Welcome to Asia Bookroom
Pacific Collection Recently Purchased
We are in the process of cataloguing a collection of books on the Pacific. This collection of a retired academic has many titles, which while not hugely valuable in monetary terms, are in some cases quite scarce publications and immensely interesting to the right people. The titles already catalogued can be viewed by clicking on the highlights section in the right hand panel of our site. If you would like to hear about other books in this collection as they are catalogued you might like to join our
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Fifty Assorted Photographs of Eastern Asia.
PHOTOGRAPHS.
AU$250.00
Collection of 50 black and white photographs of scenes apparently in Japan and China. These photographs vary in size but the largest measures 13 x 24.3cm and there are many small images measuring 9.5 x 7cm. Most photographs have apparently been removed from an album with some marking on reverse, occasional chips and creasing but generally the photographs are very good. The photographs are presented in an attractive patterned silk covered clam shell box. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 133901)
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Stock ID: 133901
Recollections of a Hidden Laos. A Photographic Journey.
REININK-SMITH, LINDA.
AU$55.00
Map, colour photographic illustrations, 112 pages, small quarto, paperback. "From the air, one sees mostly jagged, forest-covered mountains etched with unexpected waterfalls, glistening like milky quartz in all the green. Closer inspection reveals ethereal villages of grass-thatched huts from a past era clinging to high ridges and surrounded by misty grand vistas reaching into the distance." So begins this lovely volume of exquisite photographs from Laos, a country whose remote regions are still hidden away to all but a few inquisitive scholars and venturesome travellers. The capital city of Vientiane and far-flung regions of the country are richly illustrated in 150 colour images. The photographs recount the author's personal journey to towns and villages in the 1990s, portraying ethnic minorities and lowlanders, their traditional life and work, and the natural environment and terrain. Apart from a descriptive introduction, the captions provide the only text. The author observes signs of modernization with each subsequent visit - traditional dress replaced by Western clothing, forests destroyed by a new road. The book provides a rare and nuanced glimpse into the country and people of Laos as they stand at the crossroads of change.
Linda Reinink-Smith worked as a geologist in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and has travelled extensively in the country. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 140959)
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Stock ID: 140959
The Story of Topsy. Little Lonely of Central Asia.
CABLE, MILDRED AND FRANCESCA FRENCH.
AU$48.00
Endpaper maps, illustrations, viii + 212pp, bright copy in worn dustjacket with a few closed tears. Very good copy. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 2648)
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Stock ID: 2648
Forty-One Years in India from Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief.
ROBERTS, LORD. OF KANDAHAR.
AU$350.00
2 volumes. Folding map, 8 plans, 25 illustrations many full page. Vol I: xx + 511pp, appendices. Vol II: xii + 522pp + 64pp. Signature and address of a early 20th century owner half titles, few leaves carelessly opened, some occasional creasing to corners of leaves and some occasional foxing particularly on tissue guards, tear along the fold one folding plan, minor wear original dark blue cloth binding, two corners bumped, upper hinge volume II starting, closed tear one plan now repaired, spines gilt, upper cover gilt. A good sound set. This account by Lord Roberts of Kandahar of his distinguished service in India was enormously popular, leading to its publication in many editions including in a single volume edition. This immensely readable work is a window into the time and place. Discussion of the Mutiny, the influence and concerns of the Great Game together with comment on the Indians and British with whom he worked are clearly evident. Lord Roberts's views were very much that of a man of his time and position as is clearly shown in this comment from the preface "It is difficult for people who know nothing of Natives to understand and appreciate the value they set on cherished customs, peculiar idiosyncrasies, and fixed prejudices, all of which must be carefully studied by those who are placed in the position of their Rulers, if the suzerain Power is to keep their respect and gain their gratitude and affection." However his love of the India is evident as demonstrated in this comment from the preface explaining why he wrote this book "I have known this wonderful land of my adoption and its interesting peoples would be useful to my countrymen." A classic work of British India. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 14393)
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Stock ID: 14393
A Northern Alternative. Xue Xuan (1389-1464) and the Hedong School
KOH, KHEE HEONG.
AU$35.00 (WAS
AU$57.95)
2 maps, 24 tables, notes, bibliography, index, xiii + 353pp, dustjacket. Conventional portraits of Neo-Confucianism in China are built on studies of scholars active in the south, yet Xue Xuan (1389--1464), the first Ming Neo-Confucian to be enshrined in the Temple to Confucius, was a northerner. Why has Xue been so overlooked in the history of Neo-Confucianism? In this first systematic study in English of the highly influential thinker, author Khee Heong Koh seeks to redress Xue's marginalization while showing how a study interested mainly in "ideas" can integrate social and intellectual history to offer a broader picture of history. Significant in its attention to Xue as well as its approach, the book situates the ideas of Xue and his Hedong School in comparative perspective. Koh first provides in-depth analysis of Xue's philosophy, as well as his ideas on kinship organizations, educational institutions, and intellectual networks, and then places them in the context of Xue's life and the actual practices of his descendants and students.
