This page lists all recent China books, defined broadly as any English-language book on or from China that was published by a reputable house in the last year. We update this list every other Thursday. We aim to be comprehensive, but if we have missed a book, please contact us with the publisher link. The categories below are designed to present a large quantity of books by broad groupings, not as a perfect classification. Blurbs by Taili Ni, Olivia Bennett and Kaitlyn Wells.
Most recent
The Chinese Art of Tea
(Routledge Revivals)
John Blofeld
An exploration into the history of tea and the Chinese art of tea, known as ch'a-shu
Buy
Leftover Women (10th anniversary edition)
The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China
Leta Hong Fisher
An account of systemic gender inequality in contemporary China, with a new preface on policy, activism and state behavior under Xi Jinping
Buy
Elgar Companion to Managing People Across the Asia-Pacific
An Organizational Psychology Approach
Ed. Eddy S. Ng, Jonathan E. Ramsay, K. Thirumaran, Jacob Wood
A political study that offers comprehensive insights into managing people in diverse Asia-Pacific contexts
Buy
Hong Kong Crime Films
Criminal Realism, Censorship and Society, 1947-1986
Kristof Van den Troost
A history of Hong Kong action-crime films
Buy
China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Triangle Great Game of Contemporary International Politics
Edmund Li Sheng
A look at the triangular relations between China, the U.S., and the EU from the perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative
Buy
Exorcism
Han Song (tr. Michael Berry)
A novel that takes readers on a haunting journey into the depths of a futuristic hospital, blending elements of science fiction and horror
Buy
Codes of Modernity
Chinese Scripts in the Global Information Age
Uluğ Kuzuoğlu
A scholarly book revealing the history behind the modernization of Chinese script, illuminating the evolving role of language in shaping our interconnected world
Buy
Chinese Dress in Detail
Sau Fong Chan
A study that showcases the craftsmanship, intricate designs and cultural significance of traditional Chinese attire
Buy
The Art of Terrestrial Diagrams in Early China
Michelle H. Wang
A scholarly work that explores the symbolism and cultural significance of ancient Chinese terrestrial diagrams through new methods such as art history and philosophy
Buy
Heritage Conservation and China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Eds. Victor Chan, Yew-Foong Hui, Desmond Hui, Kazem Vafadari
A look into how China's Belt and Road Initiative is affecting the conservation and management of Belt and Road heritage sites
Buy
The Price of Collapse
The Little Ice Age and the Fall of Ming China
Timothy Brook
A history that delves into the chilling narrative of the Little Ice Age and its catastrophic impact on Ming China
Buy
The Gilded Cage
Technology, Development, and State Capitalism in China
Ya-Wen Lei
A study that explores the intricate relationship between technology and development, further illuminating the complexities of China's economic transformation
Buy
Of Haunted Spaces
Cinema, Heterotopias, and China’s Hyperurbanization
Ed. Ella Raidel
An exploration of the creation of heterotopias, particularly in China, through the thought-provoking films of Ella Raidel
Buy
The Last Emperor Revisited
Basil Pao
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Bernardo Bertolucci's film through the eyes of the photographer Basil Pao
Buy
Christians in the City of Hong Kong
Chinese Christianity in Asia's World City
Tobias Brandner
An assessment of Christianity in Hong Kong
Buy
Chengdu Teahouse
Half of the City's Dwellers Are Tea Drinkers
Xiaozhu He
A narrative that unveils the world of teahouses in old Chengdu
Buy
Strangers in the Family
Gender, Patriliny, and the Chinese in Colonial Indonesia
Guo-Quan Seng
A study that presents a gendered history of the Chinese community in colonial Indonesia, highlighting the agency of women in complex power dynamics who ultimately shape Chinese racial identity
Buy
The Chinese Revolution on the Tibetan Frontier
Benno Weiner
