Asia Audiobooks | History

Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar

"The definitive biography of Ravi Shankar, one of the most influential musicians and composers of the twentieth century, told with the cooperation of his estate, family, and friendsFor over eight decades, Ravi Shankar was India's greatest cultural ambassador. He was a groundbreaking performer and composer of Indian classical music, who brought the music and rich culture of India to the world's leading concert halls and festivals, charting the map for those who followed in his footsteps. Renowned for playing Monterey Pop, Woodstock, and the Concert for Bangladesh-and for teaching George Harrison of The Beatles how to play the sitar-Shankar reshaped the musical landscape of the 1960s across pop, jazz, and classical music, and composed unforgettable scores for movies like Pather Panchali and Gandhi. In Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar, writer Oliver Craske presents readers with the first full portrait of this legendary figure, revealing the personal and professional story of a musician who influenced-and continues to influence-countless artists. Craske paints a vivid picture of a captivating, restless workaholic-from his lonely and traumatic childhood in Varanasi to his youthful stardom in his brother's dance troupe, from his intensive study of the sitar to his revival of India's national music scene. Shankar's musical influence spread across both genres and generations, and he developed close friendships with John Coltrane, Philip Glass, Yehudi Menuhin, George Harrison, and Benjamin Britten, among many others. For ninety-two years, Shankar lived an endlessly colorful and creative life, a life defined by musical, emotional, and spiritual quests-and his legacy lives on. Benefiting from unprecedented access to Shankar's archives, and drawing on new interviews with over 130 subjects-including his second wife and both of his daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar- Indian Sun gives readers unparalleled insight into a man who transformed modern music as we know it today."

Oliver Craske (Author), Sohm Kapila (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World – and Globalization Began

"Brought to you by Penguin. When did globalization begin? Most observers have settled on 1492, the year Columbus discovered America. But as celebrated Yale professor Valerie Hansen shows, it was the year 1000, when for the first time new trade routes linked the entire globe, so an object could in theory circumnavigate the world. This was the 'big bang' of globalization, which ushered in a new era of exploration and trade, and which paved the way for Europeans to dominate after Columbus reached America. Drawing on a wide range of new historical sources and cutting-edge archaeology, Hansen shows, for example, that the Maya began to trade with the native peoples of modern New Mexico from traces of theobromine - the chemical signature of chocolate - and that frozen textiles found in Greenland contain hairs from animals that could only have come from North America. Introducing players from Europe, the Islamic world, Asia, the Indian Ocean maritime world, the Pacific and the Mayan world who were connecting the major landmasses for the first time, this compelling revisionist argument shows how these encounters set the stage for the globalization that would dominate the world for centuries to come. ©Valerie Hansen 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Valerie Hansen (Author), Cynthia Farrell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Korea: A Very Short Introduction

"Having spent centuries in the shadows of its neighbors China and Japan, Korea is now the object of considerable interest for radically different reasons—the South as an economic success story and for its vibrant popular culture; the North as the home to one of the world's most repressive regimes, at once both bizarre and menacing. Korea: A Very Short Introduction explores the history, culture, and society of a deeply divided region. Michael Seth considers what it means to be Korean, and analyzes how the various peoples of the Korean peninsula became one of the world's most homogeneous nations, before exploring how this nation evolved, in a single lifetime, into today's sharply contrasting societies. He also discusses how Korea fits into the larger narrative of both East Asian and world history, economically, politically, and socially."

Michael J. Seth (Author), Paul Heitsch (Narrator)

Audiobook

1964 - The Greatest Year in the History of Japan: How the Tokyo Olympics Symbolized Japan’s Miraculo

"Japan was a physical and psychological wasteland at the end of World War II. With over three million dead, thirty-nine percent of city populations homeless, forty percent of all urban areas flattened, eighty percent of all ships destroyed, and thirty-three percent of all industrial machine tools rendered inoperable, the country was devastated and demoralized. And yet, just nineteen years later, Japan stood proud—modern, peace-loving, and open—welcoming the world as the host of the 1964 Olympics, the largest global event of its time. In 1964—The Greatest Year in the History of Japan, Roy Tomizawa chronicles how Japan rose from the rubble to embark on the greatest Asian economic miracle of the twentieth-century. He shares stories from the 1964 Olympics that created a level of alignment and national pride never before seen in Japan, leaving an indelible mark in the psyche of the Japanese for generations."

