New Arrivals at The Penang Bookshelf
in
February 2023
(Last Updated 20-2-2023)
- 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.
Malaysia & Singapore - Agriculture
A collection of studies exploring the feasibility of growing a Eucalyptus Hybrid in Malaysia. The book also includes an outline of how the plant can be grown in communities as well as means of promoting such a programme. New Paperback. First Edition. 81 pages with various, figures, tables and colour illustrations.
Malaysia & Singapore - Architecture
It's often a complaint of Western visitors to tropical climates that so many buildings appear run down and dirty. Few realise that one of the reasons for this is because the buildings they see are attempts to replicate Western architecture in a climate to which it isn't suited. In this work Lim shows us what Malaysian imitators of Western architectural styles have lost, i.e. a system of housing designed for comfort in Malaysia's environment through the experience of many centuries. 152 pages. Chapters include - 1. Introduction, 2 - The Malaysian Background, 3 - The Houseform, 4 - Design and Layout, 5 - Beutiful Malay Houses, 6 - Adapting to the Climate, 7 - In Harmony with the People's Way of Life, 8 - The Compound and the Kampong, 9 - Building the Malay House, 10 - Extending the House: The Addition System, 11 -Changes, Threats and Constraints & 12 - The Future of the Malay House. There are also copious illustrations, a glossary and a bibliography. Very Good Paperback. First Edition
Malaysia & Singapore - Arts & Crafts
A catalogue for an exhibition of Dayak anthropomorphic statuary known in Borneo as hampatong, kapatong or tempatong. There is a five page essay on the tradition of making these statues followed pages of colour photographs of the statues exhibited. The statues date from 1000 BC onwards. Near Fine Paperback. First Edition 91 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Biography & Memoirs
St. John based this biography of his former employer both on their experiences of working together and Brooke's personal papers entrusted to St. John before Brooke's death. Brooke intended St. John to be his official biographer and this remains the only complete contemporaneous account of Brooke's time in Sarawak. Near Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. Reprint. Originally published in 1879. With an introduction by RHW Reece. 406 pages
This is a translation from the original Malay of the autobiography of one of the more unusual members of Communist Party of Malaya. Unlike the majority of the party's members, who were of Chinese origin, Maidin was a Malay. He rose to a reasonably senior position, being one of the party's representatives who attended peace talks to end the Malayan 'Emergency.' Near Fine Paperback. First English Language Edition. 121 pages with 36 black and white photographs and an index.
The memoirs of a well known educationalist during the British period in Malaya. He joined the Education Service at the Penang Free School shortly before World War II, survived internment under the Japanese and continued to make an impact on the country's education until independence in 1957. Very Good. Paperback. First Edition 238 pages. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.
While many of Indian origin joined the Indian National Army to work with and fight beside the Japanese following their invasion of Malaya, Gurchan Singh chose not to do so. Here Singh, a policeman at the time of the Japanese arrival, tells the story of how he went into hiding and for four years, organised a resistance newsletter and other resistance propaganda, managed to attend a Japanese press conference as a reporter while a fugitive and escaped from a Kempetei prison to Burma only to return with the Allied forces. Good Hardback in a Good Dust Jacket. First Edition 255 pages.
This book gives an account of the author's experiences in the in Singapore from arrival there to becoming Inspector General of Police in the Straits Settlements. The author recounts his memories of Malaya, aspects of Malayan crime, investigation and internal security, Chinese secret societies in Singapore and the period leading up to the Japanese invasion. .Very Good Hardback in a Good Dust Jacket First Edition 152 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Boats, Fishing & The Sea
An overview of the situation of Malaysian fisheries at the end of the 20th century. Following a general historical introduction, the author looks at overfishing, regulations affecting the industry and problems of fishing resource management. Good Paperback. First Edition with tables and figures 61 pages.
Borneo
A photographic essay, covering Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, demonstrating the talents of KF Wong, 'The Father of Sarawak Photography'. The text is in Chinese and English Very Good Hardback . First Edition. 192 pages with a wide selection of black and white and colour photographs and an introduction by Malcolm MacDonald.
