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Book cover of Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground

Van Wangye Author Of Wildlife of the South China Sea

From my list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in Singapore to a traditional Chinese medicine trade family in the early 80s, during a period when Singapore was still not a rich country nor a trading hub. As I became an adult, I had experience in the left wing of NGOs and charities and also the right wing in the government sector on cold strict laws controlling wildlife, wildlife management, the Ministry of Education in illustrating for educational materials, etc. I faced radical left environmental extremism before and also extreme right capitalists. This gives me a more well-balanced way of absorbing both left and right, to write my book in a more down-to-earth, neutral tone. 

Van's book list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics

Van Wangye Why Van loves this book

This book covers mainly the Vietnam side of the South China Sea and its issues of economic or cultural conflict with China. It is very detailed and tackles a wide range of serious issues. It’s a deep ocean that is not suitable for younger readers but for hardcore readers who have an interest in the tension between Vietnam and China concerning the South China Sea.

The book is one of those in which the author drew some information from the Vietnam side of the South China Sea and then rewrote and represented it for a younger audience.

By James Borton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dispatches from the South China Sea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The impact of continuous coastal development, reclamation, destruction of corals, overfishing and increased maritime traffic places all of us on the front lines of preserving our oceans. Marine biologists, who share a common language that cuts across political, economic and social differences, recognize that the sea's remarkable coral reefs, which provide food, jobs and protection against storms and floods, have suffered unprecedented rates of destruction in recent decades.


Dispatches from the South China Sea's blend of participatory research and field reportage paves the way for a transformation of policy and, provides a basis for the eventual resolution of some of…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Water World

Van Wangye Author Of Wildlife of the South China Sea

From my list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in Singapore to a traditional Chinese medicine trade family in the early 80s, during a period when Singapore was still not a rich country nor a trading hub. As I became an adult, I had experience in the left wing of NGOs and charities and also the right wing in the government sector on cold strict laws controlling wildlife, wildlife management, the Ministry of Education in illustrating for educational materials, etc. I faced radical left environmental extremism before and also extreme right capitalists. This gives me a more well-balanced way of absorbing both left and right, to write my book in a more down-to-earth, neutral tone. 

Van's book list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics

Van Wangye Why Van loves this book

This is a beautifully laid-out big book full of realistically painted marine creatures. In addition, the illustrations are similar to the author's (Van’s) style. This gave the author a beautiful blend of realistic paintings and shorter, simpler writing. This led to Van’s book layout on his text and pictures having a great influence on his book.

The book's writing style is short, simple, yet informative.

By Ben Rothery ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Water World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Water World is the stunning new book from Ben Rothery, author of Hidden Planet and Sensational Butterflies.

Life on Earth is shaped by water, and only survives here because of it, but our ocean ecosystems are at the epicentre of global warming. Framed by the need to protect our oceans, Water World is natural-history illustrator Ben Rothery's rich exploration of the creatures from the coastal and offshore waters of the world - from penguins, seagulls, polar bears and seahorses, to plankton, sharks and deep-sea beings.

Discover the longest migration and the loudest animal on Earth, and learn how our own…


Book cover of Marine Food Fishes and Fisheries of Sabah

Van Wangye Author Of Wildlife of the South China Sea

From my list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in Singapore to a traditional Chinese medicine trade family in the early 80s, during a period when Singapore was still not a rich country nor a trading hub. As I became an adult, I had experience in the left wing of NGOs and charities and also the right wing in the government sector on cold strict laws controlling wildlife, wildlife management, the Ministry of Education in illustrating for educational materials, etc. I faced radical left environmental extremism before and also extreme right capitalists. This gives me a more well-balanced way of absorbing both left and right, to write my book in a more down-to-earth, neutral tone. 

Van's book list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics

Van Wangye Why Van loves this book

This is a rare book that we won't get to see published nowadays. Van drew a lot of information about the food cultures, cuisine, and fisheries on the Sabah side of the South China Sea.

If read carefully, it also gives a glimpse into the Borneo side of the South China Sea and its neighboring region.

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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Seaweeds of the World

Van Wangye Author Of Wildlife of the South China Sea

From my list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in Singapore to a traditional Chinese medicine trade family in the early 80s, during a period when Singapore was still not a rich country nor a trading hub. As I became an adult, I had experience in the left wing of NGOs and charities and also the right wing in the government sector on cold strict laws controlling wildlife, wildlife management, the Ministry of Education in illustrating for educational materials, etc. I faced radical left environmental extremism before and also extreme right capitalists. This gives me a more well-balanced way of absorbing both left and right, to write my book in a more down-to-earth, neutral tone. 

Van's book list on seeing the South China Sea beyond geopolitics

Van Wangye Why Van loves this book

A lavishly illustrated book. Books about coastal plants are hard to find. Seaweed is such a diverse species and is commonly eaten, yet not many books are published about it.

This book is a treasure to Van for his compilation of his own book. The information in the book also shares beyond just the ecology but also its cultural and economic importance, which Van took reference in his book’s compilation.

