Agents of Disorder: Inside China’s Cultural Revolution, by Andrew G. Walder Jonathan Mirsky is fascinated by a book that calls into question some of the unexamined received wisdom about China under Mao By Jonathan Mirsky 21 November
Great State: China and the World, by Timothy Brook Jonathan Mirsky applauds a bold attempt to take the long view of Chinese history By Jonathan Mirsky 26 September
Chinese Thought from Confucius to Cook Ding, by Roel Sterckx Jonathan Mirsky applauds an analysis that links age-old traditions of thought with politics today By Jonathan Mirsky 25 April
Railroads and the Transformation of China, by Elisabeth Köll Jonathan Mirsky on a wide-ranging, eye-opening journey tracing a revolutionary development By Jonathan Mirsky 14 February
Milk of Paradise: A History of Opium, by Lucy Inglis The good and evil of opium is documented in this eloquent history, writes Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 20 September
China: Visions Through the Ages, edited by Lisa C. Niziolek, Deborah A. Bekken and Gary Feinman Sinophiles will find much to admire in this deeply learned treasure trove, writes Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 19 April
China’s Crisis of Success, by William Overholt Book of the week: Jonathan Mirsky wonders at the wisdom of making this Asian ‘miracle’ a model for rapid development By Jonathan Mirsky 15 February
Hidden Atrocities: Japanese Germ Warfare and American Obstruction of Justice at the Tokyo Trial, by Jeanne Guillemin Jonathan Mirsky on a shocking study of how the US covered up Japan’s biological experiments By Jonathan Mirsky 14 December
The Chinese Typewriter: A History, by Thomas S. Mullaney Jonathan Mirsky applauds the story of an invention that has been vital in preserving Chinese script and culture in the modern information age By Jonathan Mirsky 28 September
Stalin’s Defectors: How Red Army Soldiers became Hitler’s Collaborators, 1941-1945, by Mark Edele Quislings who joined Nazis to survive were erased from Russian history, observes Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 3 August
Out of China: How the Chinese Ended the Era of Western Domination, by Robert Bickers Jonathan Mirsky on a complex history of a country struggling to regain control of itself By Jonathan Mirsky 18 May
Sold People: Traffickers and Family Life in North China, by Johanna S. Ransmeier A brilliant study examines the wide variety of markets for trafficked human beings, writes Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 4 May
A New Deal for China’s Workers?, by Cynthia Estlund A survey of the labour landscape under the Chinese Communist Party would be stronger with more voices of working people, says Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 2 February
China’s Crony Capitalism: The Dynamics of Regime Decay, by Minxin Pei Jonathan Mirsky on a bleak but believable view of rampant corruption taking a country to the dogs By Jonathan Mirsky 17 November
The Dictator’s Dilemma: The Chinese Communist Party’s Strategy for Survival, by Bruce J. Dickson Money buys compliance, and a few shots of Confucianism help too, says Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 22 September
Middle Kingdom and Empire of the Rising Sun: Sino-Japanese Relations, Past and Present, by June Teufel Dreyer Jonathan Mirsky considers an exploration of the dynamics between two ancient rival nations By Jonathan Mirsky 4 August
The Most Wanted Man in China: My Journey from Scientist to Enemy of the State, by Fang Lizhi Book of the week: The Chinese government’s persecution of Fang Lizhi remains baffling, says Jonathan Mirsky By Jonathan Mirsky 21 April
The Gunpowder Age: China’s Military Innovation and the Rise of the West in World History, by Tonio Andrade It’s a myth that Confucianism kept China unprepared for war: the empire had guns and was not afraid to use them, Jonathan Mirsky writes By Jonathan Mirsky 4 February
Quest For Power: European Imperialism and the Making of Chinese Statecraft, by Stephen R. Halsey Jonathan Mirsky on the treaties and extraterritoriality imposed on China in the decades after the Opium Wars By Jonathan Mirsky 15 October
The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy, by Daniel Bell An argument for a ruling elite based on exams leaves Jonathan Mirsky feeling puzzled By Jonathan Mirsky 30 July
Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary History, by Q. Edward Wang Jonathan Mirsky enjoys a bowlful of insights into the origins and uses of the utensil that Asia made its own By Jonathan Mirsky 4 June