Through this new approach to intellectual history, Koh demonstrates the complexity of the Neo-Confucian tradition and gives voice to a group of northern scholars who identified themselves as Neo-Confucians but had a vision that was distinctly different from their southern counterparts. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 141250)
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Stock ID: 141250
Histoire Des Indes Orientales, Anciennes et Modernes.
GUYON, L'ABBE.
AU$850.00
3 volumes. 2 folding maps. Volume I: Folding map, 471 + [8pp]. Volume II: 352pp. Volume III: 396pp. Full leather binding, marbled endpapers. Two leaves loose but text is complete. A delightful set in full leather binding, spine gilt with raised bands and red title. French text. The third volume deals with the trade with the French, Dutch, English and Venetians. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 137686)
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Stock ID: 137686
International Cooperation in Famine Relief 1920 - 1921. Report of the Personnel Committee of the Peking United International Famine Relief Committee.
STUART, REV. J. LEIGHTON, CHANG P'EI CHIH, FATHER MULLINS, W.H.E. THOMAS, REV. PHILIP ALLEN SWARTZ.
AU$200.00
23pp, original wrappers and endpapers a little browned, a very good copy. A rare item of ephemera which does not appear to be held in libraries listed on Worldcat. The North China famine of 1920 - 21 affected the provinces of Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, southern Zhili (Hebei) and it is thought that half a million people died because of it. The Peking United International Famine Relief Committee were a group of nine missions in China who came together with the aim of both alleviating famines as they happened and preventing future famines from occurring. The group worked at promoting sustainable practices amongst its consitituents choosing only projects of permanent value to do this. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 140507)
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Stock ID: 140507
A Ride to Khiva. Travels and Adventures in Central Asia.
BURNABY, FRED.
AU$20.00
Introduction by Eric Newby. Map, 429pp, appendix, paperback, minor wear covers, spine creased, a string of numbers in ink lower endpaper, clean secondhand copy. First published in 1877. In December 1875 Fred Burnaby set out on horseback to Khiva. His account of his adventures and how he braved the depths of winter make for fascinating reading. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 45758)
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Stock ID: 45758
Batik Fabled Cloth of Java.
ELLIOTT, INGER MCCABE.
AU$35.00
Map, colour and black and white photographic illustrations, 240 pages, index, bibliography, concordance, notes, glossary, quarto, price clipped dustjacket with minor wear to top edge, remainder mark on lower edge. A very good copy. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 141047)
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Stock ID: 141047
Arts of Vietnam 1009-1945.
NGUYEN-LONG, KERRY.
AU$55.00
Colour and black and white photographic illustrations, xiv + 300 pages, index, bibliography, quarto, paperback. This book is a history of the development of the arts of Viet Nam in the dynastic era. It begins in 1009 in the Ly dynasty and ends 30 August 1945, the day King Bao Dai the last king of the Nguyen dynasty abdicated. In 11 chapters it features the arts of the Kinh majority: architecture, sculpture, stone and woodcarvings, metalcrafts, lacquercraft, furniture, ceramics, inlay work, woodblock printing, and painting; with a broader spectrum in the last dynasty. It is an exploration that travels from the heartland in the north to the far south and in that sense this single volume is a pioneering publication. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 141273)
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Stock ID: 141273
China Breakthrough. Whitlam in the Middle Kingdom, 1971.
GRIFFITH, WILLIAM.
AU$24.95
Black and white photographic illustrations, xxvii + 143 pages, index, bibliography, notes, paperback. On the fortieth anniversary of Australia-China diplomatic relations, The China Breakthrough reflects on the political adventure story that propelled this relationship into being. It follows Whitlam's visit to China in 1971, and explores the events and acts of secret diplomacy that underlie this key episode of diplomatic history. Australian author (When referring to this item please quote stockid 140796)
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Stock ID: 140796
Korean Lacquer. Aesthetic Perfection.
FRICK, PATRICK AND SOON-CHIM JUNG.