A study of the Amdo region in the Sino-Tibetan borderland during the first decade of the People's Republic of China
Buy
One in a Billion
One Man's Remarkable Odyssey through Modern-Day China
Nancy Pine
A story of one outspoken man who illuminates the souls of a billion ordinary Chinese citizens
Buy
Hong Kong Buses and Trams 1976-1997
The Final British Years
Philip Wallis
A collection of photos documenting Hong Kong's buses and trams in the final two decades of British governance
Buy
Machine Decision Is Not Final
China and the History and Future of Artificial Intelligence
Ed. Benjamin H. Bratton, Anna Greenspan and Bogna Konior
An exploration of China's pivotal role in the development and future trajectory of artificial intelligence
Buy
The Woman Back from Moscow
In Pursuit of Beauty
Ha Jin
A novel based on the life of Sun Weishi that follows her education in Moscow and her work as China's first female director of modern spoken drama
Buy
Chinese Fans
The Untold Story
Hahn Eunkyung and HaYoung Joo
A showcase of examples of Chinese fans from between the late 18th and 20th centuries
Buy
One Man Talking
Selected Essays of Shao Xunmei, 1929-1939
Paul Bevan, Susan Daruvala
A selection of essays by poety, essayist, publisher, and printer Shao Xunmei
Buy
The Boy From Clearwater
Yu Pei-Yun, Zhou Jian-Xin (tr. Lin King)
A graphic novel telling the story of Tsai Kun-lin, a boy growing up in Taiwan through war, Japanese occupation and the White Terror era
BuyRecent Politics Books
Leftover Women (10th anniversary edition)
The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China
Leta Hong Fisher
An account of systemic gender inequality in contemporary China, with a new preface on policy, activism and state behavior under Xi Jinping
Buy
Elgar Companion to Managing People Across the Asia-Pacific
An Organizational Psychology Approach
Ed. Eddy S. Ng, Jonathan E. Ramsay, K. Thirumaran, Jacob Wood
A political study that offers comprehensive insights into managing people in diverse Asia-Pacific contexts
Buy
China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Triangle Great Game of Contemporary International Politics
Edmund Li Sheng
A look at the triangular relations between China, the U.S., and the EU from the perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative
Buy
The Gilded Cage
Technology, Development, and State Capitalism in China
Ya-Wen Lei
A study that explores the intricate relationship between technology and development, further illuminating the complexities of China's economic transformation
Buy
Among the Braves
Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy
Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin
A narrative from the perspective of two journalists unveiling the gripping story of hope, struggle and exile in the battle during the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement
Buy
Advantage China
Agent of Change in an Era of Global Disruption
Jeremy Garlick
An exploration into the reasons for China's rise and how the West can adapt
Buy
Mao’s America
A Survivor’s Warning
Xi Van Fleet
A survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China makes a case that history is repeating itself in the 'Woke Revolution' of America
Buy
The Political Economy of Chinese FDI and Spillover Effects in Africa
Eds. Dominik Kopiński, Pádraig Carmody, Ian Taylor
An investigation into the interactions between Chinese investors and African firms in terms of the transfer of technology and learning
Buy
China’s New Navy
The Evolution of PLAN from the People's Revolution to a 21st Century Cold War
Xiaobing Li
Tracing the evolution of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) by examining its adaptation, modernization, and setbacks in the past sixty years
Buy
The Fake China Threat and Its Very Real Danger
Joseph Solis-Mullen
An examination of the "China Threat" narrative
Buy
Digital Empires
The Global Battle to Regulate Technology
Anu Bradford
An exploration of the rivalry between the three dominant digital powers–the US, China, and the European Union–and how that rivalry will shape the future of digital society
Buy
China Incorporated
The Politics of a World Where China is Number One
Kerry Brown
