Rakuten Kobo

A Writer at War

A Soviet Journalist with the Red Army, 1941-1945

by Vasily Grossman ...

When the Germans invaded Russia in 1941, Vasily Grossman became a special correspondent for the Red Star, the Soviet Army's newspaper, and reported from the frontlines of the war. A Writer at War depicts in vivid detail the crushing conditions on the Eastern Front, and the lives and deaths of soldiers and civilians alike. Witnessing some of the most savage fighting of the war, Grossman saw ... Read more

Was $13.99 USD Now $1.99 USD

When the Germans invaded Russia in 1941, Vasily Grossman became a special correspondent for the Red Star, the Soviet Army's newspaper, and reported from the frontlines of the war. A Writer at War depicts in vivid detail the crushing conditions on the Eastern Front, and the lives and deaths of soldiers and civilians alike. Witnessing some of the most savage fighting of the war, Grossman saw
... Read more
China

A History

by John Keay ...

An authoritative account of five thousand years of Chinese history.**"Exquisitely written." —**GuardianMany nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. Taking into account the country's unrivaled, voluminous tradition of history writing, John Keay has composed a vital and illuminating overview of the nation's complex and vivid past.Keay's ... Read more

$16.99 USD

An authoritative account of five thousand years of Chinese history.**"Exquisitely written." —**GuardianMany nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. Taking into account the country's unrivaled, voluminous tradition of history writing, John Keay has composed a vital and illuminating overview of the nation's complex and vivid past.Keay's
... Read more
Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity

by Katherine Boo ...

**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE CENTURY • AN OPRAH DAILY BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE PAST TWO DECADES“Inspiring . . . extraordinary . . . [Katherine Boo] shows us how people in the most desperate ... Read more

Was $9.99 USD Now $1.99 USD

**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE CENTURY • AN OPRAH DAILY BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE PAST TWO DECADES“Inspiring . . . extraordinary . . . [Katherine Boo] shows us how people in the most desperate
... Read more
The Gates of Europe

A History of Ukraine

by Serhii Plokhy ...

A New York Times BestsellerThe definitive history of Ukraine from antiquity to today.**“An admirable new history.... In his elegant and careful exposition of Ukraine’s past, Mr. Plokhy has also provided some signposts to the future.” ―**EconomistAs Ukraine is embroiled in an ongoing struggle with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independen... ... Read more

$14.99 USD

A New York Times BestsellerThe definitive history of Ukraine from antiquity to today.**“An admirable new history.... In his elegant and careful exposition of Ukraine’s past, Mr. Plokhy has also provided some signposts to the future.” ―**EconomistAs Ukraine is embroiled in an ongoing struggle with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independen...
... Read more
The Jakarta Method

Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World

by Vincent Bevins ...

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, AND GQ“A radical new history of the United States abroad” (Wall Street Journal) which uncovers U.S. complicity in the mass-killings of left-wing activists in Indonesia, Latin America and around the worldIn 1965, the US government helped the Indonesian military kill approximately one million innocent civilians—eliminating the ... Read more

Was $14.99 USD Now $1.99 USD

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, AND GQ“A radical new history of the United States abroad” (Wall Street Journal) which uncovers U.S. complicity in the mass-killings of left-wing activists in Indonesia, Latin America and around the worldIn 1965, the US government helped the Indonesian military kill approximately one million innocent civilians—eliminating the
... Read more
Kingdom of Characters (Pulitzer Prize Finalist)

The Language Revolution That Made China Modern

by Jing Tsu ...

**PULITZER PRIZE FINALISTA New York Times Notable Book of 2022What does it take to reinvent a language?**After a meteoric rise, China today is one of the world’s most powerful nations. Just a century ago, it was a crumbling empire with literacy reserved for the elite few, as the world underwent a massive technological transformation that threatened to leave them behind. In Kingdom of Characters, ... Read more

$12.99 USD

**PULITZER PRIZE FINALISTA New York Times Notable Book of 2022What does it take to reinvent a language?**After a meteoric rise, China today is one of the world’s most powerful nations. Just a century ago, it was a crumbling empire with literacy reserved for the elite few, as the world underwent a massive technological transformation that threatened to leave them behind. In Kingdom of Characters,
... Read more
A Past Unearthed

Return of the Condor Heroes Volume 1

by Jin Yong ...

Translated by Gigi Chang ...