Roy Tomizawa (Author), David Shih (Narrator)

Audiobook

Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War • July 1937–May 1942

"In 1937, the swath of the globe east from India to the Pacific Ocean encompassed half the world’s population. Japan’s onslaught into China that year unleashed a tidal wave of events that fundamentally transformed this region and killed about twenty-five million people. This extraordinary World War II narrative vividly portrays the battles across this entire region and links those struggles on many levels with their profound twenty-first-century legacies. In this first volume of a trilogy, award-winning historian Richard B. Frank draws on rich archival research and recently discovered documentary evidence to tell an epic story that gave birth to the world we live in now."

Richard B. Frank (Author), L.J. Ganser (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Future of China

"One must accept that a lot of inconsistencies about China will never sound good in terms of the Western mindset. However, China, whose Communist Party government turns 70 today, treads the path of growth, carrying occasional embarrassment of inconsistency. A similar China that is acclaimed for the infringement of its human rights is the China that has been able to elevate more than 900 million individuals out of destitution, which is evident as per figures of increase of capita GDP from $89 in 1960 to nearly $10,000 today. The China where rural children used to burn waste rubbish to keep warm is a similar China that had a weekly contribution of at least two billionaires by the end of 2017 and simultaneously the life expectancy where future improved from 45 years in 1960 to almost 90 years today. Nevertheless, people observe China, nowadays, that it cannot be disregarded, particularly by big investors regardless of nationality."

Introbooks Team (Author), Tracy Tupman (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Im fernen Osten: Die Beschreibung einer Reise durch Japan aus dem Jahre 1911

"Im fernen Osten - Die Beschreibung einer Reise durch Japan aus dem Jahre 1911 - von Marie von Bunsen, gelesen von Meike Graf. In der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts führten die Reisen der Deutschen bereits schon in alle Welt, selten jedoch bis nach Japan. Eine der wenigen Japanreisenden damals war eine adlige Dame aus Preußen: Marie von Bunsen. Sie verbrachte auf ihrer Reise durch den fernen Osten (1911 bis 1914) fast die Hälfte des Jahres 1911 im Land der aufgehenden Sonne. Ihre Erlebnisse hielt sie in mehreren Büchern fest. Ihr Freund Ottmar von Mohl hatte ihr wertvolle Kontakte in Japan verschafft, so das sie im Land nicht nur in Adels- und Diplomatenkreisen verkehrte, sondern auch eine längere Wanderung entlang der Tōkaidō, eine der wichtigsten Post- und Handelsstraßen des alten Japans, unternehmen konnte. Wie die meisten Japanreisenden war auch Marie von Bunsen der Sprache ihres Reiselandes nicht oder nur wenig mächtig, und daher auf ihren eigenen Blick angewiesen, den sie kritisch und neugierig zugleich auf das fremde Land und seine Bewohner warf. Heute dürften ihre Beobachtungen und Beschreibungen bereits von großem historischem Wert sein, berichten sie doch von einer versunkenen Kultur und den damals noch darin vorhandenen traditionellen Lebensformen, die uns heute umso mehr in Erstaunen versetzen und den Zuhörer in eine fremde Welt eintauchen lassen. Coverabbildung: Unter Verwendung eines Aquarells (Ausschnitt) von Marie von Bunsen. Coverschrift gesetzt aus der Monotype Corsiva und des Titelschriftzuges der Originalbuchausgabe von 1934. Dieses Hörbuch enthält einen Ausschnitt aus dem Buch: 'Im fernen Osten' Eindrücke und Bilder aus Japan, Korea, China, Ceylon, Java, Siam, Kambodscha, Birma und Indien. Leipzig: Koehler & Amelang 1934. Wir bedanken uns herzlich bei Frau Fujiko Sekikawa, Leiterin des Sprachendienstes im Japanisch-Deutschen Zentrum Berlin, für die freundliche Hilfestellung bei der möglichst korrekten Aussprache einiger japanischer Vokabeln und Begriffe. Über die Sprecherin: Meike Graf, geboren in Kiel, aufgewachsen an der Ostsee, ist begeisterte Sprecherin und Sängerin. Beides hat sich durch ihr Leben gezogen, sei es bei privaten Lesungen, beim klassischen Chorgesang oder als Sängerin in Bands. Ihre Ausbildung zur Mikrofonsprecherin absolvierte sie an diversen Sprachschulen. Ihre Stimme ist seitdem als voice-over, in Imagefilmen oder in Hörbüchern zu hören. Mit dieser Aufnahme gibt sie ihr Debüt bei hoerbuchedition words and music. Die Reihe words&music/audiolab verbindet ausgewählte literarische Texte aus aller Welt mit emotionaler Musik. Es entstehen - vielleicht sogar bisher - ungeahnte Zugänge zum Textverständnis und eröffnen im Zusammenspiel zwischen Inhalt, Klang und Form neue Möglichkeiten des eigenen genussvollen Hörerlebens."