This book is the result of an anthropological research project carried out in Brunei and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak to tease out how various communities have adapted to the changes brought about by the introduction of new influences following the independence of both countries. Topics covered are the legal cultures in Sabah and Sarawak, how Javanese transmigrants adapt, changes that have taken place in the Dusun and Iban communities in Brunei and the customs of the Selako people of Sarawak. Near Fine Paperback. 183 pages.
An authority on Bornean culture provides a lighthearted introduction to Malaysian Borneo. Very Good Paperback. 237 pages with several line drawings and a bibliography.
Although chattered companies as a vehicle for colonialism had fallen out of favour with the collapse of the British East India Company in the mid 19th century, the North Borneo company managed to get British Government approval and somehow establish a claim to being the longest surviving of such companies in the 20th century. Tregonning, who also wrote a British Government propaganda piece on North Borneo, sets a more academic tone in this survey of its history from initial American enterprise to eventual British colony. Very Good Paperback. Revised Reprint Edition. Originally published as Under Chartered Company Rule. 275 pages with a bibliographical note, bibliography, a couple of black and white plates and maps and an index.
This is an off print from The Geographical Journal, Vol. CXXV Parts 3-4, Sept-Dec, 1959. Harrisson began his research in Borneo while a soldier there in war time and subsequently delivered a paper to the Society in 1947. This is an update of his further research on the island. Good Paperback 13 pages, 2 black and white plates and a fold out coloured map.
Most of what has been written about communism in Malaya, subsequently Malaysia, has been focussed on insurgent activity on the peninsula. In this book Porritt details the history of a sister movement in Sarawak, which, like the mainland movement, started in the 1940s in the disaffected Chinese community. The Sarawak communists continued to cause a headache for another 30 years following Sarawak joining the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 . Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 355 pages with a map, bibliography, index and some black and white photographs
This book is an essay on the history of the Ibans based on oral materials. Three themes were discussed chronologically - pioneer settlement in the area of Sarawak's Second Division, a phase of additional Iban settlement and consolidation in the river valleys and contact with coastal societies and migrations to other parts of Sarawak. A great book which outlining the traditions of Ibans. . 134 pages with appendix, notes, maps and photos. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket First Edition
Malaysia & Singapore - Business, Economics & Labour
189 varieties of trees at the Forest Research Institute are described indicating their commercial value and their conservation status. It is hoped that this information will be useful for forest planning. New Hardback. First Edition. 91 pages with a bibliography and many colour illustrations.
The author sets out to discover why Malaysia was one of the economic leaders in Asia in the 1960s but had lost out to others 20 years later. What effects, if any, did Government intervention and internal socio-structural arrangements have on this change? Very Good Hardback. First Edition 218 pages including bibliography and index.
The text of an inaugural lecture given at the University of Malaya on 20th July 1993. near Fine Paperback. 38 pages with references.
Malaysia & Singapore - Chinese Community & Culture
A history of the role that that Chinese women, firstly as immigrants and then as citizens, have played in Malaysia from pre-colonial times onwards. Near Fine Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket. 1999 pages with mainly black and white photographs and a bibliography.
Malaysia & Singapore - Cinema, Dance & Music
A collection of papers presented to the 2nd Asia Pacific Dance Conference held in 2011. The book is divided into the following parts - 1. Prologue: Performing, Researching and Writing Hybridity, 2 - Issues on Dance Hybridity which includes several case studies across the region and Epilogue: Performing, Researching and Writing Hybridity Near Fine Paperback First Edition 334 pages with some black and white plates and an index.
Malaysia & Singapore - Cooking & Food
Although Penang bills itself as 'the street food capital of the world,' this book demonstrates that the food available on the streets is outclassed by what its multicultural community cooks at home. Through 40 recipes the reader is introduced to a sumptuous range of dishes which only appear on religious and festive occasions. Dishes included come from the Malay, Indian Muslim, Chettiar, Malayali, Hainan, Indian ,Teochew, Telegu, Peranakan and Sikh communities. New Paperback. First Edition. 167 pages.with a wide range of colour illustrations and a set of ten post cards. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.