A history that unveils the intricate power dynamics and political landscape in a world where China reigns supreme
Buy
The Rise and Fall of the EAST
How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline
Yasheng Huang
A history of China’s relationship between stability, diversity and prosperity, and how its current leadership threatens this delicate balance
Buy
Organized Loyalty
A New State Ideology for China as a Global Power
Johan Lagerkvist
An analysis of the ideology China's leader Xi Jinping has crafted during his decade in power
Buy
Contemporary China
1949 to the Present
Gilles Guiheux, trans. Andrew Brown
A history of China, chronicling its political, social and economic developments from 1949 onwards
Buy
Recentering Pacific Asia
Regional China and World Order
Brantly Womack
A study of China's role in the Asia Pacific and how US-China competition plays out in the region
Buy
Battlefield Cyber
How China and Russia are Undermining Our Democracy and National Security
William J Holstein, Michael McLaughlin
An investigation that analyzes the onslaught of Chinese and Russian cybersecurity threats that target vulnerabilities in American IT systems
Buy
Xi Jinping
The Hidden Agendas of China's Ruler for Life
Willy Lam
An examination of the policy, ideology and politics of Xi Jinping
Buy
Directed Digital Dissidence in Autocracies
How China Wins Online
Jason Gainous, Rongbin Han, Andrew W. MacDonald, and Kevin M. Wagner
A study that unveils China's strategic methods for managing and suppressing dissent in the digital age
Buy
Beijing Rules
How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World
Bethany Allen
Nonfiction revealing the ways in which China has strategically wielded its economic power to assert dominance on the global stage
Buy
Waiting to Be Arrested at Night
A Uyghur Poet's Memoir of China's Genocide
Tahir Hamut Izgil
A memoir providing a firsthand account of the Uyghur community's suffering and persecution in China
Buy
Cold Rivals
The New Era of US-China Strategic Competition
Ed. Evan Medeiros
A narrative analyzing the intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China within the shifting global order
Buy
China’s Relations with Africa
A New Era of Strategic Engagement
David H. Shinn, Joshua Eisenman
A scholarly examination of the evolving dynamics and strategic implications of China's engagement with Africa
BuyRecent History Books
The Chinese Art of Tea
(Routledge Revivals)
John Blofeld
An exploration into the history of tea and the Chinese art of tea, known as ch'a-shu
Buy
Codes of Modernity
Chinese Scripts in the Global Information Age
Uluğ Kuzuoğlu
A scholarly book revealing the history behind the modernization of Chinese script, illuminating the evolving role of language in shaping our interconnected world
Buy
The Price of Collapse
The Little Ice Age and the Fall of Ming China
Timothy Brook
A history that delves into the chilling narrative of the Little Ice Age and its catastrophic impact on Ming China
Buy
Strangers in the Family
Gender, Patriliny, and the Chinese in Colonial Indonesia
Guo-Quan Seng
A study that presents a gendered history of the Chinese community in colonial Indonesia, highlighting the agency of women in complex power dynamics who ultimately shape Chinese racial identity
Buy
The Chinese Revolution on the Tibetan Frontier
Benno Weiner
A study of the Amdo region in the Sino-Tibetan borderland during the first decade of the People's Republic of China
Buy
Machine Decision Is Not Final
China and the History and Future of Artificial Intelligence
Ed. Benjamin H. Bratton, Anna Greenspan and Bogna Konior
An exploration of China's pivotal role in the development and future trajectory of artificial intelligence
Buy
Bernardine’s Shanghai Salon
The Story of the Doyenne of Old China
Susan Blumberg-Kason
The story of a Jewish salon host in 1930s Shanghai who brought together Chinese and expats around the arts as civil war erupted and World War II loomed on the horizon
Buy
Blurred Boundaries
A Martial Arts Legacy and the Shaping of Taiwan
Ze-han Hong (trans. Christopher Bates)
A blend of Taiwanese and personal history exploring the diaspora to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War and the martial artists who set about building a new life
Buy
Modern Chinese Counter-Enlightenment
Affect, Reason, and the Transcultural Lexicon
Peng Hsiao-yen
A scholarly examination of the Counter-Enlightenment in China, demonstrating its impact on Chinese philosophy, literature and global intellectual movements
Buy
China and the Philippines
A Connected History, c. 1900-50
Phillip B. Guingona
A study of an array of understudied influential characters in Philippines-China relations in the earlier half of the twentieth century
Buy
State and Family in China
Filial Piety and its Modern Reform
Yue Du
An examination of the relationship between politics and intergenerational family relations in China from the Qing period to 1949
Buy
Pan-Asianism and the Legacy of the Chinese Revolution
Viren Murthy
An intellectual history of the intricate connections between Pan-Asianist ideology and the transformative impact of the Chinese Revolution
Buy
The Beggar Lama
The Life of the Gyalrong Kuzhap
Jinba Tenzin
An account of the life of Gyalrong Kuzhap, a Tibetan Buddhist polymath and reincarnated lama
Buy
Shadow Empires
An Alternative Imperial History
Thomas Barfield
A historical exploration of 'counterempires', revealing the impact and enduring legacies of these states, and how they shaped the course of world events
Buy
Shanghai Demimondaine
From Sex Worker to Society Matron
Nick Hordern
An investigation into the life of Australian Lorraine Murray, one of the stars of 1930s Shanghai's booming prostitution industry
Buy
Where Strange Gods Call
Harry Hervey's 1920s Hong Kong, Macao and Canton Sojourns
Harry Hervey (annotated by Paul French)
A publication of Harry Hervey's impressions of 1920s southern China
Buy
Great Power Clashes along the Maritime Silk Road
Lessons from History to Shape Current Strategy
Grant Frederick Rhode
A history of three seminal cases of maritime clashes in the China Seas, four in the Indian Ocean, and one in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Buy
The King’s Chinese
From Barber to Banker, the story of Yeap Chor Ee and the Straits Chinese
Daryl Yeap
An account of the Straits British Chinese, a distinct migrant society from various districts of South China in the late 19th century
Buy
A Chinese Rebel Beyond the Great Wall
The Cultural Revolution and Ethnic Pogrom in Inner Mongolia
TJ Cheng, Uradyn E. Bulag, and Mark Selden
A first-person account of the Cultural Revolution in Inner Mongolia, with historical evidence of its political motivations, and China's minority nationality policies
Buy
Fear of Seeing
A Poetics of Chinese Science Fiction
Mingwei Song
An analysis of a new wave of cutting-edge, risk-taking science fiction in twenty-first-century Chinese literature
Buy
Multiracial Britishness
Global Networks in Hong Kong, 1910-45
Vivian Kong
An exploration of the complex dynamics of multiracial Britishness and global connections in Hong Kong during the early 20th century
Buy
Chen Hansheng
China’s Last Romantic Revolutionary
Stephen R. MacKinnon
A portrait of Chen Hansheng, a pioneer of modern Chinese social science and political operative
BuyRecent Society/Culture Books
Hong Kong Crime Films
Criminal Realism, Censorship and Society, 1947-1986
Kristof Van den Troost
A history of Hong Kong action-crime films
Buy
Chinese Dress in Detail
Sau Fong Chan
A study that showcases the craftsmanship, intricate designs and cultural significance of traditional Chinese attire
Buy
The Art of Terrestrial Diagrams in Early China
Michelle H. Wang
A scholarly work that explores the symbolism and cultural significance of ancient Chinese terrestrial diagrams through new methods such as art history and philosophy
Buy
Heritage Conservation and China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Eds. Victor Chan, Yew-Foong Hui, Desmond Hui, Kazem Vafadari
A look into how China's Belt and Road Initiative is affecting the conservation and management of Belt and Road heritage sites
Buy
Of Haunted Spaces
Cinema, Heterotopias, and China’s Hyperurbanization
Ed. Ella Raidel
An exploration of the creation of heterotopias, particularly in China, through the thought-provoking films of Ella Raidel
Buy
The Last Emperor Revisited
