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Book list: East Asia

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China

General

• Daily Lives of Civilians in Wartime Asia: From the Taiping Rebellion to the Vietnam War by Stewart Lone: Fairly straightforward. Not just China but basically every major Asian conflict. It is a behemoth of information that has been collected from far and wide for the reader's convenience. It covers history, provides detailed and cited statistics, and gives insight to culture, art, social chances and upheavals, family and even romantic impact from living during all these wars. An excellent reference.

• China: A New History by John K. Fairbank: An excellent introduction to the topic by the doyen of American Sinology. China's modern history is the main concern, but the earlier periods are treated sufficiently.

• A History of Chinese Civilization by Jacques Gernet: A readable and detailed survey of Chinese history that is notable for not prejudicing modern history over earlier periods. It heavily focuses on intellectual and cultural history, and at times the details of the political history get ignored, but any survey this ambitious must make cuts. The account of the nineteenth century is particularly vivid.

• This Is China: The First 5,000 Years by Haiwang Yuan: This should be the standard text in every introductory class to Chinese history. It is an incredibly short, brief book that is a crash course on Chinese history to the uninitiated as well as a solid quick reference for the more experienced. It is a work that runs over the surface of almost everything Chinese history has to offer and dips its head under the water at select places to try to give the reader a real taste of what lies before them. More than cover Chinese history, it is a great book to illustrate the fact that trying to understand all of Chinese history at once is impossible and is as much art and dynamic dialogue as it is inexact science and lively academia. Another must have.

• Cambridge Illustrated History of China by Patricia Buckley Ebrey (2nd ed. 2010). Incredibly beautiful. Don't let the visuals fool you into thinking this is a glorified picture book. It is a masterpiece of clear concise writing, tying together dates, places, and names so that they clarify events instead of overwhelming the reader. The images themselves are not only beautifully rendered but also masterfully picked so that they enhance the text, rather than detract from it. Finally, the author pays special attention to possible Western biases or misconceptions and handles them gracefully. This is the general reference book to get that is as enjoyable to read as it is informative as well as academically rigorous in its methodology.

• Chinese Civilzation: A Sourcebook edited by Patricia Buckley Ebrey. Another standard find in intro Chinese history courses in college.

• Soldiers of the Dragon edited by CJ Peers. Osprey publishers have a wide variety of awesome military histories. You wouldn't be likely to find this in a college classroom, but that can be a plus. It's not a hard read, but extremely informative.

Early China

• The Archaeology of China: From the Late Paleolithic to the Early Bronze Age by Li Liu and Xingcan Chen: Only recently having finished reading this myself, I highly recommend this book for its compelling points about, well everything. It sheds light on topics ranging from the structures of societies, agriculture, tools and warfare, regional and inter-cultural influences on development, to even diet and health. Most of the research comes from archaeological studies as well as interpreting inscriptions, artifacts, and other reputable academic sources.

Imperial China

• Through the Jade Gate to Rome by John E Hill: A translation of a famous primary source with notes and commentary by Hill, this book provides amazing insight to the Silk Road culture, as well as prominently featuring Chinese and Roman culture tie ins. It covers history, culture, politics, trade, economics, and even views of daily life. To Chinese reading historians, I call this book one of the English equivalents of 从长安到罗马 otherwise known as From Chang'an to Rome, which is simply a masterpiece of Chinese history. If you've ever wondered how the Chinese interacted with and influenced/were influenced by the Middle East, Central Asia, Greece, and Rome, you need this book.

• The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han. Mark Edward Lewis: The first in Timothy Brook's admirable Chinese History project with Harvard University Press. The goal was to create relatively short, accessible texts that were also high quality scholarship for each of the major periods in Imperial chinese history. Mark Edward Lewis provides the first three. The series does not take the more direct route, that one would find in the Cambridge histories. Instead of narrative history, Lewis focuses on material culture, as well as legal, religious, and societal structures of the Qin/Han.

• China Between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties. Mark Edward Lewis: The second in the series picks up where Lewis left off, at the end of the Han. This volume covers the period between 220-618 CE. However, for those interested in narrative history, this book will disappoint. For those interested in the major changes and transformations that occurred in Chinese society at the time, this book will be greatly appreciated.