This book is a collection of Sylvia Tan's favourite Peranakan recipes simplified for busy modern life. Sylvia, a modern Nyonya herself, explains the food culture of the Peranakans in detail. An essential part of Peranakan cooking are the spice pastes whose fundamental ingredients and their purpose are explained. These 70 recipes are divided into different categories. including one-dish meals, appetisers, everyday meals, soups, meat, seafoods, vegetables and salads and desserts. 200 pages with photos, a glossary, an index and weights and measures. Very Good Paperback
Malaysia & Singapore - Education
The authors, a couple of members of the Faculty of Education at the University of Malaya, not only give a historical overview of the development of the Malaysian educational system, but also propose solutions to various problems that had arisen in education in the early years of the country's history. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 184 pages including some fold out charts, a bibliography and an index.
Malaysia & Singapore - The 'Emergency'
Miller, who was a journalist in Malaya at the time, was one of the more prolific chroniclers of the Malayan 'Emergency.' This book was published when the 'menace' was still alive and troublesome and traces the fortunes of the Malayan Communist Party from its founding through to Templer's successful efforts to bring the insurgents to heel. Very Good Hardback. in a Good Dust Jacket First Edition 248 pages with some black and white photographs. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.
Malaysia & Singapore - Environment, Nature & Wildlife
Malaysia is home to about 3,000 species of orchid, approximately 10% of the world's total known species. While this book introduces the reader to a brief insight into the variety of species growing in the country, it also has a detailed section on the nature and characteristics of the plant. However the main purpose of the book is to showcase a newly discovered species, Vanilla Norashikiniana, one of among 12 vanilla orchid species present in Malaysia with a potential for economic use. New Paperback. Revised Edition. 100 pages with many colour photographs.
Ferns are found on Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia's highest mountain, at all levels. This book covers 100 species, subspecies and varieties represent about 17% of the known ferns on the mountain, but include members of 29 families. The book also contains a checklist of 590 taxa. 204 pages with many colour illustrations. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket.
Paphiopedilum, popularly known as the Venus slipper, is from the lady slipper orchid subfamily Cypripedioideae of the flowering plant family Orchidaceae. Although native to Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Southern China and parts of the Pacific, it has been so extensively poached that cultivated plants are much more common today. This, the second edition of The Genus Paphiopedilum reviews the latest knowledge in taxonomy, evolution and classification of the genus, based on morphological and molecular analysis. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. Second Edition. 427 pages with numerous line drawings and over 100 colour illustrations.
Few outside Singapore realise that the city state is not just one island, but one of about 60 within its coastal waters. This handy pocket guide alerts visitors to the shores and sea in the area to most of the harmful creatures that lurk there. The book is divided into sections on coelenterates, bristle worms, crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, molluscs, echinoderms and fishes, identifying species within these families that are dangerous. There is also a section on first aid. New Paperback. Reprint. Originally published in 1993. 160 pages with a bibliography, index and many colour photographs.
At the time of writing approximately 5% of Singapore's miniscule land area was zoned for conservation, being mostly secondary forest. Despite that, because of the island's conservation efforts, the country is host to a wide variety of species, often exceeding that of larger nations. This pocket guide highlights the species under threat by giving details of their rarity. a text description and colour photograph, the plant's habitat and ecology, the nature of threats to its existence, its scientific and common names and conservation measures in place. New Paperback Reprint. Originally published in 1995. 158 pages with a bibliography and index.