By John H. Bothwell ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Seaweeds of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A lavishly illustrated guide to the seaweed families of the world

Seaweeds are astoundingly diverse. They're found along the shallows of beaches and have been recorded living at depths of more than 800 feet; they can be microscopic or grow into giants many meters long. They're incredibly efficient at using the materials found in the ocean and are increasingly used in the human world, in applications from food to fuel. They're beautiful, too, with their undulating shapes anchored to the sea floor or drifting on the surface. Seaweeds aren't plants: they're algae, part of a huge and largely unfamiliar group…


Book cover of Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power

Burnaby Hawkes Author Of The Haze

From my list on understanding modern Asia.

Why am I passionate about this?

Hawkes (MD, BScN, MGA) is a novelist, YouTuber, and former analyst for the NATO Association of Canada. His writings have appeared in Heater, The Raven Chronicles, ArabLit, and many other magazines and publications. His recent espionage novel, The Haze, is set in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Burnaby's book list on understanding modern Asia

Burnaby Hawkes Why Burnaby loves this book

Have you ever wondered what makes China “China”: why it is so confident about history, present, and foreseeable future? This book, written by competent NYT correspondent Howard W. French, sheds some light on the way Chinese leadership sees things from their own point of view. You will learn about the history of China, and how this relates to its flagrant ambitions for world domination. An invaluable unicorn in today’s book-publishing anti-intellectual crisis.

By Howard W. French ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Everything Under the Heavens as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A book of the year for The National.

An incisive investigation of China's ideological development as it becomes an ever more aggressive player in regional and global diplomacy.

For many years after Deng Xiaoping initiated the economic reforms that began in 1978 and led to its overtaking the USA as the world's economic powerhouse, China maintained an attitude of false modesty about its ambitions. That diffidence has now been set aside. China has asserted its place among the global heavyweights, revealing its plans for pan-Asian geopolitical dominance by building up its navy, fabricating new islands to support its territorial claims…


Book cover of China's Blue Economy: Evolution and Geostrategic Implications

James Borton Author Of Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground

From my list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer and waterman, I have traversed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, setting crab pots and communing with fellow watermen who share a deep love for the estuary. I honor their livelihoods by responsibly harvesting blue crabs and oysters. My field notes have taken me beyond the Chesapeake, onto Hilton Head shrimping boats, onto the oyster beds in Bull's Bay in South Carolina, and into the contested South China Sea aboard Vietnamese fishing trawlers.

James' book list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes

James Borton Why James loves this book

I recently finished reading this insightful book, which has helped me better understand the blue economy, how the US and China can both realize the potential of the ocean, and the geopolitical ramifications.

The competition between these two superpowers is deeply entrenched in ocean matters. Indeed, our planet is predominantly ocean, with more than two-thirds of its surface covered by the sea that serves as vital hubs for economic development, transportation, and resource extraction, as evident in the current race for seabed critical minerals and of course, seafood to feed the world population now approaching 9 billion. This book is an excellent textbook on the blue economy. 

By Kathleen A. Walsh ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked China's Blue Economy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The United States and China are each actively pursuing development of a Blue Economy to promote greater marine, maritime, and naval capabilities through more innovative, sustainable and environmentally friendly means. This book examines China's approach to developing a Blue Economy, compares China's efforts to developments in the United States, analyses prospects for cooperation, and competition, and outlines strategic implications arising from China's linkage of the Blue Economy development concept to its Maritime Silk Road initiative. An understanding of the Blue Economy as it is being pursued in China and the Indo-Pacific region is extremely relevant for academics, industry professionals, and…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of On Dangerous Ground: America's Century in the South China Sea

James Borton Author Of Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground

From my list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer and waterman, I have traversed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, setting crab pots and communing with fellow watermen who share a deep love for the estuary. I honor their livelihoods by responsibly harvesting blue crabs and oysters. My field notes have taken me beyond the Chesapeake, onto Hilton Head shrimping boats, onto the oyster beds in Bull's Bay in South Carolina, and into the contested South China Sea aboard Vietnamese fishing trawlers.

James' book list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes

James Borton Why James loves this book

In this book, Gregory B. Poling delves into the intricate and perilous maritime conflicts across the globe, particularly in the South China Sea, to assess US interests.

I like that his analysis spans over a century of American engagement in the region, spotlighting the convergence of these disputes with the enduring US advocacy for freedom of navigation and its evolving Asian alliance network. This sweeping historical narrative informs readers why this ocean matters to all Americans.

By Gregory B. Poling ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked On Dangerous Ground as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of China's New Navy: The Evolution of PLAN from the People's Revolution to a 21st Century Cold War

James Borton Author Of Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground

From my list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer and waterman, I have traversed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, setting crab pots and communing with fellow watermen who share a deep love for the estuary. I honor their livelihoods by responsibly harvesting blue crabs and oysters. My field notes have taken me beyond the Chesapeake, onto Hilton Head shrimping boats, onto the oyster beds in Bull's Bay in South Carolina, and into the contested South China Sea aboard Vietnamese fishing trawlers.

