Asia Audiobooks | Travel

Asian Armageddon, 1944-45

The last installment of the War in the Far East trilogy, Asian Armageddon 1944-1945, continues and completes the narrative of the first two volumes, describing how a US-led coalition of nations battled Japan into submission through a series of cataclysmic encounters. Leyte Gulf, the biggest naval battle ever, was testimony to the paramount importance of controlling the ocean, as was the fact that the US Navy carried out the only successful submarine campaign in history, reducing Japan's military and merchant navies to shadows of the former selves. Meanwhile, fighting continued in disparate geographic conditions on land, with the chaos of Imphal, the inferno of Manila, and the carnage of Iwo Jima forming some of the milestones on the bloody road to peace, sealed in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. It was a world where the stage was set for the Cold War and for international rivalries that last to this day, and a new constellation of powers emerged. War in the Far East is a trilogy of books comprising a general history of World War II in the Asia Pacific. Unlike other histories on the conflict it goes into its deep origins, beginning long before Pearl Harbor, and encompasses a far wider group of actors to produce the most complete account yet written on the subject and the first truly international treatment of this epic conflict.

Peter Harmsen (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

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The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps: The Bloody Battles and Intrigues of the Shinsengumi

The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps tells the thrilling story of the Shinsengumi-the legendary corps of Samurai warriors tasked with keeping order in Kyoto during the final chaotic years of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868). This book recounts the fascinating tales of political intrigue, murder, and mayhem surrounding the fearsome Shinsengumi, including: ● The infamous slaughter at Ikidaya Inn where, after learning of a plan to torch the city, a group of Shinsengumi viciously attacked and killed a group of anti-Tokugawa plotters ● The bloody assassination of Serizawa Kamo, the Shinsengumi leader, under highly suspicious circumstances ● The final tumultuous battles of the civil war in which the Shinsengumi fought and died in a series of doomed last stands

Romulus Hillsborough (Author), Eric Michael Summerer (Narrator)

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Hidden Heritage: Rediscovering Britain’s Lost Love of the Orient

Brought to you by Penguin. A vital new perspective on British history from award-winning broadcaster Fatima Manji Why was there a Turkish mosque adorning Britain's most famous botanic garden in in the eighteenth century? And more importantly, why is it no longer there? How did one of the great symbols of an Indian king's power, a pair of Persian-inscribed cannon, end up in rural Wales? And who is the Moroccan man that stole British hearts depicted in a long forgotten portrait hanging in a west London stately home? Throughout Britain's galleries and museums, civic buildings and stately homes, relics can be found that beg these questions and more. They point to a more complex national history than is commonly remembered. These objects, lost, concealed or simply overlooked, expose the diversity of pre-twentieth-century Britain and the misconceptions around modern immigration narratives. Hidden Heritage powerfully recontextualises the relationship between Britain and the people and societies of the Orient. In her journey across Britain exploring cultural landmarks, Fatima Manji searches for a richer and more honest story of a nation struggling with identity and the legacy of empire. 'A compelling read about a history of Britain rarely cited and one that enriches an understanding of our complex, intriguing and wonderful past' Daljit Nagra 'A timely, brilliant and very brave book' Jerry Brotton, author of This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World © Fatima Manji 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Fatima Manji (Author), Fatima Manji (Narrator)

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Storm Clouds over the Pacific, 1931-1941

War in the Far East is a trilogy of books offering the most complete narrative yet written about the Pacific Theater of World War II, and the first truly international treatment of the epic conflict. Historian Peter Harmsen weaves together a complex and revealing narrative, including facets of the war that are often overlooked in historic narratives. He explores the war in subarctic conditions on the Aleutians; details the mass starvations in China, Indochina, and India; and offers a range of perspectives on the war experience, from the Oval Office to the blistering sands of Peleliu. Storm Clouds Over the Pacific begins the story long before Pearl Harbor, showing how the war can only be understood if ancient hatreds and long-standing geopolitics are taken into account. Harmsen demonstrates how Japan and China's ancient enmity led to increased tensions in the 1930s, which, in turn, exploded into conflict in 1937. The battles of Shanghai and Nanjing were followed by the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938, China's only major victory. A war of attrition continued up to 1941, the year when Japan made the momentous decision to pursue all-out war. The infamous attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into the war, as the Japanese also overran British and Dutch territories throughout the western Pacific.

Peter Harmsen (Author), Walter Dixon (Narrator)

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A History of Lost Knowledge in Sanskrit Literature: Ancient Enigmas of an Advanced Epoch Preserved i

Since the Renaissance, there has been no event of such worldwide significance in the history of culture as the discovery of Sanskrit literature in the latter part of the eighteenth century. The highly advanced knowledge preserved in these texts is, however, really only coming to light now. After Alexander's invasion, the Greeks became to some extent acquainted with the Indians; the Arabs, in the Middle Ages, took their knowledge of Indian science to the West; a few European missionaries from the sixteenth century onwards were not only aware of the existence of Sanskrit Knowledge but also gained some familiarity with, the ancient language of India; and Abraham Roger even translated the Sanskrit poet Bhartṛihari into Dutch as early as 1651.

Henry Romano (Author), Alex White (Narrator)

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India's First Newspaper

Five years before The Times and over seventy years before The New York Times, a four-page broadsheet appeared in Calcutta to become the first newspaper in India and all of Asia. This newspaper, started by an Irish expatriate on Indian soil under British patronage, soon became a lighthouse of resistance and free speech when the Sepoy Mutiny was still almost a century away. The story of India's first newspaper is the story of oppression, audacity, conspiracy, and determination. This story has happy moments, but it does not have a happy ending. Most importantly, it has lessons—both political and editorial.

Amit Schandillia (Author), Raghavendra Ashok (Narrator)

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A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower

In a rare combination of comprehensive coverage and sustained critical focus, this book examines Japan's progress through its entire history to its current status as an economic, technological, and cultural superpower. A key factor is a pragmatic determination to succeed. Little-known facts are also brought to light, and the latest findings used.

Kenneth G. Henshall (Author), Stephen Bungay (Narrator)

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Gandhi: A Very Short Introduction

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts. During his time as a lawyer in South Africa he developed his strategy of non-violence: the idea of opposing unjust laws by non-violent protest. He led the Indian National Congress party in three major campaigns against British rule, each culminating in his arrest. In Gandhi: A Very Short Introduction, Bhikhu Parekh outlines both Gandhi's major philosophical insights and the limitations of his thought. Written with extensive access to Gandhi's writings, Parekh looks at Gandhi's cosmocentric anthropology, his spiritual view of politics, and his theories of oppression, non-violent action, and active citizenship. He also considers how the success of Gandhi's principles were limited by his lack of coherent theories of evil, and of state and power. Gandhi's view of man as ascetic allows no room for expressions of the cultural, artistic, or intellectual. Furthermore, he was so hostile to modern civilization that he was unable to appreciate its complex dialectic or offer a meaningful narrative. Nevertheless, Gandhi's life and thought had an enormous impact on the Indian nation, and he continues to be widely revered-known before and after his assassination as Mahatma, the Great Soul.

Bhikhu Parekh (Author), Mark Ashby (Narrator)

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The Last Embassy: The Dutch Mission of 1795 and the Forgotten History of Western Encounters with Chi

George Macartney's disastrous 1793 mission to China plays a central role in the prevailing narrative of modern Sino-European relations. Summarily dismissed by the Qing court, Macartney failed in nearly all of his objectives, perhaps setting the stage for the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century and the mistrust that still marks the relationship today. But not all European encounters with China were disastrous. The Last Embassy tells the story of the Dutch mission of 1795, bringing to light a dramatic but little-known episode that transforms our understanding of the history of China and the West. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, Tonio Andrade paints a panoramic and multifaceted portrait of an age marked by intrigues and war. China was on the brink of rebellion. Enduring a harrowing voyage, the Dutch mission was to be the last European diplomatic delegation ever received in the traditional Chinese court. Andrade shows how, in contrast to the British emissaries, the Dutch were men with deep knowledge of Asia who respected regional diplomatic norms and were committed to understanding China on its own terms. The Last Embassy reveals that the Qing court, mischaracterized as arrogant and narrow-minded by British diplomats and historians, was in fact open, flexible, curious, and very cosmopolitan.