Series series Legends of the Condor Heroes
THE CHINESE "LORD OF THE RINGS" - NOW IN ENGLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME.THE SERIES EVERY CHINESE READER HAS BEEN ENJOYING FOR DECADES - 300 MILLION COPIES SOLD."Jin Yong's work, in the Chinese-speaking world, has a cultural currency roughly equal to that of "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" combined" New Yorker"If you haven't read Jin Yong's work, you haven't yet fully experienced the fantasy genre" ... Read more

$9.99 USD

THE CHINESE "LORD OF THE RINGS" - NOW IN ENGLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME.THE SERIES EVERY CHINESE READER HAS BEEN ENJOYING FOR DECADES - 300 MILLION COPIES SOLD."Jin Yong's work, in the Chinese-speaking world, has a cultural currency roughly equal to that of "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" combined" New Yorker"If you haven't read Jin Yong's work, you haven't yet fully experienced the fantasy genre"
... Read more
Korea

A History

by Eugene Y. Park ...

While popular trends, cuisine, and long-standing political tension have made Korea familiar in some ways to a vast English-speaking world, its recorded history of some two millennia remains unfamiliar to most. Korea: A History addresses general readers, providing an up-to-date, accessible overview of Korean history from antiquity to the present. Eugene Y. Park draws on original-language sources ... Read more

$28.99 USD

While popular trends, cuisine, and long-standing political tension have made Korea familiar in some ways to a vast English-speaking world, its recorded history of some two millennia remains unfamiliar to most. Korea: A History addresses general readers, providing an up-to-date, accessible overview of Korean history from antiquity to the present. Eugene Y. Park draws on original-language sources
... Read more
Tokyo Noir

in and out of Japan's underworld

by Jake Adelstein ...

A darkly comic sequel to Tokyo Vice that is equal parts history lesson, true-crime exposé, and memoir.It’s 2008, and it’s been a while since Jake Adelstein was the only gaijin crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun. The global economy is in shambles, Jake is off the police beat but still chain-smoking clove cigarettes, and Tadamasa Goto, the most powerful boss in the Japanese organised crime world ... Read more

$24.99 USD

A darkly comic sequel to Tokyo Vice that is equal parts history lesson, true-crime exposé, and memoir.It’s 2008, and it’s been a while since Jake Adelstein was the only gaijin crime reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun. The global economy is in shambles, Jake is off the police beat but still chain-smoking clove cigarettes, and Tadamasa Goto, the most powerful boss in the Japanese organised crime world
... Read more
Why Taiwan Matters

A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future

by Kerry Brown ...

Taiwan expert Kerry Brown sums up the history of Taiwan and the danger of a Chinese takeover in this succinct and authoritative book.When the bloody Chinese Civil War concluded in 1949, two Chinas were born. Mao’s Communists won and took China’s mainland; Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to Taiwan island. Since then, China and Taiwan have drifted into being separate political and cultural ... Read more

$15.99 USD

Taiwan expert Kerry Brown sums up the history of Taiwan and the danger of a Chinese takeover in this succinct and authoritative book.When the bloody Chinese Civil War concluded in 1949, two Chinas were born. Mao’s Communists won and took China’s mainland; Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to Taiwan island. Since then, China and Taiwan have drifted into being separate political and cultural
... Read more
Yakuza

A 400-Year History of the Japanese Underworld

by Andrew Rankin ...

The definitive history of Japanese organized crime, from its origins in samurai-era black markets and gambling rings to the shadowy syndicates of the present.“The best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject.” ―Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness“Gripping.” —Ian Buruma, New YorkerJapan’s gangster groups, known collectively a... ... Read more

$19.99 USD

The definitive history of Japanese organized crime, from its origins in samurai-era black markets and gambling rings to the shadowy syndicates of the present.“The best book in English on this fascinating and misunderstood subject.” ―Richard Lloyd Parry, author of People Who Eat Darkness“Gripping.” —Ian Buruma, New YorkerJapan’s gangster groups, known collectively a...
... Read more
Hojoki

Visions of a Torn World

by Kamo no Chomei ...

Series series Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature
A luminous translation of the classic Buddhist poem.Japan's capital city of Kyoto was devastated by earthquake, storm, and fire in the late 12th century. Retreating from "this unkind world," the poet and Buddhist priest Kamo-no-Chomei left the capital for the forested mountains, where he eventually constructed his famous "ten-foot-square" hut.From this solitary vantage point Chomei produced Hojoki ... Read more

$7.99 USD

A luminous translation of the classic Buddhist poem.Japan's capital city of Kyoto was devastated by earthquake, storm, and fire in the late 12th century. Retreating from "this unkind world," the poet and Buddhist priest Kamo-no-Chomei left the capital for the forested mountains, where he eventually constructed his famous "ten-foot-square" hut.From this solitary vantage point Chomei produced Hojoki
... Read more
Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader

North Korea and the Kim Dynasty

by Bradley K. Martin ...

Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader offers in-depth portraits of North Korea's two ruthless and bizarrely Orwellian leaders, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. Lifting North Korea's curtain of self-imposed isolation, this book will take readers inside a society, that to a Westerner, will appear to be from another planet. Subsisting on a diet short on food grains and long on lies, North Koreans ... Read more

Was $12.99 USD Now $2.99 USD

Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader offers in-depth portraits of North Korea's two ruthless and bizarrely Orwellian leaders, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. Lifting North Korea's curtain of self-imposed isolation, this book will take readers inside a society, that to a Westerner, will appear to be from another planet. Subsisting on a diet short on food grains and long on lies, North Koreans
... Read more
Nathaniel's Nutmeg

Or, The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History

by Giles Milton ...

"An exciting account of the dangerous voyages, bizarre transactions, and desperate battles of the spice wars." — The Washington PostA true tale of high adventure in the South Seas.The tiny island of Run is an insignificant speck in the Indonesian archipelago. Just two miles long and half a mile wide, it is remote, tranquil, and, these days, largely ignored.Yet 370 years ago, Run's harvest of ... Read more

$14.99 USD

"An exciting account of the dangerous voyages, bizarre transactions, and desperate battles of the spice wars." — The Washington PostA true tale of high adventure in the South Seas.The tiny island of Run is an insignificant speck in the Indonesian archipelago. Just two miles long and half a mile wide, it is remote, tranquil, and, these days, largely ignored.Yet 370 years ago, Run's harvest of
... Read more
Stalingrad

The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

by Antony Beevor ...

The Battle of Stalingrad was not only the psychological turning point of World War II: it also changed the face of modern warfare. From Antony Beevor, the internationally bestselling author of D-Day and The Battle of Arnhem.In August 1942, Hitler's huge Sixth Army reached the city that bore Stalin's name. In the five-month siege that followed, the Russians fought to hold Stalingrad at any cost; ... Read more

$9.99 USD

The Battle of Stalingrad was not only the psychological turning point of World War II: it also changed the face of modern warfare. From Antony Beevor, the internationally bestselling author of D-Day and The Battle of Arnhem.In August 1942, Hitler's huge Sixth Army reached the city that bore Stalin's name. In the five-month siege that followed, the Russians fought to hold Stalingrad at any cost;
... Read more
To Overthrow the World

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism

by Sean McMeekin ...

**From an award-winning historian, a new global history of Communism.“With vivid prose, McMeekin punctures many myths of communism … This is history as a warning.” —Washington Examiner**Winner of the Hayek Book PrizeWhen the USSR collapsed in 1991, the world was certain that Communism was dead. Today, three decades later, it is clear that it was not. While Russia may no longer be Communist, ... Read more

Was $19.99 USD Now $2.99 USD

**From an award-winning historian, a new global history of Communism.“With vivid prose, McMeekin punctures many myths of communism … This is history as a warning.” —Washington Examiner**Winner of the Hayek Book PrizeWhen the USSR collapsed in 1991, the world was certain that Communism was dead. Today, three decades later, it is clear that it was not. While Russia may no longer be Communist,
... Read more
Destiny Disrupted

A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

by Tamim Ansary ...

“A must read for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Islamic world” (San Francisco Chronicle)We in the West share a common narrative of world history. But our story largely omits a whole civilization whose citizens shared an entirely different narrative for a thousand years as the Islamic world saw it, from the time of Mohammed through the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the ... Read more

$15.99 USD

“A must read for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Islamic world” (San Francisco Chronicle)We in the West share a common narrative of world history. But our story largely omits a whole civilization whose citizens shared an entirely different narrative for a thousand years as the Islamic world saw it, from the time of Mohammed through the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the
... Read more
India

A History

by John Keay ...

The British historian and author of Into India delivers "a history that is intelligent, incisive, and eminently readable" ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review).Fully revised with forty thousand new words that take the reader up to present-day India, John Keay's India: A History spans five millennia in a sweeping narrative that tells the story of the peoples of the subcontinent, from their ancient ... Read more

$14.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

The British historian and author of Into India delivers "a history that is intelligent, incisive, and eminently readable" ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review).Fully revised with forty thousand new words that take the reader up to present-day India, John Keay's India: A History spans five millennia in a sweeping narrative that tells the story of the peoples of the subcontinent, from their ancient
... Read more
Rasputin

The Downfall of the Romanovs

by Antony Beevor ...