The island of Borneo is host to about 500 different species of wild fruits, nuts and seeds that have formed a part of the indigenous people's diet for centuries. 30% of them are endemic and it is believed that more species are yet to be identified. In this book, the author, a recognised authority of Borneo plant life, introduces 109 of the better known species with some rare of little-known ones as well. Each species included is illustrated and has informative text as to its use and distribution. New Paperback. Second Edition Originally published in 2019. The new edition contains additional photographs of various species. **PLEASE NOTE: Stock will not be available for dispatch until March 2023. ** 300 pages
First published in 1951, this book is the result of a career at the Department of Zoology at the Natural History Museum in London devoted to the study of these creatures. Still a major reference work on the subject. 183 pages. New Hardback in a New Dust jacket
Malaysia & Singapore - Fiction
Before their suppression by various colonial powers the inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago had a fearsome reputation as pirates. Henty used this reputation to create tales of daring adventures by European adventurers for his juvenile audience. This is probably his best known novel of this genre set in Southeast Asia. Good Hardback
A novel about a man whose life is messed up because his 'spirit-possessed Proton Saga,' a popular Malaysian car. New Paperback. First Edition. 176 pages.
A Malay crime novel. Very Good Paperback First Edition. 98 pages
A scandalous tale set in 1930s Malaya where a planter's wife leaves her husband for kampung life with their Malay driver. She struggles to adapt to her new surroundings and the rejection of colonial society. New Paperback. First Edition. 319 pages.
Seventeen different writers demonstrate the variety of love in Singapore in seventeen different stories. They include a wide mix of recognisable Singapore characters from the migrant worker and privileged expatriate through to the Singapore millionaire and the HDB dweller. New Paperback. First Edition 223 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Folklore
This is a reprinting of two books - Fables & Folk Tales from an Eastern Forest by Walter Skeat and Iban Folklore and Legends by Edwin Gomez. In each case anthropologists of the British colonial period brought to a wider reading public home spun stories that had enthralled many on both the Malay Peninsula and in Borneo. Very Good Paperback Reprint 207 pages
A collection of folk tales retold for children. Very Good Hardback 43 pages.
A collection of 24 folk tales from Malaysia retold by the author. Near Fine Paperback. First Edition. 159 pages with some line drawings
Malaysia & Singapore - Guide Books
A pocket sized handbook for tourists visiting Malaya in the early part of the 20th century. 333 pages including many black and white photographs by Kleingothe and others as well as seven watercolours by Mrs HC Barnard. Including a fold out map in a pocket at the rear. Please see the scan of the contents page for further details. Good+ Hardback. First edition
Malaysia's islands are dwarfed by Indonesia's neighbouring archipelago, but the country's history been focussed on the sea so its shores and islands have, until the modern era, been the centre of its life. Now many islands host resorts, but Gibby demonstrates in this book that there is much more to discover in the history and attractions of the many other islands dotted around Malaysia's coasts. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. Signed by the Author 265 pages with many colour illustrations and an index.
Malaysia & Singapore - Health & Medicine
Werner's great achievement has been in researching and documenting a whole range of traditions practiced in Malaysia multicultural communities. Here he turns his attention to the medical and veterinary diagnostic practices carried out by the Iban of Borneo. This work covers both theory and practice of using plants and animals in diagnosis as well as other techniques. 138 pages with numerous colour photographs and line drawings and a bibliography. New Paperback. First Edition.
A wealth of sound advice for keeping a marriage healthy in bite sized chunks - hence the reference to dim sum. The author is 'an expert in mediation and conflict management. New Paperback. 81 pages.
This book showcases the results of a survey of about 6,500 participants in Malaysia's budding herbal industry. The successes and glitches in the industry are highlighted and a set of recommendations are made which the contributors believe will enable the industry to establish itself effectively. New Paperback. First Edition. 187 pages with figures, tables, a list of references and many colour illustrations.
While much has been written on traditional Malaysian methods of healing, the association of such practices with music, dance and drama has not been so well documented. The author covers Main Puteri rituals, Wayang Kulit healing, Kuda Kepang, hobby horse healing, bobohizan/Babalian healing priestesses in Sabah, Main Bageh healing, aboriginal healing and healing in the Melanau community. New Hardback. First Edition. 151 pages with an index and many colour photographs.
Malaysia & Singapore - History
A general review of the country by one of the more authoritative authors in English on Malaysia in the 20th century. Gullick takes the reader through the country's history from the Malacca Sultanate onwards and then turns to deal with politics, the economy, defence and foreign policy and education, language and culture. Good Hardback. First Edition. 290 pages with a map, bibliography, index and several black and white photographs.