Marie Von Bunsen (Author), Meike Graf (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Chinese Triads: The History and Legacy of China’s Most Famous Organized Crime Syndicates

"From running guns to white-collar crimes in cyberspace and illegal seafood, the Triads, the mafia of China, are potent figures in the world of organized crime. Going by enigmatic names like the 14K Triad and the United Bamboo Gang, these criminal groups are enormous, with some organizations boosting memberships ranging in the tens of thousands. A powerful factor in China and throughout Asia, Triads are entrenched in society and the masters of multiple enterprises ranging from extortion, narcotics, prostitution and white collar crime. Despite their origins in mainland China, the Triads are most powerful in Hong Kong and Taiwan; as an international organization, the Triads have expanded into North America and other Western countries. The various Triad organizations are different but share many similarities, including a hierarchical structure, exclusive membership, common commercial money-making activities, the use of violence as a tool and the codification of rituals for the group. Although the various Triad groups share a common Chinese ethnic origin, these groups are fiercely territorial and do not collaborate together too often. The modern Triads trace their lineage to a group called the Hung Mun (Heaven and Earth Association). Originating in the Qing Dynasty as a secret society focused on Han solidarity and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, these groups sought to overthrow the foreign Manchu Qing rulers. The Hung Mun positioned themselves as self-help organizations to disfranchised Chinese workers, providing them money loans and welfare when they were ignored by the government."

Charles River Editors (Author), Scott Clem (Narrator)

Audiobook

Miyamoto Musashi: The Life and Legacy of Japan’s Most Legendary Samurai

"“Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.” – Miyamoto Musashi Samurai Sasaki Kojiro was growing increasingly impatient as he waited on the beach at Funa Island in Kokura. An undefeated master swordsman, he was tense and his anger was getting the better of him. He was on the small island for a duel, a clash of steel between two swordsmen where a man’s life could end in seconds. The duel was the ultimate test of the swordsman, and Sasaki, one of the best in Japan, was known as “The Demon of the Western Provinces.” However, the Sasaki on the beach did not resemble the fierce warrior of his reputation as he paced back and forth, frustrated by the tardiness of his opponent: the enigmatic Miyamoto Musashi. Sasaki knew nothing about Musashi except that the mysterious swordsman was undefeated, because aside from that, little was known about Musashi’s style or lineage. Although Musashi did have a reputation for keeping a rather unkempt appearance and an unpredictable personality, the mysterious swordsman also was the subject of conflicting stories about his courage and prowess. Though he was understandably confident, Sasaki did not underestimate his opponent, who finally arrived to the island on a small boat. Sasaki noticed something shocking: Musashi did not bring a sword. Instead Musashi, who appeared as if he had just rolled out of bed, brought a wooden oar carved into a makeshift sword as his dueling weapon. Sasaki was furious, and though he was beyond insulted, he drew his sword and prepared to fight to the death. The duel between the two masters thus began with one of them having no sword at all. "

Charles River Editors (Author), Jim Johnston (Narrator)