AU$89.00
Map, colour photographic illustrations, 108 pages, bibliography, glossary, tall quarto, hardback. Korean lacquer art is prized for its artistic and technical perfection and its specific, distinctive aesthetics. The works of the Goryeo (918–1392) and the Joseon (1392–1910) dynasties, with their mother-of-pearl inlays, serve as particularly vivid examples of the ingenious manufacturing processes of Korean lacquer craft. These works also represent the multifaceted development of this art form over the centuries. This book illustrates outstanding and very rare lacquer pieces from Korean, Japanese and European collections, on display at the Museum of Lacquer Art in Münster. These works have been gathered together and are shown for the first time in a western exhibition. The book contains texts by renowned international scholars, exploring lacquer craft from its beginnings on the Korean peninsula to popular works of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Individual essays examine the rich décor and the versatile techniques used to create these works. The lacquer pieces are thoroughly documented in detailed texts and with extensive illustrations. This publication can be regarded as a standard work on Korean lacquer art. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 141166)
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Stock ID: 141166
Hikikomori. Adolescence without End.
TAMAKI, SAITO.
AU$24.99
xix + 192 pages, index, bibliography, notes, paperback. This is the first English translation of a controversial Japanese best seller that made the public aware of the social problem of "hikikomori," or "withdrawal" - a phenomenon estimated by the author to involve as many as one million Japanese adolescents and young adults who have withdrawn from society, retreating to their rooms for months or years and severing almost all ties to the outside world. Saitō Tamaki's work of popular psychology provoked a national debate about the causes and extent of the condition. Since "Hikikomori" was published in Japan in 1998, the problem of social withdrawal has increasingly been recognized as an international one, and this translation promises to bring much-needed attention to the issue in the English-speaking world. According to the "New York Times," "As a hikikomori ages, the odds that he'll re-enter the world decline. Indeed, some experts predict that most hikikomori who are withdrawn for a year or more may never fully recover. That means that even if they emerge from their rooms, they either won't get a full-time job or won't be involved in a long-term relationship. And some will never leave home. In many cases, their parents are now approaching retirement, and once they die, the fate of the shut-ins - whose social and work skills, if they ever existed, will have atrophied - is an open question." Drawing on his own clinical experience with hikikomori patients, Saitō creates a working definition of social withdrawal and explains its development. He argues that hikikomori sufferers manifest a specific, interconnected series of symptoms that do not fit neatly with any single, easily identifiable mental condition, such as depression. Rejecting the tendency to moralize or pathologize, Saitō sensitively describes how families and caregivers can support individuals in withdrawal and help them take steps toward recovery. At the same time, his perspective sparked contention over the contributions of cultural characteristics - including family structure, the education system, and gender relations - to the problem of social withdrawal in Japan and abroad. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 140912)
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Stock ID: 140912
My Account of the Hajj. The Pilgrimage of A White Anglo-Saxon Australian to Mecca and Medina.
HUGHES, NICHOLAS.
AU$21.50
Black & white photographic illustrations, 79 pages, notes, glossary, bibliography, paperback. Rare are works that combine personal revelations with explanations of Islam in a manner to which Westerners can easily relate. The beauty of Nicholas' Account of the Hajj is that an Australian farm boy with an education imbued in Christian principles, and a lifetime of exposure to religions and cultures in the Arab world and South and South-East Asia, can relate to and convey in a straightforward manner Islamic beliefs and practices that many may consider foreign. Nicholas has done a great service to those interested in religions and spirituality in his descriptions of the rites of the Hajj and explanations of their origins and meaning. As a diary, the work animates the daily life of the pilgrim in an engaging style reminiscent of writings from an earlier period of exploration. Nick expresses a personal revelation, 'the Hajj inspires a deep sense of serenity, humility and affinity with the Almighty'. The Hajj is both a voyage to Mecca as well as a recommitment to a lifelong spiritual journey. He writes, 'If my Account of the Hajj can contribute to inter-cultural and religious understanding, I am happy to have shared it with others'. (When referring to this item please quote stockid 141134)
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Stock ID: 141134
What is Asia Bookroom?
Asia Bookroom is a leading Asian bookselling specialist. We have a large stock of books, old and new, ephemera, antique maps and prints on China, Japan, India, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma/Myanmar, Laos, Sri Lanka/Ceylon, Malaysia, Singapore, Timor Leste, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Himalayan region including Tibet and Central Asia. We stock books on all of these areas - and many Asian themes and topics - for example cookery and food, religion and philosophy, Asian art and many more. We also carry a large range of children's books on Asia. Browse our site and subscribe to our mailing list for updates of new books as they arrive.
We are open:
Monday by appointment or chance (ie we may not be here but usually are)
Tuesday to Friday 10am - 5.30pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Closed Sunday