The contents include the following articles - Raja Lumu – Sultan Salehuddin: the Founding of the Selangor Dynasty by Professor Khoo Kay Kim; New Light on J.M. Foersch and the Celebrated Poison Tree of Java by Dr. John Bastin; The Chams and their Literature by Dr. G.E. Marrison; The New-Born Malay Child: A Multiple Identity Being by Dr. J.L. Massard; The Opening of the Malay World to European Trade in the Sixteenth Century by Dr. Kenneth R Hall ; Kedah in the Reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin II (1854–1879) by J.M. Gullick; The Malayan Nature Society/STAR Endau-Rompin Expedition by H.S. Barlow. Very Good Paperback 159 pages with some black and white plates and line drawings
The contents include the following articles - The Perak Sultanate: Ancient and Modern by Professor Khoo Kay Kim ; A Valley of Megaliths in West Sumatra Mahat (Schnitzger’s Aoer Doeri) Revisited by John N. Miksic; The 1839–41 Settlement of Kedah: the Siamese Compromise by Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian; Raja Brooke’s Coal Mining Concessions in Brunei by A.V.M. Horton; Notes on Events in Palembang: 1389–1511 the Everlasting Colony by R.W. McRoberts; Some Early Islamic Tombstones in Patani by Wayne A. Bougas; The Elephants of Syed Zin by J.M. Gullick .. Very Good Paperback 145 pages with some black and white plates, maps and line drawings
The contents include the following articles - In Memoriam: Al-Marhum Sultan Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien by P.M. Dato Shariffuddin; Tunku Kudin in Selangor 1868–1878 by J.M. Gullick; The Fishing Economy of Malaysia 1955–75 by Dr. G. Sivalingam; The Bearded Pig in East Kalimantan and Sarawak by Pierre Pfeffer and Julian Caldecott.; A Formative Period in Malay Book Publishing by Dr. I. Proudfoot ; The Pulau Brani Jong by Dr. Eric R. Alfred; Bes Hyang Dney: a Jah Hut Myth of Peninsula Malaya by Boon Seong Teoh.. Very Good Paperback 159 pages with some black and white plates and line drawings
Malaysia & Singapore - History (20th Century)
The author, a US citizen who has written various books on British colonialism, attempts in this work to produce a balanced picture of what life was like for members of the Malayan Civil Service from the onset of World War II until independence. He also seeks to to appraise their legacy to the new Malaya. 240 pages including six maps, ten black and white plates, a list of sources and an index. Near Fine Paperback Originally published as 'Completing A Stewardship: The Malayan Civil Service'
The 13th May 1969 saw the worst race riots in Malaysia's brief history. Fortunately, to date, they have not been repeated. Many have picked over the debris, attempting to analyse why it happened and what actually did happen. This is a reprint of the Government's conclusions. New Paperback. 96 pages.
In 1915 colonial Singapore was rocked to the core when a group of Indian soldiers rebelled killing nearly 50 civilians and soldiers. This contemporaneous account of the events was written by a British businessman and his wife for the benefit of their daughter, aged three at the time. Presumably they thought they had little prospect of coming through the ordeal alive. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 126 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Indian Community & Culture
This is an unusual book in that it tells the stories of a minority, the Brahmin community, amongst a larger minority, the Malayan Indian Community. Whereas the majority of Malaya's Indians were of lower castes and ended up on plantations, this small group, even thought it was against their beliefs to travel overseas, found employment outside the estates, often in clerical roles or in education. This book contains short biographies, often related by their descendants, of this group about whom very little has been written in English New Paperback First Edition. 402 pages with several, mainly black and white photographs.
The author was an Englishman, who came to Malaya as a National Serviceman, later returned, married a Malaysian and wrote several authoritative books on the country. In this, his last book before his death in 2003, he gives an overview of the origins and history of the Indian community in Malaysia while also mentioning the continuing influence of pre colonial Indian culture on the Malay world generally. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 243 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Journalism & The Media
A collection on the author's journalism on various aspects of Malaysian life. Good Paperback. 200 pages with an index.