Basil Pao
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Bernardo Bertolucci's film through the eyes of the photographer Basil Pao
Buy
Christians in the City of Hong Kong
Chinese Christianity in Asia's World City
Tobias Brandner
An assessment of Christianity in Hong Kong
Buy
Chengdu Teahouse
Half of the City's Dwellers Are Tea Drinkers
Xiaozhu He
A narrative that unveils the world of teahouses in old Chengdu
Buy
Hong Kong Buses and Trams 1976-1997
The Final British Years
Philip Wallis
A collection of photos documenting Hong Kong's buses and trams in the final two decades of British governance
Buy
Chinese Fans
The Untold Story
Hahn Eunkyung and HaYoung Joo
A showcase of examples of Chinese fans from between the late 18th and 20th centuries
Buy
One Man Talking
Selected Essays of Shao Xunmei, 1929-1939
Paul Bevan, Susan Daruvala
A selection of essays by poety, essayist, publisher, and printer Shao Xunmei
Buy
Invitation to a Banquet
The Story of Chinese Food
Fuchsia Dunlop
An exploration of the history, cultural significance and irresistible flavors that define Chinese cuisine, by a chef trained in Sichuan province
Buy
Conceptualising China through Translation
James st. André
A study of how both sides of the Chinese and English translation process are bound up in the production of new meaning, and its potential contribution to cross-cultural understanding
Buy
Liberate Hong Kong
Stories from the Freedom Struggle
Brian Kern
An account of the protest movement in Hong Kong telling the stories of all types of people who have led the way in demanding universal suffrage and freedom from CCP control
Buy
Black Ghosts
A Journey Into the Lives of Africans in China
Noo Saro-Wiwa
A travel memoir of a Nigerian woman in China exploring the intersections and divides between the two cultures and the lives of African economic migrants in China
Buy
Harmony Express
Thomas Bird
A travelogue of journeying around China by train, weaving Chinese history into the explorations
Buy
Daoist Master Changchun’s Journey to the West
To the Court of Chinggis Qan and Back
Li Zhichang (tr. Ruth W. Dunnell, Stephen H. West, Shao-yun Yang)
An annotated translation of all of Qiu Chuji's poems
Buy
In the Footsteps of Du Fu
China's Greatest Poet
Michael Wood
A history of the Chinese poet Du Fu that looks at the places that inspired his poetry
Buy
Thoughts From the Ice-Drinker’s Studio
Essays on China and the World
Liang Qichao
A collection of literary pieces from the turn of the century written by scholar-activist Liang Qichao
Buy
An Anthology of Poetry by Buddhist Nuns of Late Imperial China
Beata Grant
An anthology of translations of classical Chinese literature ranging across three millennia and the entire Sinitic world
Buy
On the Edge
Feeling Precarious in China
Margaret Hillenbrand
An exploration of a vast underclass of Chinese workers who exist in a state of dehumanizing exile from the law and its safeguards
Buy
Afterlives of Letters
The Transnational Origins of Modern Literature in China, Japan, and Korea
Satoru Hashimoto
A look at modern literature in a transregional context, drawing on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean-language texts in both classical and vernacular forms
Buy
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant
Curtis Chin
A memoir that takes readers on a nostalgic journey intertwininh personal experiences, cultural identity and the lessons learned in Chinese restaurants
Buy
Far From the Rooftop of the World
Travels Among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents
Amy Yee
A travel narrative telling the stories of Tibetans in exile
Buy
The Great Remobilization
Strategies and Designs for a Smarter Global Future
Olaf Groth, Mark Esposito and Terence Tse
An academic book that offers a roadmap for harnessing global resources and designing intelligent strategies to drive a more sustainable and prosperous future for humanity
BuyRecent Fiction Books
Exorcism
Han Song (tr. Michael Berry)
A novel that takes readers on a haunting journey into the depths of a futuristic hospital, blending elements of science fiction and horror
Buy
One in a Billion
One Man's Remarkable Odyssey through Modern-Day China
