunderstandings: Tome Pires and 10 - The Asian World, 500-1500 CE. 

Brunei


Although Burgess had already established his literary credentials with the publication of the Malayan Trilogy, this book, written in 1958, was not published until three years later. One of the reasons was because the book, inspired by his experiences in Brunei, was potentially libellous. The book was therefore set in a fictitious African state of Naraka, interpreted as the Malay word for 'hell', and much of the drama centres on the construction of  a grandiose mosque by an Italian architect. The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque was in the process of construction by an Italian architect when Burgess was in Brunei. As Burgess said later, "little invention' was needed to create this work. Good Hardback in a Good Dust Jacket. First Edition. 282 pages.

China


Magistrate Pao was a famed incorruptible judge in China in the 11th century. Comber has translated reports of six of his cases for this book. Near Fine Paperback. Reprint. 120 pages with several line drawings. 









Indonesia


A Romanised version with an English translation of the earliest known chronicle of the  first Malay-Muslim kingdom of Samudera-Pasai in Sumatra. The chronicle starts at the time of the breakup of the Srivijaya empire leading to the arrival of Islam in the area. Very Good Paperback First Edition. 215 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.








Most of the journal (126 pages) consists of Raymond Leroy Archer's 'Muhammadan Mysticism in Sumatra'. There are also the following articles: - Some Copper Tokens in Raffles Museum - CH Dakers, Rhinoceros Sondaicus - Charles W Loch, Notes on the Meanings of Some Malay Words - JR Baker, Study of Local Singapore Tides - GF Leechman, The Founder of Malacca - PV van Stein Callenfels & Further Notes upon a Study of Ancient Times in the Malay Peninsula - RJ Wilkinson . Very Good Paperback First Edition 170 pages. 






Whereas in Malaysia the sultans and their entourages still survive today, in Northern Sumatra they were wiped out following an uprising at the end of the Japanese occupation. In this book Reid picks his way through the carnage to determine just how 'popular' the revolution was and its long term effects on the fragile ethnic mix of the area. 301 pages. with black and white photographs, a maps, a bibliography and an index. New Paperback. Reprint of the 2014 Second Edition 




Xtras


This book claims to be the first comprehensive English language book on the subject with a wealth of information on both detecting fish diseases and treating them. An essential book for aquaria and pet shop owners.  Good Hardback. First English Language Edition. 160 pages with many colour illustrations and an index.








An extensive and popular encyclopedia of tropical freshwater fish with over 5000 colour illustrations of different species. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. Reprint. Originally published in 1991.










Although the author is best known for introducing cichlids to the Western aquarium market, this species embraces a wide diversity of types including tilapia for food and game fish. In this book Alexlrod includes all he has learned about these fish in almost 50 years of exploring Africa and South America seeking out different varieties for international aquarium hobbyists. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. Second Edition. Originally published in 1993. 864 pages with an index.





A comprehensive guide to starting your own aquarium. Near Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. Reprint. Originally published in 1988. 128 pages with many colour illustrations.