Paul French's Ultimate China Bookshelf Archives – The China Project https://thechinaproject.com/column/ultimate-china-bookshelf/ All things China. Mon, 06 Nov 2023 20:30:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 Lao She’s greatest work, ‘Rickshaw Boy’ https://thechinaproject.com/2023/11/02/lao-shes-greatest-work-rickshaw-boy/ Fri, 03 Nov 2023 03:59:28 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=289048 The rising and falling fortunes of golf in China https://thechinaproject.com/2023/10/26/the-rising-and-falling-fortunes-of-golf-in-china/ Thu, 26 Oct 2023 05:24:58 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=288478 When Yao Ming was the most famous Chinese person on Earth https://thechinaproject.com/2023/10/19/when-yao-ming-was-the-most-famous-chinese-person-on-earth/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 05:43:38 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=287988 What’s the problem with Chinese soccer? Rowan Simons knows. https://thechinaproject.com/2023/10/12/whats-the-problem-with-chinese-soccer-rowan-simons-knows/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 10:37:59 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=286998 The lessons to be learned from Edgar Snow’s ‘Red Star Over China’ https://thechinaproject.com/2023/10/05/the-lessons-to-be-learned-from-edgar-snows-red-star-over-china/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 04:00:49 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=285956 A Chinese foreign correspondent in Europe during World War II https://thechinaproject.com/2023/09/28/a-chinese-foreign-correspondent-in-europe-during-world-war-ii/ Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:27:53 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=285738 Traveller Without a Map.]]> ‘Thunder Out of China’: One of the most popular WWII books of all time https://thechinaproject.com/2023/09/21/thunder-out-of-china-one-of-the-most-popular-wwii-books-of-all-time/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 04:00:05 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=285338 Every Ultimate China Bookshelf needs Peter Hessler’s ‘River Town’ https://thechinaproject.com/2023/09/14/every-ultimate-china-bookshelf-needs-peter-hesslers-river-town/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 08:08:44 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=284702 All the traditions lost after the Communists entered Beijing https://thechinaproject.com/2023/09/07/all-the-traditions-lost-after-the-communists-entered-beijing/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 06:51:32 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=284021 A hedonistic portrait of Old Beijing https://thechinaproject.com/2023/08/31/a-hedonistic-portrait-of-old-beijing/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 10:15:05 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=283500 Michael Yahuda’s ‘Hong Kong’ is one of the few good books about the 1997 handover https://thechinaproject.com/2023/08/24/michael-yahudas-hong-kong-is-one-of-the-few-good-books-about-the-1997-handover/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 08:53:35 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=282945 When the British lost Hong Kong to the Japanese https://thechinaproject.com/2023/08/17/when-the-british-lost-hong-kong-to-the-japanese/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 04:27:58 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=282380 A portrait of Hong Kong in the waning years of British rule https://thechinaproject.com/2023/08/10/a-portrait-of-hong-kong-in-the-waning-years-of-british-rule/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:43:11 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=281780 Sanmao went against the stereotypes of her time https://thechinaproject.com/2023/08/03/sanmao-went-against-the-stereotypes-of-her-time/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:06:38 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=281057 Exiled writer Chiang Yee, through war and loneliness, lived quite the life https://thechinaproject.com/2023/07/27/chiang-yee-through-war-and-loneliness-lived-quite-the-life/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 04:56:25 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=280346 What the U.S. looked like to an early 20th-century Chinese diplomat https://thechinaproject.com/2023/07/20/what-the-u-s-looked-like-to-an-early-20th-century-chinese-diplomat/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:36:43 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=279632 Jeep in China: A failed joint venture at least makes for a fun read https://thechinaproject.com/2023/07/13/jeep-in-china-a-failed-joint-venture-at-least-makes-for-a-fun-read/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 05:15:49 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=278968 How does one lose a fortune in China? ‘Mr. China’ knows https://thechinaproject.com/2023/07/06/how-does-one-lose-a-fortune-in-china-mr-china-knows/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 04:59:38 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=278432 The told story of Wham! in China https://thechinaproject.com/2023/06/29/the-told-story-of-wham-in-china/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:54:16 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=277734 The bloodiest civil war ever: The Qing vs. the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom https://thechinaproject.com/2023/06/22/the-bloodiest-civil-war-ever-the-qing-vs-the-taiping-heavenly-kingdom/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 05:51:26 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=277062 What an 18th-century sorcery scare tells us about imperial China https://thechinaproject.com/2023/06/15/what-an-18th-century-sorcery-scare-tells-us-about-imperial-china/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 05:43:28 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=276491 An evergreen reference for China’s myths and legends https://thechinaproject.com/2023/06/08/an-evergreen-reference-for-chinas-myths-and-legends/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:01:58 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=275993 ‘Red Dust’: A voyage through the underbelly of 1980s China https://thechinaproject.com/2023/06/01/red-dust-a-voyage-through-the-underbelly-of-1980s-china/ Thu, 01 Jun 2023 04:53:54 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=275648 In his time, Lin Yutang explained China to the West better than anyone https://thechinaproject.com/2023/05/25/in-his-time-lin-yutang-explained-china-to-the-west-better-than-anyone/ Thu, 25 May 2023 06:10:50 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=275331 Rereading Eileen Chang’s spy thriller ‘Lust, Caution’ https://thechinaproject.com/2023/05/18/rereading-eileen-changs-spy-thriller-lust-caution/ Thu, 18 May 2023 06:50:48 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=274913 A visual history of Maoism https://thechinaproject.com/2023/05/11/a-visual-history-of-maoism/ Thu, 11 May 2023 05:33:19 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=274539 From influential to antiquated: Liu Shaoqi’s ‘How to Be a Good Communist’ https://thechinaproject.com/2023/05/04/from-influential-to-antiquated-liu-shaoqis-how-to-be-a-good-communist/ Thu, 04 May 2023 04:55:33 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=274269 Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book, the world’s second-most published book https://thechinaproject.com/2023/04/27/mao-zedongs-little-red-book-the-worlds-second-most-published-book/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 10:15:42 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=273929 Jonathan Spence’s book on Mao remains the standard https://thechinaproject.com/2023/04/20/jonathan-spences-book-on-mao-remains-the-standard/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 11:40:09 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=273597 Jack Belden’s coverage of the Chinese Civil War offers enduring lessons in China reporting https://thechinaproject.com/2023/04/13/jack-beldens-coverage-of-the-chinese-civil-war-offers-enduring-lessons-in-china-reporting/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 07:26:55 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=273313 ‘China Shakes the World’ answered critical questions during an uncertain time https://thechinaproject.com/2023/04/06/china-shakes-the-world-answered-critical-questions-during-an-uncertain-time/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 10:02:16 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=273010 ‘China’s Kerouac’ documented the country’s cool underclass https://thechinaproject.com/2023/03/30/chinas-kerouac-documented-the-countrys-cool-underclass/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 05:52:39 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=272690 ‘Phantom Shanghai’ documents a city in the throes of change https://thechinaproject.com/2023/03/23/phantom-shanghai-documents-a-city-in-the-throes-of-change/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:20:44 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=272351 Shanghai through the eyes of one of Japan’s best writers https://thechinaproject.com/2023/03/16/shanghai-through-the-eyes-of-one-of-japans-best-writers/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:27:05 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=271966 ‘Midnight’: A gritty, unflinching portrait of pre-war Shanghai https://thechinaproject.com/2023/03/09/midnight-a-gritty-unflinching-portrait-of-pre-war-shanghai/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 06:41:36 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=271604 The Opium Wars through the lens of international law https://thechinaproject.com/2023/03/02/the-opium-wars-through-the-lens-of-international-law/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 10:08:32 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=271221 Inspector Chen defined 1990s Shanghai https://thechinaproject.com/2023/02/23/inspector-chen-defined-1990s-shanghai/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 06:24:10 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=269745 ‘Will the Boat Sink the Water?’ investigated rural China like no one had before https://thechinaproject.com/2023/02/16/will-the-boat-sink-the-water-investigated-rural-china-like-no-one-had-before/ Thu, 16 Feb 2023 10:31:10 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=268994 ‘A Dictionary of Maqiao’ dissects the Cultural Revolution with humor and wit https://thechinaproject.com/2023/02/09/a-dictionary-of-maqiao-dissects-the-cultural-revolution-with-humor-and-wit/ Thu, 09 Feb 2023 16:39:40 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=264329 Telling the story of ordinary Chinese before it was cool: Graham Peck’s ‘Two Kinds of Time’ https://thechinaproject.com/2023/02/03/ultimate-china-bookshelf-graham-pecks-two-kinds-of-time/ Fri, 03 Feb 2023 05:31:26 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=262960 On Jiang Zemin and inter-Party struggle, Willy Wo-Lap Lam’s book remains a gold standard https://thechinaproject.com/2023/01/27/on-jiang-zemin-and-inter-party-struggle-willy-wo-lap-lam/ Fri, 27 Jan 2023 18:02:33 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=261409 ‘The China Dream’ and the hard truths of doing business in China https://thechinaproject.com/2023/01/20/the-china-dream-and-the-hard-truths-of-doing-business-in-china/ Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:23:19 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=257393 Carl Crow’s ‘400 Million Customers,’ forgotten for decades, still imparts useful lessons https://thechinaproject.com/2023/01/10/carl-crows-400-million-customers/ Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:37:29 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=253398 Announcing Paul French’s Ultimate China Bookshelf https://thechinaproject.com/2023/01/10/announcing-paul-frenchs-ultimate-china-bookshelf/ Tue, 10 Jan 2023 17:34:55 +0000 http://thechinaproject.com/?p=253394