James' book list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes

James Borton Why James loves this book

The author’s first-hand interviews with the subjects, naval officers, crews, sailors, and naval pilots offered a front-row seat for me as a reader. Li brings China’s naval operations into a clear view and offers an insightful perspective on their navy’s operations in the South China Sea.

In short, he brings China’s naval history alive and offers us a better understanding of the current standoff between Washington and Beijing. I recommend it to anyone who wants a clear and unwavering picture of the evolving military balance in the Indo-Pacific region.

By Xiaobing Li ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked China's New Navy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A survey of Chinese naval operational history, Li's book focuses on the major battles and important engagements of more than 1,200 Chinese naval operations from 1949-2009, including the joint landing campaigns in the Taiwan Strait Crises, naval battles in the South China Sea, air defense against American pilots during Operation Rolling Thunder, and anti-piracy operations in Africa. His findings elucidate the origin of and changes of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) by examining its adaptation, modernization, and setbacks in the past sixty years.

Based upon newly available Chinese sources and personal interviews with retired generals, admirals, and PLA officers,…


Book cover of A Lady's Captivity Among Chinese Pirates: In the Chinese Seas

Larry Feign Author Of The Flower Boat Girl

From my list on Chinese pirates.

Why am I passionate about this?

For half my life I’ve lived on an island near Hong Kong, walking distance from former pirate havens. I made my career as a cartoonist and published numerous satirical books about Hong Kong and China. Recently, I've spent years deeply researching the pirates of the South China coast, which culminated in writing an utterly serious book about the most powerful pirate of all, a woman about whom the misinformation vastly outnumbers the facts. I made it my mission to discover the truth about her. The books on this list hooked me on Chinese pirates in the first place and are essential starting points for anyone prepared to have their imaginations hijacked by Chinese “froth floating on the sea”.

Larry's book list on Chinese pirates

Larry Feign Why Larry loves this book

In 1852 a young French woman set out on a round-the-world tour, stopping in Brazil and California before sailing to the young British colony of Hong Kong. Her return vessel to San Francisco was damaged in a typhoon, then hijacked by pirates. She chronicles in effervescent detail her treatment by the pirates, both callous and kind, offering a rare glimpse of Chinese pirate life. The original French edition was a big hit and soon translated into other languages. In the spirit of other 19th century travelogues, this book transports the reader in exquisite detail to many colorful and exotic far-off places, but the highlight is her engaging account of the terrors and discoveries of her captivity on the South China Sea. For the serious researcher, it offers a wealth of rare details of shipboard and captive life.

By Fanny Loviot , Alex Struik (illustrator) , Amelia B. Edwards (translator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Lady's Captivity Among Chinese Pirates as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On the 4th of October 1854, a Chilian ship, called the 'Caldera,' sailed from the port of Hong-Kong and was grounded by stress of weather amid a group of islets lying to the south-west of Macao. One Mademoiselle Fanny Loviot, a young French lady, happened to be on board. The pirates took her prisoner, as well as a Chinese merchant, who was her fellow-passenger, and sent on the captain to Hong-Kong, to treat for a double ransom. This is her story.


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia

James Borton Author Of Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground

From my list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer and waterman, I have traversed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, setting crab pots and communing with fellow watermen who share a deep love for the estuary. I honor their livelihoods by responsibly harvesting blue crabs and oysters. My field notes have taken me beyond the Chesapeake, onto Hilton Head shrimping boats, onto the oyster beds in Bull's Bay in South Carolina, and into the contested South China Sea aboard Vietnamese fishing trawlers.

James' book list on dive deeply into the South China Sea territorial disputes

James Borton Why James loves this book

Bill Hayton’s book helped guide me into this theme of the significant value and importance of the South China Sea. He offered a comprehensive historical narrative of the region from ancient times to the early 2010s while scrupulously outlining the territorial disputes and power struggles it has fostered.

His use of academic sources and journalistic articles was most readable. As a journalist, I welcomed his non-wonkish writing style and digressions on key actors in the unfolding dramas playing out in real-time on the ocean. I also met the author at several South China Sea conferences, and his open style and manner reflected in person were also present in his narrative. 

By Bill Hayton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The South China Sea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why the world can't afford to be indifferent to the simmering conflict in the South China Sea

"The greatest risk today in U.S.-Chinese relations is the South China Sea, through which passes 40% of world trade. . . . Hayton explains how this all came about and points to the growing risks of miscalculation and escalation."-Daniel Yergin, Wall Street Journal

China's rise has upset the global balance of power, and the first place to feel the strain is Beijing's back yard: the South China Sea. For decades tensions have smoldered in the region, but today the threat of a direct…


Book cover of Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground
Book cover of Water World
Book cover of Marine Food Fishes and Fisheries of Sabah

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