Nancy Pine
A story of one outspoken man who illuminates the souls of a billion ordinary Chinese citizens
Buy
The Woman Back from Moscow
In Pursuit of Beauty
Ha Jin
A novel based on the life of Sun Weishi that follows her education in Moscow and her work as China's first female director of modern spoken drama
Buy
The Boy From Clearwater
Yu Pei-Yun, Zhou Jian-Xin (tr. Lin King)
A graphic novel telling the story of Tsai Kun-lin, a boy growing up in Taiwan through war, Japanese occupation and the White Terror era
Buy
A Past Unearthed
Return of the Condor Heroes Volume 1
Jin Yong (tr. Gigi Chang)
A novel that takes readers on an epic journey filled with ancient legends, kung fu, and a transformative quest
Buy
Murder in Manchuria
The True Story of a Jewish Virtuoso, Russian Fascists, a French Diplomat, and a Japanese Spy in Occupied China
Scott D. Seligman
A cold-case thriller and social history exploring an unsolved murder case set in China during the run-up to World War II
Buy
Embodying Xuanzang
The Postmortem Travels of a Buddhist Pilgrim
Benjamin Brose
An imaginative tracing of the postmortem travels of Xuanzang, an accomplished and consequential monk
Buy
One Day Three Autumns
Zhenyuan Liu (tr. Howard Goldblatt, Sylvia Li-chun Lin)
A novel following the people of Yanjin, who have long been terrorized by a forsaken spirit that rules over their dreams
Buy
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies
A Novel
Tsering Yangzom Lama
A novel about a Tibetan family's journey through exile
Buy
The Book of Beijing
Ed. Bingbing Shi
A collection of short stories that capture the essence of Beijing, from counterfeits to security officers
Buy
Peach Blossom
Jin Renshun
A bestseller in China presenting stories from the underbelly of modern urban China
Buy
That Which Can’t Be Washed Away
Xu Huaizhong (tr. Haiwang Yuan, Will Spence)
A historical fiction of the Chinese Civil War, following theCommunist 9th Brigade's struggles, triumphs and sacrifices
Buy
The Backstage Clan
Chen Yan (tr. Hu Zongfeng, Robin Gilbank)
A novel that peers behind the curtains of power to expose the intricate networks and dynamics that shape Chinese politics
Buy
For a Splendid Sunny Apocalypse
Jiang Tao (tr. Josh Stenberg)
A translated collection of Jiang Tao's poetry
Buy
Love and Murder in the Time of Covid
Qiu Xiaolong
A novel that entwines love and crime against the backdrop of a global pandemic, exposing the Communist Party's zero-Covid Policy
Buy
The Sacred Clan
Liang Hong (tr. Esther Tyldesley)
A collection of short stories that unravel the intricate dynamics and heritage of a revered Chinese clan
Buy
All Quiet in Peking
Final Curtain Call
Liu Heping (tr. Wen Huang)
A novel that brings a captivating tale of suspense and drama to its climactic conclusion in Beijing
Buy
Beijing Sprawl
Xu Zechen (tr. Eric Abrahamsen, Jeremy Tiang)
Short stories that offer insightful perspectives on urban sprawl and its impact on the transformation of Beijing
Buy
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
A Novel
Lisa See
A novel that weaves a captivating tale of power, love and sisterhood in ancient China
Buy
Into the Desert
A Novel
Xue Mo (tr. Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin)
A novel that takes readers on a journey through the vast and unforgiving deserts of China, where characters navigate personal challenges and self-discovery
Buy
The Shaanxi Opera
Jia Pingwa (tr. Nicky Harman, Dylan Levi King)
A novel that explores the rich traditions and mesmerizing performances of Shaanxi Opera, immersing readers in the world of this distinctive art form
Buy
Nothing but the Now
Seven Short Stories by Wen Zhen
Wen Zhen (tr. Dave Haysom)
A collection of of seven short stories that offer a look into various facets of contemporary life in China
Buy
Dear Chrysanthemums
A Novel in Stories
Fiona Sze-Lorrain
A novel about Asian women who reckon with the past, violence, and exile, set in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Paris and New York
Buy
Bearing Word
Liu Liangcheng (tr. Jeremy Tiang)
A novel that explores the power of sound and the many languages scattered across the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert
Buy