Tonio Andrade (Author), David De Vries (Narrator)

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Central Asia: A New History from the Imperial Conquests to the Present

This engaging audiobook narrated by Aaqil Ahmed explores how Central Asia has been shaped by modern world events Central Asia is often seen as a remote and inaccessible land on the peripheries of modern history. Encompassing Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and the Xinjiang province of China, it in fact stands at the crossroads of world events. Adeeb Khalid provides the first comprehensive history of Central Asia from the mid-eighteenth century to today, shedding light on the historical forces that have shaped the region under imperial and Communist rule. Predominantly Muslim with both nomadic and settled populations, the peoples of Central Asia came under Russian and Chinese rule after the 1700s. Khalid shows how foreign conquest knit Central Asians into global exchanges of goods and ideas and forged greater connections to the wider world. He explores how the Qing and Tsarist empires dealt with ethnic heterogeneity, and compares Soviet and Chinese Communist attempts at managing national and cultural difference. He highlights the deep interconnections between the 'Russian' and 'Chinese' parts of Central Asia that endure to this day, and demonstrates how Xinjiang remains an integral part of Central Asia despite its fraught and traumatic relationship with contemporary China. The essential history of one of the most diverse and culturally vibrant regions on the planet, this panoramic book reveals how Central Asia has been profoundly shaped by the forces of modernity, from colonialism and social revolution to nationalism, state-led modernization, and social engineering.

Adeeb Khalid (Author), Aaqil Ahmed (Narrator)

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The Tao of Wing Chun: The History and Principles of China's Most Explosive Martial Art

Wing Chun is the most popular form of Chinese Kung Fu in the world today, with over four million practitioners. This guide will fascinate and educate anyone interested in the martial arts, from beginner to master. The art as it is presently understood has been handed down from teacher to student for more than three hundred years. Until now, no one has ever stepped back and taken a critical look at why this art's techniques are presented and performed the way they are. This book, by Wing Chun master Danny Xuan and martial-arts authority John Little, is the first to decipher these techniques that until now have been encrypted within this art. Xuan and Little reveal how Wing Chun was designed holistically, based on the laws of physics, human nature, and biomechanics. It was also designed with economy, efficiency, and productivity in mind. Unlike other martial arts, Wing Chun doesn't focus on making a person larger, more rugged, acrobatic, or animal-like; rather, it focuses on making optimal use of one's own bodily structure and power potential by applying the sciences of biomechanics and physics. Thus, it is possible for males and females of all ages and sizes to excel in this art.

Danny Xuan, John Little (Author), P.J. Ochlan (Narrator)

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Myths and Legends of Japan: Exploring the gods, goddesses, myths, creatures and cosmology of ancient

We are told that in the very beginning, 'Heaven and Earth were not yet separated, and the In and Yo not yet divided.' This reminds us of other cosmogony stories. The In and Yo, corresponding to the Chinese Yang and Yin, were the male and female principles. It was more convenient for the old Japanese writers to imagine them coming into creation not very remote from their manner of birth. In Polynesian mythology, we find pretty much the same conception, where Rangi and Papa represented Heaven and Earth, and further parallels may be found in Egyptian and other cosmogony stories. We find the male and female principles taking a prominent, and after all, very rational, place in nearly all. We are told in the Nihongi that these male and female principles 'formed a chaotic mass like an egg which was of obscurely defined limits and contained germs.' Eventually, this egg was quickened into life, and the purer and clearer part was drawn out and formed Heaven, while the heavier element settled down and became Earth, which was 'compared to the floating of a fish sporting on the surface of the water.' A mysterious form resembling a reed-shoot suddenly appeared between Heaven and Earth, and as suddenly became transformed into a God called Kuni-Toko-Tachi, ('Land-eternal-stand-of-august-thing'). We may pass over the other divine births until we come to the important deities known as Izanagi and Izanami ('Male-who-invites' and 'Female-who-invites'). About these beings has been woven an entrancing myth.

Henry Romano (Author), Bill Shanks, Ryan Moorhen (Narrator)

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Asia Audiobooks in Travel