**“This story of credulous, out-of-touch monarchs steering their country into disaster never loses its sinister appeal.”—The New York Times"A beautifully written, clear-eyed biography of a very Russian tragedy.”—The Sunday TimesFrom one of our most acclaimed historians, a major new biography of one of history’s most disturbing, dubious masterminds, showing how a Siberian peasant, through his ... Read more

$14.99 USD

**“This story of credulous, out-of-touch monarchs steering their country into disaster never loses its sinister appeal.”—The New York Times"A beautifully written, clear-eyed biography of a very Russian tragedy.”—The Sunday TimesFrom one of our most acclaimed historians, a major new biography of one of history’s most disturbing, dubious masterminds, showing how a Siberian peasant, through his
... Read more
Russia

Revolution and Civil War, 1917-1921

by Antony Beevor ...

**“Riveting . . . There is a wealth of new information here that adds considerable texture and nuance to his story and helps to set Russia apart from previous works.”—The Wall Street JournalAn epic new account of the conflict that reshaped Eastern Europe and set the stage for the rest of the twentieth century.**Between 1917 and 1921 a devastating struggle took place in Russia following the ... Read more

$14.99 USD

**“Riveting . . . There is a wealth of new information here that adds considerable texture and nuance to his story and helps to set Russia apart from previous works.”—The Wall Street JournalAn epic new account of the conflict that reshaped Eastern Europe and set the stage for the rest of the twentieth century.**Between 1917 and 1921 a devastating struggle took place in Russia following the
... Read more
Musashi

An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

by Eiji Yoshikawa ...

Translated by Charles Terry ...

The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman.Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai—without really knowing what it meant—he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands ... Read more

$18.99 USD

The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman.Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai—without really knowing what it meant—he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands
... Read more
Imperial Twilight

The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age

by Stephen R. Platt ...

As China reclaims its position as a world power, Imperial Twilight looks back to tell the story of the country’s last age of ascendance and how it came to an end in the nineteenth-century Opium War.As one of the most potent turning points in the country’s modern history, the Opium War has since come to stand for everything that today’s China seeks to put behind it. In this dramatic, epic story, ... Read more

$13.99 USD

As China reclaims its position as a world power, Imperial Twilight looks back to tell the story of the country’s last age of ascendance and how it came to an end in the nineteenth-century Opium War.As one of the most potent turning points in the country’s modern history, the Opium War has since come to stand for everything that today’s China seeks to put behind it. In this dramatic, epic story,
... Read more
Russian History: A Very Short Introduction

A Very Short Introduction

by Geoffrey Hosking ...

Series series Very Short Introductions
Spanning the divide between Europe and Asia, Russia is a multi-ethnic empire with a huge territory, strategically placed and abundantly provided with natural resources. But Russia's territory has a harsh climate, is cut off from most maritime contact with the outside world, and has open and vulnerable land frontiers. It has therefore had to devote much of its wealth to the armed forces, and the ... Read more

$7.99 USD

Spanning the divide between Europe and Asia, Russia is a multi-ethnic empire with a huge territory, strategically placed and abundantly provided with natural resources. But Russia's territory has a harsh climate, is cut off from most maritime contact with the outside world, and has open and vulnerable land frontiers. It has therefore had to devote much of its wealth to the armed forces, and the
... Read more
India

A History

by John Keay ...

The most authoritative and highly regarded single-volume history of India – from ancient time to the modern day. Five millennia of the sub-continent’s social, economic, political and cultural history are interpreted by one of our finest writers on India and the Far East.India’s history begins with a highly advanced urban civilisation in the Indus valley, regressing to a tribal and pastoral ... Read more

$11.99 USD

The most authoritative and highly regarded single-volume history of India – from ancient time to the modern day. Five millennia of the sub-continent’s social, economic, political and cultural history are interpreted by one of our finest writers on India and the Far East.India’s history begins with a highly advanced urban civilisation in the Indus valley, regressing to a tribal and pastoral
... Read more

eReaders

Apps

Accessories

Shopping Cart

You're getting the VIP treatment!

Your Shopping Cart is empty

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Recommended For You

Asian eBooks

Show: