Books about China, Taiwan, and Tibet include literature, non-fiction, and academic texts that delve into these regions’ historical, political, cultural, and social dynamics. Topics covered may range from the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Tibet, the unique political status and identity of Taiwan, to the intricate geopolitical and economic interactions involving China. Authors may examine issues such as sovereignty, human rights, cross-strait relations, and regional conflicts, providing readers with diverse perspectives and in-depth analyses of one of the most significant areas in contemporary global affairs. Here are our books about China, Taiwan and Tibet.

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Tibet in Agony: Lhasa 1959 by Jianglin Li

Tibet in Agony | Lhasa 1959 by Jianglin Li looks back on the Chinese governments militaristic repression of a popular uprising in Tibet’s capital. Sifting facts from the distortions of propaganda and partisan politics, the author reconstructs a chronology of events that lays to rest lingering questions about what happened in those fate-filled days and why.

Tong Wars by Scott D. Seligman

Tong Wars | The Untold Story of Vice, Money, and Murder in New York’s Chinatown by Scott D. Seligman provides a definitive look at more than 30 years of violence in this fascinating and nuanced examination of Manhattan’s Chinatown. Seligman’s account roars through three decades of turmoil, with characters ranging from gangsters and drug lords to reformers and do-gooders to judges, prosecutors, cops, and pols of every stripe and color.

The Most Wanted Man in China by Fang Lizhi

The Most Wanted Man in China | My Journey from Scientist to Enemy of the State by Fang Lizhi is a brilliant memoir of a Chinese astrophysicist who challenged the authority of Communist China. His story, told with vivid detail and disarming humor, is a testament to the importance of remaining true to one’s principles in an unprincipled time and place. 

Deng Xiaoping by Alexander V. Pantsov and Steven I. Levine

Deng Xiaoping | A Revolutionary Life by Alexander V. Pantsov and Steven I. Levine provides a look into the entire life of influential Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Based on newly discovered documents, the book covers his entire life, from his childhood and student years to the post-Tiananmen era.

The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong by Gyalo Thondup and Anne F. Thurston

The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong | The Untold Story of My Struggle for Tibet by Gyalo Thondup and Anne F. Thurston tells the story of the Dalai Lama’s exiled family from their sacred homeland of Tibet. For the last sixty years, Gyalo Thondup has been at the at the heart of the epic struggle to protect and advance Tibet in the face of unreliable allies, overwhelming odds, and devious rivals.

Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine 1958-1962 by Yang Jisheng

Tombstone | The Great Chinese Famine 1958-1962 by Yang Jisheng looks deeper into the devistating famine during China’s Great Leap Forward. The author pieced together the events that led to mass starvation, and attributes responsibility for the deaths to the totalitarian system and refusal of officials to value human life over ideology and self-interest.

In the Shadow of the Rising Dragon, edited by Xu Youyu and Hua Ze

In the Shadow of the Rising Dragon | Stories of Repression in the New China, edited by Xu Youyu and Hua Ze is a collection of personal accounts of Chinese citizens and the inhumanity they regularly face. Edited by two Chinese scholars, both of whom have experienced surveillance, control, abduction, and detention, this is a probing and revealing look at life under the police state of the world’s most populous country.

Mao: The Real Story by Alexander V. Pantsov and Steven I. Levine

Mao | The Real Story by Alexander V. Pantsov and Steven I. Levine provides a comprehensive account of Mao Zedong’s rise to power as the leader of China and his ruthless regime. The book traces how he created a totalitarian government even more destructive and extreme than Stalin’s, while transforming China from an impoverished nation to a leading world power. The authors draw upon extensive Russian documents previously unavailable to reveal surprising details about Mao’s rise to power and his leadership in China.

Die Dongdong-Tänzerin und der Sichuan-Koch by Liao Yiwu (published in German)

Die Dongdong-Tänzerin und der Sichuan-Koch: Geschichten aus der chinesischen Wirklichkeit by Liao Yiwu | The Dongdong Dancer and the Sichuan Cook: Stories from Chinese Reality is an exciting and direct insight into the real China of today. Peace Prize winner Liao Yiwu has made it his life’s work to give the small, oppressed people in China a voice.

The Little Red Guard by Wenguang Huang

The Little Red Guard | A Family Memoir by Wenguang Huang tells story of devotion to traditional Chinese practices during a time of political change. After his grandmother became obsessed with having a proper burial, Huang’s father built her a coffin. Huang was appointed as coffin keeper, a distinction that included sleeping next to the coffin at night.