• China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty by Mark Edward Lewis: Divided between sections on history, geography, the economy, society, and culture, this book is comprehensive without being overloaded--whether your interests are agriculture, the status of women, or the nature of the poet in society you will find information here. It also does well at torpedoing national mythology.

• Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty by Charles Benn: Extremely accessible book that is based completely on secondary sources and cites other reference books. It is a very handy introductory primer to what life generally was like for the average Chinese person. While obviously focused on the Tang Dynasty, it is a solid place for a start as serious readers/history buffs can build off of this solid foundation as they research more on their own. It is a very light read compared to the more academic texts that I usually recommend but personally this one of my favorites.

• Imperial China: 900-1800 by F.W. Mote: a tremendous work of longue durée scholarship from one of the venerable old guard of American Sinology. This book is not only meticulously researched, but engagingly written. For narrative history of China, it is unparalleled.

• Family, Fields and Ancestors by Eastman (1988) - a detailed study of the life of rural Chinese farmers in Qing China, and how little life had changed through war and revolution into the 20th century.

• Confucian China and its Modern Fate, vol. 1 by Levenson (1958) - focuses on the Confucian intellectuals who were, by training and temperament, completely unable to confront the threat posed by the West.

Late Imperial to Modern China

• Origins of the Boxer Uprising by Esherick (1987) - contra popular belief, the Boxer Uprising was neither a cult nor a rebellion, but rather a mass movement centered around Shandong that combined separate strains of vigilantism, anti-imperialism, shamanism and the Chinese theater.

• Reform and Revolution in China, by Esherick (1976) - focuses on the causes of the 1911 revolution, including the new intellectual and social elite who were distinct from the gentry but not what we would call bourgeois. During this time nationalism, feminism, anti-conformist youth movements and Westernization flourished, but in discarding so much of traditional China the new urban elite became unable to relate to the needs of the rest of the country, setting the stage for the success of communism and the end of all of these trends.

• Sun Yat Sen by Bergere (1998) - an authoritative portrait of the only man revered by both the Nationalists and Communists as a Founding Father of modern China.

• The Abortive Revolution by Eastman (1974) - an autopsy of the Guomandong nationalists under Chiang Kai-sheck, from their insular, inefficient bureaucracy, inability to understand why the communists were so popular to their brief dabbling with fascist dictatorship.

• Making Revolution by Chen (1986) - a history of the Communist Party in China from their guerrilla tactics against the Japanese to the Cultural Revolution.

• The Search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence. It's a pretty good overview that starts with the Ming and goes through the late 1980s. Covers all the bases. Nothing is covered in exceptional depth (with a subject like China it rarely can be in a single book) but for a general idea of recent Chinese history it's more than adequate. Also, a very readable book.

• The Party by Richard McGregor: Never before has there been such an amazing in depth look at the inner workings of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) before the publishing of this book. McGregor's work was cut out for him because the CCP is probably one of the most secretive political regimes ever. Most Chinese people don't even know how many departments and adminstrative bodies there are, or which ones belong to the 'government' and which belong to the Party. McGregor dives deep and brings up a treasure trove of knowledge about the mechanics of the strange political system where the Party is the government while pretending not to be, putting faces to names and names to faces, and the corruption that runs to the very core of the system. He provides history and analysis while his masterful writing prevents it all from burying the reader. If you get only one book from this list THIS IS THE BOOK THAT YOU SHOULD READ. Truly, an amazing book that I simply cannot put down.

• Chen Village by Chan, Madsen and Unger (2nd ed. 2009). This is a beautiful book that traces the life and growth of a village in Southeast China through the entirety of the communist revolution until 2009. Its ambition is incredible, and its execution satisfies its aims. It is effectively an anthropological ethnography written by historians, and the work reflects some of the best of both disciplines. Rarely have I felt as connected to historical characters as I have in learning of the exploits of low-level, unimportant peasant officials in Chen Village. This book communicates the trends in political and social change in China in the last 60 years in a way that is hard to replicate from pure analysis.

