Earnshaw Books: 82 books

This book, written in the early 1950s by a former Chinese ambassador to London, is a cultured and entertaining view of the gastronomic side of Chinese life. F.T. Cheng sets out to show Westerners that there was a lot more to Chinese food culture than chop suey. It is a wonderful reminder of the richness and depth of Chinese culture from a man who also completely understood the West.

Shanghai in the 1930s was one of the world's most dangerous cities, with kidnappings and murders as daily occurrences. British police officer E. W. Peters of the Shanghai Municipal Police leads the way down the city's dark lanes and alleys, through a crime-ridden underworld of brothels, opium dens,...

A collection of poetry-by poet laureate of the China Treaty Ports Shamus A'Rabbit-and cartoons by Sapajou, this compilation offers a fresh perspective on the foreign experience in Old China. From A'Rabbit’s sharp and hilarious portrayals of travelers in the Orient to his bouncy and rhythmic satirical...

A collection of poetry—by poet laureate of the China Treaty Ports Shamus A'Rabbit—and cartoons by Sapajou, this compilation offers a fresh perspective on the foreign experience in Old China. From A'Rabbit’s sharp and hilarious portrayals of travelers in the Orient to his bouncy and rhythmic...

The Taoist canon, the Daodejing, has been translated many times, but the version by the great translator James Legge is one of the best, but also one of the least known. This edition includes the full text of Legge's translation of the Lao-Tzu classic, along with the full Chinese text of the original.

Whitey Smith was a jazz drummer from San Francisco who landed in Shanghai in 1922, just in time to help ignite the Jazz Age in one of the world's most entertainment-crazed cities. It is said he brought Jazz to China, and that claim is arguably true. This memoir tells the story of his amazing life...

British journalist Hadley Arnold-who is based in Hong Kong-is employed by a mysterious American “casting agent” to help destroy the reputation of an actor tipped to become the next James Bond. With only his questionable ethics and even worse instincts to guide him, Arnold's quest takes him from...

The dust has cleared from the 1911 revolution, and Peking's diplomatic set languish in an exotic world suspended somewhere between East and West, between propriety and decadence. Against this backdrop, Jean Maugrais finds himself the target of two married women's affections. But he longs for something...

In 1970 Hong Kong was the fastest expanding city in the world, a city that lived on three levels: the expatriates, nearly always British who lived in almost complete isolation; the vast mass of Chinese residents struggling to get by and improve their lot; and, finally, the criminal and corrupt underside...

In 1969, millions of Chinese teenagers were forced from their homes in the city in order to live and work in the countryside as part of China's Cultural Revolution. The work was backbreaking and rations were tight, but Sasha Gong has fond memories of learning to make simple, delicious country cooking....

First published in 1936, this remarkable guidebook explores the seamier side of Shanghai, China, in the mid-1930s. Written by two pretty, dissolute foreigners living life to the fullest and working, at least partially, in a Whangpoo whiskey haze, this candid handbook focuses on the colorful nightlife—particularly...

Isabella Bird was one of the greatest travelers and travel writers of all time, and this is her last major book, a sympathetic look at inland China and beyond into Tibet at the end of the 19th century. In describing the journey, Isabella provides a rich mix of observations and describes two occasions...

Explosive kung-fu epics, tragic leftist melodrama, chest-thumping propaganda films, and more are covered in this movie guide that explores a century of Chinese filmmaking, from the silent era to the present. The greatest Chinese movies cover a wide range of genres, are authoritatively listed in this...

Offering a fresh and often hilarious perspective, this account chronicles journalist Garry Marchant’s travels around Asia during a 30-year period. Covering familiar and lesser-known points in the East, this detailed guide reflects upon the similarities and differences between various Asian locales...