Kedah
The Kuala Kedah fort was originally built over 400 hundred years ago and last saw use in the Kedah-Siam Ligor War of 1821-1842. Although a small part of the book is devoted to the architecture and layout of the fort, most of the book concerns itself with the armaments, both heavy cannon and personal weapons, used by the forces during the war. New Hardback. First Edition. 93 pages with many colour illustrations, a list of references and an index.
Malaysia & Singapore - Language & Linguistics
A collection of Malay proverbs in both Malay and English with an introduction by the compiler on the nature of proverbs generally and the probable provenance of many Malay proverbs from Arab, Buddhist and Sanskrit influences. This edition has been extensively and scholarly revised by Tan Chin Kwang who writes a fascinating introduction reviewing Malay and English collections of sayings and pointing out the misunderstandings of colonial interpreters. Tan has revised the original work into more logical sections and where appropriate added interpretations of his own next to Winstedt's original interpretations. Near Fine Paperback. Revised Edition. 111 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Literature
A review of issues in Malay literature by two heavyweights of the genre. Very Good Paperback First Edition 199 pages.
Malaysia & Singapore - Magic & Popular Religion
As arguably the most culturally diverse country in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has much to celebrate. Here a professional Malaysian photographer, after documenting the war in Afghanistan, returns home to capture more life enhancing pursuits, the plethora of festivals that are celebrated throughout the country. The celebrations, both secular and religious, from a variety of communities are captured by many colour photographs accompanied by explanatory text. Very Good Hardback in a Very Good Dust Jacket. 187 pages.
An attempt to get to grips with popular religion, i.e. the world of spirits, ghosts and superstition in Malaysia. The traditions of all three main communities in the country are examined. 89 pages. Very Good Paperback First Edition Please see the scan of the contents page for further details.
Malaysia & Singapore - Minorities
The author, the son of a British father and an Indonesian mother gives an insider's view of what it was like to be of mixed ancestry in Malaya around the time of independence. Having spent part of his childhood in England and then returned to Malaya, much of the book is a comparison between how Eurasians are received in both countries. Good Paperback. 85 pages.
Orang Asli/Indigenous Peoples
This book on the indigenous peoples of peninsular Malaysia is unusual in that is not an anthropological study, but rather an account of their history set against the background of their relationship with their neighbours. The book is divided into three parts covering the pre-colonial, colonial and post independence period. As New Hardback. First Edition. 149 pages with a list of sources and an index.
Penang
Sejarah ditulis oleh pihak yang menang” dan ”tiada dokumen, tiada sejarah”. Demikianlah ungkapan yang sering kita dengar yang juga bermaksud banyak hal telah ”disenyapkan” dalam rakaman sejarah. Kepercayaan bahawa sejarah hanya boleh ditulis berdasarkan. New Paperback 168 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.
Malaysia & Singapore - Poetry
A collection of poems reflecting on life in Malaysia. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. 79 pages with an audio CD included
Malaysia & Singapore - Politics
The Malaysian General Election of 2008 was significant in that for the first time since 1969, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition failed to win a two thirds of the parliamentary seats, enough to make changes to the constitution. The opposition also took control of more state legislatures than before. The three contributors to this book look at how the elections played out in Kelantan, Penang and the Klang Valley. Good Hardback. First Edition. 131 pages with tables, charts, black and white photographs and an index.
Malaysia & Singapore - World War II
Although the post World War II market was flooded with many individual accounts of life in captivity for British servicemen in Malaya, comparatively little has been published about the fate of British civilians at the time. Here, Kennedy, better known for his standard history text book on Malaya, uncovers, through both published and unpublished accounts, the experiences of expatriate non combatants caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Very Good Hardback in a Near Fine Dust Jacket 167 pages. For further details, please see the scanned contents page.
Asia
A fairly exhaustive introduction to the Malay Archipelago at the end of the 19th century. He covers the Netherlands East Indies, the island of Borneo, the Philippines and Papua. In doing so he describes life in there as well as wild life and physical characteristics 576 pages with 60 engravings and a map Good Hardback.