• Chinese Village, Socialist State by Friedman, Pickowitz and Selden (1993) - the first Western social scientists to collect data from the People's Republic of China, focusing on rural Hebei province, south of Beijing. Starting at the "honeymoon period" after the Communists took power, the authors focus their criticism on how Party edicts led to stagnation and immiseration for the villages, creating essentially a neo-feudal order.

• China's Rise in Historical Perspective edited by Brantly Womack: If anyone is seriously interested in what trends have shaped the current Chinese political landscape, this is the book to read. The perspectives of the contributors are diverse, and so are the topics covered, which include religious cosmology, identity crises in wake of the revolution, ecological issues, and international relations.

• Taiwan-China: A Most Ticklish Standoff- edited by Adam W. Clarke. Besides having the most fantastic name of any academic work on the subject I've seen, this book provides a survey of the triangle of relationships between the US, China and Taiwan through a mixture of excerpts from declassified/public primary sources and academic analysis.

• US Taiwan Strait Policy: The Origins of Strategic Ambiguity by Dean P. Chen. It provides a fantastic summary of the US approach toward China in regards to the Taiwan issue, and is the first major book to do so in regards to the Obama administration's policies. However, certainly not for casual reading. This is an academic analysis of the policy making process, and is making an argument for how to conduct US policy into the future. But in the course of its analysis it provides a fantastic history of the relationship between the US and the Taiwan issue.

• Managing Sino-American Crises: Case Studies and Analysis edited by Michael Swaine and Zhang Tuosheng. Pretty much THE book on the issue. By far the most extensive analysis of crisis behavior by China and America during Sino-American crises. Begins with the post-WWII period, and continues to 2006.

• Charm Offensive by Joshua Kurlantzick: An excellent history and analysis of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) international politics, plays in the geopolitical arena, and how foreign policy affects domestic policy as well as vice versa. It is a concise and thorough introduction to the PRC's commitment to the 'soft power' grand strategy, and a must read for any student of the PRC's foreign policy history.

Material Culture

• Chinese Ceramics: From the Paleolithic Period through the Qing Dynasty by Laurie Barnes et al: This incredible work not only talks about porcelain and other Chinese pottery, which are all exquisite, but also its impact on culture, life, trade, and politics. It is an extremely good book for general Chinese history as well as an in depth look at Chinese art over the centuries, which relates heavily to Chinese cultural, philosophical and religious thought, all through the lens of pottery.

Taiwan

• Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan by Jonathan Manthorpe - A solid review of the past 400 years of Taiwanese history from European colonialism and native settlements up through Ming and Qing era Chinese presence on the island and through to modern democracy.

Japan

• The Economic Aspects of the History of the Civilization of Japan by Takekoshi Yosaburou: Exhaustive in its breadth and scope, it covers the economics of Japan throughout the centuries. A monstrous book filled with more numbers, names, places, and dates than one could ever hope to find in one consolidated text, this is everything you ever wanted to know about Japanese money, economics, and value and more. I recently went back to this monster of a book to fulfill a request to find out what the koku(measure of wealth) value of all the individual Japanese provinces were. Sure enough, it was only a matter of picking out the relevant statistics and information, compiling and a short outing with the calculator and BAM. Incredible resource for the impact of money on salaries, prices, access to goods by various people of society, etc. Simply amazing.

Pre-Modern

• Japan Emerging edited by Karl Friday - This is a general survey, with each chapter written by a specialist on a particular period or subject. It covers from prehistory to 1850 and is strongest in the Ancient/Classical and Late Medieval periods. This is an excellent book for getting into Japanese history.

• Rethinking Japanese History by Yoshihiko Amino - This book reconsiders topics in premodern Japanese history like outcasts, non-agrarian production and taxation, and Japan's position in the East Asian sphere. This is a must read for anyone interested in premodern Japan but does require some background knowledge.

• State of War by Thomas Conlan - This is an in depth study of warfare in the fourteenth century conflicts between the Northern and Southern Courts. It covers topics like weapons and tactics, alliances, and the politics and religion involved in warfare.