Audiobook

China and Japan: Facing History

"China and Japan have cultural and political connections that stretch back fifteen hundred years. But today their relationship is strained. China's military buildup deeply worries Japan, while Japan's brutal occupation of China in World War II remains an open wound. In recent years less than ten percent of each population had positive feelings toward the other, and both countries insist that the other side must deal openly with its history before relations can improve. Ezra Vogel's China and Japan examines key turning points in Sino-Japanese history. Throughout much of their past, the two countries maintained deep cultural ties, but China, with its great civilization and resources, had the upper hand. Japan's success in modernizing in the nineteenth century and its victory in the 1895 Sino-Japanese War changed the dynamic, putting Japan in the dominant position. The bitter legacy of World War II has made cooperation difficult, despite efforts to promote trade and, more recently, tourism. Vogel underscores the need for Japan to offer a thorough apology for the war, but he also urges China to recognize Japan as a potential vital partner in the region. He argues that for the sake of a stable world order, these two Asian giants must reset their relationship."

Ezra F. Vogel (Author), Eric Jason Martin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Emperor Hirohito: The Life and Legacy of Japan’s Ruler during World War II

"The man known to most of the world as Emperor Hirohito ruled during some of the most tumultuous years in Japanese history. When he came to the throne in 1926, he inherited control of a country which had only recently emerged as a major industrial and world power, and through the aggressive expansion and wars of the 1930s, Hirohito was at the head of one of the world’s foremost powers. Throughout the maelstrom of World War II, he remained in power, a distant and, to most outsiders, inscrutable factor in the rise of the Japanese Empire. Before and during the war, many people in America and elsewhere believed that Emperor Hirohito was at least partly responsible for both the confrontational Japanese approach to foreign affairs, and for the often brutal conduct of the Japanese armed forces during the wars which followed. As such, when the war ended, there were plenty of calls for the emperor to be indicted for war crimes along with other senior figures in Japan. However, a new feeling emerged at that time, suggesting that in reality Hirohito had been little more than a figurehead taken along by a tide of militarism, helpless to intervene or influence the course of events. This book looks at the role of the enigmatic leader in the rise, fall and rebirth of modern Japan. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Emperor Hirohito like never before."

Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)

Audiobook

In the Cauldron: Terror, Tension, and the American Ambassador’s Struggle to Avoid Pearl Harbor

"This is not just another book about Pearl Harbor. It is the story of Joseph Grew, America’s ambassador to Japan, and his frantic effort in the months before the Pearl Harbor attack to orchestrate an agreement between Japan and the United States to avoid the war he saw coming. It is a story filled with hope and heartache, with complex and fascinating characters, and with a drama befitting the momentous decisions at stake. And more than that, it is a story that has never been told. In those months before the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan and the United States were locked in a battle of wills. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s economic sanctions were crippling Japan. America’s noose was tightening around Japan’s neck—but the country’s leaders refused to yield to American demands. In this cauldron of boiling tensions, Joseph Grew offered many recommendations to break the deadlock. Having resided and worked in Tokyo for almost ten years, Grew understood what Roosevelt and his administration back home did not: that the Japanese would rather face annihilation than endure the humiliation of surrendering to American pressure. The President and his administration saw little need to accept their ambassador’s recommendations. The administration’s policies, they believed, were sure to succeed. And so, with increasing urgency, Grew tried to explain to the President and his administration that Japan’s mindset could not be gauged by Western standards of logic and that the administration’s policies could lead Japan to embark on a suicidal war with the United States “with dangerous and dramatic suddenness.” Relying on Grew’s diaries, letters and memos, interviews with members of the families of Grew and his staff, and an abundance of other primary source materials, Lew Paper presents the gripping story of Grew’s effort to halt the downward spiral of Japan’s relations with the United States. Grew had to wrestle with an American government that would not listen to him—and simultaneously confront an increasingly hostile environment in Japan, where pervasive surveillance, arbitrary arrest, and even unspeakable torture by Japan’s secret police were constant threats. In the Cauldron reads like a novel, but it is based on fact. And it is sure to raise questions whether the Pearl Harbor attack could have been avoided."

Lew Paper (Author), Robertson Dean (Narrator)

Audiobook

Asia Audiobooks in History