The author looks at the fate of refugees to India from both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and what happens when they are returned 'home.' Questions are posed as to where 'home' actually is. In the postcolonial world rigid citizenship definitions don't always fit the traditional concepts of homeland. New Hardback. 181 pages.
This book is illustrated with several archive photographs, most of which have not been published before. Jowett follows the army from its invasion of China in 1931 through to its surrender at the end of the Second World War with illustration of the army's structure and tactics during various campaigns. New Paperback. 178 pages.
A collection of 24 articles, all except one of which were presented to a symposium held in Istanbul in 1987 on the transfer of science and technology from the West to the Muslim World. The examples mainly concern transfer to the Ottoman world, the leading Muslim power at the time of these transfers. However the book also offers reflections on issues concerning such transfers from other countries to a whole range of technologically advancing Muslim Countries today. 442 pages. New Paperback. Reprint.
A programme for a festival of French films depicting the East from the 1910s onwards. The listing of each film is accompanied by notes on its relevance and at least one photograph. Very Good Paperback. 115 pages.
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. Very Good 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
Two lists of articles published in the journal. The first list is of authors and their articles and the second list is of the titles of the articles, both in alphabetical order. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 38 pages.
China
An art gallery's catalogue of works of Chinese artists in both traditional and modern styles The text is mainly in Chinese, but there are are English captions to the pictures. Near Fine Paperback. 39 pages.
This catalogue provides a detailed tour of one of the largest collections of ancient Chinese textiles in the world, built up over a period of 30 years before they were exhibited in Singapore. The collection focuses on the dress of Chinese rulers down the ages and comprises several unique pieces. There are approximately 90 pages of essays on the subject followed by a description of each of the 152 exhibits with an accompanying colour photograph. The book ends with appendices on Transcriptions and Translations of Inscriptions, The Ming System of Rank Insignia, a Chronology of China, An Illustrated Glossary of Technical Terms of Textiles, a bibliography and an index of Chinese Terms. Very Good Paperback. First Edition. 488 pages. Please see the scanned contents page.
Indonesia
The Minangkabau of West Sumatra have a distinct set of traditions of which they are proud and results in a tight knit community. Their culture is matrilineal which often brings them into conflict with Wahabi reformists keen to promote a contradictory way of living which they claim was established by the Prophet Muhammad. In this book the author traces this conflict from pre-colonial times through to the 20th century. New Paperback 211 pages with some black and white photographs, a bibliography and an index.
Nepenthes or pitcher plants were a popular discovery by Europeans in the Malay Archipelago in the 19th century. The fascination arose not only from the plants' carnivorous habits, but also because of the attractive pitcher like productions of the plant. This led to extensive cultivation of the plant for decoration. This book, originally published in the 1920s, was one of the earlier works broadcasting this new discovery. With an introduction by Charles Clarke, a world authority on the plant. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket. 208 pages with illustrations, a bibliography and an index.
Taiwan
A collection of photographs by a Taiwan born photographer of places or or people in circumstances most of us are never likely to see. The selection includes Vietnamese women waiting to be bought as wives for Taiwanese men, Chinese immigrants in sweat shops in New York, mental patients chained together for 'therapeutic' purposes in a temple in Taiwan and many more examples of the marginalised struggling to get by. Near Fine Paperback. 80 pages with mainly black and white photographs.
Thailand
In this work the author reports on post world war 'development' in Thailand which, while providing economic uplift to some, has also resulted in environmental and community change. Based on 16 month's research among rural communities in Western Thailand, the book particularly highlights the dilemmas in giving space for social control of the changes in the face of top down solutions imposed from outside the community. Very Good Hardback. 244 pages with an index, bibliography, figures, tables and black and white plates.
Xtras
The unusual autobiography of a successful international British pop star of the 1970s, who gave it all up when he converted to Islam at the height of his fame. After several years immersing himself in his new faith he reemerged as a philanthropist, advocate for a nonviolent Islam and eventually as a pop star again. The book is written in English and has been The Penang Bookshelf's best selling book. New Hardback in a New Dust Jacket 105 pages.