• The Historical Demography of Pre-Modern Japan by Hayami - the author tracks Edo-period population fluctuations. Contra the picture of Tokugawa shogunate as a stable regime with a stagnant population size, Hayami focuses on the long-term trends that set up the explosive growth in the 19th century.

• The Green Archipelago by Conrad Totman (1998) - By the late 1600s, Japan was on the brink of ecological collapse. Overpopulation and deforestation had nearly stripped the country of trees, and it was very possible the Japanese islands could have ended up like modern-day Haiti or Madagascar, denuded and impoverished. Yet changes in Edo-period environmental policy and philosophy transformed the archipelago's land managament from largely exploitative to regenerative, and consequently today Japan is, in the author's words, "one great forest preserve". This book tells that story.

• The Conquest of Ainu Lands by Walker (2001) - a history of the colonial expansion of ethnic Japanese ("wajin") north into the island we now call Hokkaido, and the impact of war, famine and disease on the aboriginal inhabitants they conquered and assimilated.

Modern

• The Japanese Discovery of Europe by Keene - studies the technology and modern ideas slowly flowing into the Tokugawa shogunate from Dutch trade, and the small group of scholars who laid the earliest foundations of Japan's modernization in the 18th century.

• As We Saw Them by Masao Miyoshi is a highly readable account of the first Japanese mission to the west. It offers an interesting reversal of the typical narrative of Westerners observing inscrutable "Orientals." (1860)

• Civilization and Monsters by Gerald Figal: an academic book, but extremely readable (in my opinion- the one amazon reviewer disagrees). Its central thesis that discourse on monsters, ghosts, the supernatural was central to the formation of modern Japan is surprisingly innovative, and fun to read. (Meiji period)

• Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-era Japan by Dan Free: Surprisingly enough, is not just a book on trains. It is definitely a must read for studies on the Meiji Period and the development going on at the time. It details the massive influx of modern technologies that various Japanese companies were more than happy to incorporate and invest resources into.

• The Making of Modern Japan by Marius Jansen: This is the definitive work of modern era Japan. Jansen's work is a chronicle of not just the rise of railroads, of factories, the modern firearm, electricity and gas, the telegraph, milk!, and other interesting developments of early modern Japan. He gives background, history, cultural and political analysis, event and timeline breakdowns and more. An expansive work that takes the reader through decades upon decades of Japanese development and progress that happened at break neck speeds, but can now be looked at retrospectively at our leisure, guided by Jansen's steady hand.

• Inventing Japan by Ian Buruma: This is essentially an extremely succinct look at the changes and developments Japan went through, and its metamorphosis as a nation as it moved from the 19th century into the 20th. This book is seriously tiny, a slip of a book and you could breeze through it in one sitting but its depth of content is surprising for its deceptively small size. I highly recommend this book as a solid introduction, a way to get your foot in the door of the maze that is early modern Japanese history.

• Rearranging the Landscape of the Gods by Sarah Thal: Nominally this work is about the Konpira Shrine and its changes from the late Sengoku to the modern world. But it goes far deeper, and provides a vivid illustration of the extraordinary changes in Japanese socity, particularly during the tumultuous times after the Meiji Restoration.

• A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon

• Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman, and the Surrender of Japan (2006) by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa: An influential book looking at the US, Soviet, and Japanese actions in the final days of World War II. Hasegawa shows that within both the US and the Japanese commands, there were deep divisions about how the end of the war should be handled. Hasegawa further argues that the Soviet declaration of war against Japan, and subsequent invasion of Manchuria, was more influential on the eventual Japanese decision for unconditional surrender than were the use of the atomic bombs.

Postwar

• America's Geisha Ally by Naoko Shibusawa Is a very readable account of the cultural and media politics of the US occupation of Japan. It examines the transformation of Japan from implacable enemy to "geisha ally" in US eyes, and in doing so, explains much of Japan's current relationship with the US. (US occupation of Japan)

• Embracing Defeat by John Dower: The benchmark book on immediate postwar culture in Japan. It is a bit more readable than War Without Mercy. (Immediate Post-WWII)

• Minamata: Pollution and the Struggle for Democracy in Postwar Japan by Timothy S. George (2001) - Covers the political and social dimensions of the Shin Nihon Chisso Corporation's dumping of organic mercury in and around Minamata, leading to two decades of horrific human misery during Japan's postwar "economic miracle".

Korea

South Korea

• The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies by Michael Breen: This is the primer for all things South Korean history during the 20th century. Starting with the history and effects of the long embedded Japanese occupation, then moving through the Korean War, the rebuilding, the Korean economic development and social & political upheaval, the Seoul Olympics which was instrumental to South Korea's rise to the global stage, and North & South relations through out. A must read.

• The History of Korea by Djun Kil Kim - An overview of the history of the Korean peninsula from the earliest known inhabitants to the start of the 21st century. Clearly written and generally free of bias. A very good comprehensive introduction to the history of the Koreas.

North Korea

• Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty by Bradley K. Martin (2006). An excellent general history of Korea under the Japanese empire, Kim il-Sung's life and rise to power, and how the North Korean government developed the way it did. There's also a lot of insight here into the Western academy's problems assembling a decent body of research on the country during the Cold War, and how the works that do exist are often intensely political.

• The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Chol Hwan-Kang and Pierre Rigoulout (2000). A firsthand account of a Japanese-Korean family's experience in North Korea and its time in the Yodok concentration camp. The book's publication is one of the more under-appreciated reasons for the U.S.' (and more broadly, the West's) increasing focus on humanitarian issues in North Korea. A picture of Chol Hwan-Kang's visit to the White House and meeting with Bush was rumored to have found wide circulation in the North Korean government.

• The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters by B.R. Myers (2010). An exhaustive examination of the history of postwar North Korean propaganda, and how it's developed and changed to reflect the Kim regime's priorities and politics.

• North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea by Andrei Lankov (2007). Lankov saw the last of the "Soviet years" in North Korea as an exchange student, and is one of the very rare people to lend the Russian perspective on NK in the Western press. The book is a collection of articles that were initially published for the Korea Times. Topics range from matters as large as Soviet-North Korean relations to things as small as the Kim il-Sung pins that the population must wear.

• A Year in Pyongyang by Andrew Holloway (written 1988, published online 2002). A firsthand account of life as an expat in North Korea's capital, written by a Brit who was employed for a year as an editor for the government's English-language propaganda and marketing. A strange work, sometimes more valuable for historiographical than historical reasons in its degree of insight into how little Westerners knew of North Korea even while living there, but Holloway still made a number of observations that, with the benefit of later works, we now know to be correct. Lankov's years in North Korea immediately predate Holloway's; both the similarities and differences are instructive.

• Famine in North Korea: Markets, Aid, and Reform by Stephen Haggard and Marcus Noland (2009). A statistical study written by the editor of the Journal of East Asian Studies and economist respectively of how and when the North Korean famine started, its effect on the country's population, and the impact of the private markets that sprang up after the collapse of the country's Public Distribution System. A very interesting comparative read to the accounts given in Barbara Demick and Bradley Martin's books; Haggard and Noland argue that the famine's origins lie in 1988 with the impending collapse of the Soviet Union (and thus North Korea's source of cheap fertilizer, oil, and gas). North Korean defectors in Demick and Martin's accounts all tend to say that was when the Public Distribution System began shortchanging their families.

• Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights into North Korea by Stephen Haggard and Marcus Noland (2011). Another statistical study collected among North Korean refugees in both northeastern China and in South Korea. It examines refugees' various reasons for defecting, the ebb and flow in the ease of leaving the country, China's efforts both to repatriate North Koreans and to classify them as "economic refugees" to avoid international legal trouble, and refugees' fate once safely in South Korea. A very troubling read, insofar as the authors admit that the number of problems that South Korea has trying to integrate the relatively small population of North Koreans right now is a sign of much worse things to come should the Kim regime ever collapse.

• Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (2010). A National Book Award finalist and deserving of all the accolades it's received. Demick was a Los Angeles Times reporter assigned to the Seoul bureau who spent most of her time interviewing a wide variety of North Korean defectors about their lives in the country, and how/why they left. If Famine in North Korea: Markets, Aids, and Reform is the macro-level view of post-Cold War North Korean society, this is the micro-level view. Haggard and Noland will tell you decreasing fertilizer imports that killed North Korean agriculture: Demick will tell you about the hungry kid who lined up multiple times to "mourn" Kim il-Sung because the authorities were handing out free rice balls to mourners.

• The North Korean Economy by Nicholas Eberstadt: Focusing on the economic history of North Korea, this text, in my opinion, is essential to understanding how the North started so strong but is today, practically a failed state. Eberstadt worked tirelessly to check and recheck, then check again all of his numbers because North Korea is notorious for inflating or deflating numbers as they see fit so much that often the records that they present to the outside world cannot be trusted, nor can they be verified. The economics of the North affected every other aspect of life in the North, as well as shaping its political, domestic, and foreign policy because of necessity. The extensive and easily digested statistics, often presented in text and reinforced visually with many graphs, tables and charts, give credence to the analysis of the two Koreas by Eberstadt, starting from the division in 1950 all the way to today.

Mongolia

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford: An nice introduction, entertaining, interesting and good for history geeks and the general population. However there are some misrepresentations that the author makes, so follow it up by reading some criticism to see what he got wrong e.g. bad translation. However the main issue is in placing so much emphasis on the positive aspects of the Mongols, partly as a counter to their usual bad press, the reader risks coming away with a somewhat distorted impression of the Mongol Empire.

The Mongols by David Morgan: Absolutely standard text in the field. Gives an excellent grounding in the history of the Mongol Empire, although it is strongest when discussing Ilkhanate (A Mongol successor state based around Iran). Ideally read the second edition, his views evolved substantially between the first and second publication, he explains how and why his views have changed on the Mongol administration.

Genghis Khan and Mongol Rule by George Lane: This book examines the entire Mongol Empire but its real strength lies in its examination the Ilkhanate, especially the early period. It's best read after David Morgan's book as much of that work is a direct challenge to Morgan's theories, so it's good to know what he's challenging. Amusingly this guy was David Morgan's student, and his book is heavily based on the PHD he submitted to him.

Culture and Conquest in Mongol Eurasia by Thomas T. Allsen: Be warned this book is very dry, mainly of interest to someone who already knows a fair amount about the Mongols. It basically takes an in depth look at the the exchange of goods, ideas and people between Yuan China and the Ilkhanate (based in Iran), two states ruled by Mongol dynasties descended from Genghis Khan. It's fantastically detailed, or horrifically detailed depending on perspective, and provides an unparalleled examination of exactly what was and wasn't transferred by the Mongols, the agency by which things were transferred and how much influence these new ideas, goods, etc, had.

The Mongol Conquests in World History by Timothy May: Another excellent introductory text, more detailed than Morgan. Also provides the best clarification of the unholy mess that is terminology in early Mongol government. If that makes it seem dry let me assure you the book isn't, it very readable and very well informed.

Singapore

• English in Singapore by Lisa Lim et al: Discussion of the evolution of the English language in Singapore after independence, related domestic policy, how it affects education, social movements and chances, and even how it affects foreign policy and international standing in economics and business. It also gives a solid history on the developments of Singapore's economy and political system. Awesome read.

Tibet and Bhutan

The Story of Tibet by Thomas Laird with the Dalai Lama XIV: This is the beginner book on Tibetan history Thomas Laird is a journalist who was familiar with H.H. the Dalai Lama when he decided to write a "popular history" of Tibet compounding his own research with the Dalai Lama's own stories of Tibetan history that the latter learned while growing up in the Potala Palace. This book is a good start historically because it introduces you to the names of all the big players - Songtsen Gampo, Milarepa, Tsongkhapa, etc. - without being overwhelming by naming all of the small players either. It also has fairly detailed maps. Since half of the book is done via interview with H.H., it's also a primer on Tibetan Buddhist religion, culture, and perspective on reincarnation.

Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama by Alexander Norman: This is a little more complex of a work than "The Story." They both tell the same history of Tibet, but "Secret Lives" goes over a more in depth and detailed account, giving you the names of the small players that Laird leaves out. Norman also uses European sources taking note of their interesting perspective and making sure to point out where they were wrong in their analyses.

The Fourteen Dalai Lamas by Glenn H. Mullin: Though narrower in scope than either Laird or Norman's work, this book is incredibly detailed. Mullin is fluent in Tibetan and will translate some of the Dalai Lamas' works in their entirety, and has access to records most English readers will never have. It's also really incredible to have access to the Dalai Lamas' search records, the inner workings of their courts, and detailed accounts of their lives and teachings which you will not find in the above books. The main problem with this book is that Mullin doesn't work at all to hide his spiritual preferences. I.e. he's a Tibetan Buddhist and while his academic information is well researched and cited, he lets his religious leanings color some of the writing.

The Kingdom at the Centre of the World by Omair Ahmad: This book gives you a lot of good information on Pre-1800 Bhutan, going over accounts of Songtsen Gampo's temple building, of the various Kagyu saints that traversed the area, and how Bhutan was connected to the modern world way sooner than we all think. But it's main goal is to explain the Nepali crisis that began in the '90s and continues to this day. To explain this, Ahmad's work is very well-researched and his analysis is spot-on. Aside from this analysis, Ahmad's work is a lot like "The Story of Tibet," it's a good primer on Bhutanese history but not very detailed (until the 1800s).

The History of Bhutan by Karma Phuntsho: This is an in depth look in Bhutanese society and history coming from one of the country's premier academics. It begins with all of the information on Bhutan's languages, people, and names for their country before going into the beginnings of recorded history in the 700s going to the present day. Most histories of Bhutan gloss over the period from 1705 (the reveal of the Zhabdrung's death) to 1907 (the establishment of the monarchy), with a brief detailed interlude in 1864 (the Duar War). Phuntsho's work goes into this long period of disunity and even covers some of the monarchy's failures in the 20th Century (though not quite as detailed as we would all like, this is probably a matter of self-preservation).

Unbecoming Citizens by Michael Hutt: This is the definitive, most detailed work analyzing the causes, conditions, and happenings of the Nepali crisis in the '90s, starting with their first migration to the Himalayan low-lands in the 19th Century to their refugee status today.

Bhutan: The Dragon Kingdom in Crisis by Nari Rustomji: It's a first hand account of a particularly dark period of Bhutan's history. Unfortunately, not a lot of information exists on the assassination of Prime Minister Jigmie Dorji, so this is the most detailed work out there (though it's not without its biases sine Rustomji was a close friend of Jigmie Dorji).

Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer: Probably the most famous book regarding Tibet. This is a first-hand account of Tibet in the 1940s and '50s which is a very unique look compared to the books listed above. Harrer was not an academic or a Tibetologist, merely a mountain climber who was caught in the drama of World War II and tried to escape his captors through Tibet. The war ends before he leaves Tibet and he even gives the reader an on-the-ground look at the beginning of the Chinese invasion.

Dragon in the Land of Snows by Tsering Shakya: A frighteningly detailed history of Tibet since 1947. Shakya is an Oxford educated historian who sought to find the truth about his homeland since the Chinese invaded and muddled the relationship between the two. Shakya, though Tibetan, does well sifting through conflicting sources to paint an intimate picture of modern Tibet. Compared to his contemporaries, Shakya's account is extremely balanced: he is quick to note when the Tibetans were foolish or rash, and when the Chinese were legitimately well intentioned.

The Struggle for Tibet by Wang Lixiong and Tsering Shakya: "Dragon in the Land of Snows" goes up to the early '90s. This book covers both historic perspectives on the Chinese invasion, what followed, and how Tibetan society is today. The book is really a conversation between two scholars - one Chinese, one Tibetan - on what should be done with Tibet and why. While the information and reasoning goes back into history, the focus of the book covers what happened to cause the 2008 Unrest focused around the Beijing Olympics. Shakya and Lixiong are liberals in both of their circles but still differ on their perspectives over Tibet.