World Public Library Association Collection
e-Asia Collection


http://e-asia.uoregon.edu

BROWSE 1,800 PDF and LIT eBooks

View Complete Title Index (421 PDF eBooks)

By building a collection of digitized e-books and a database of full text web resources, e-Asia strives to contribute to the research and scholarship of East Asia. While the e-Asia project is based largely on resources held at the University of Oregon Library, its purpose is neither to duplicate nor displace printed traditional materials. Rather, by providing searchable full text, the digitalization efforts of e-Asia represent a new tool aimed at facilitating the information-gathering process.
Featued eBooks *Almost all e-Asia e-books are in Microsoft Reader format, which is presently available only for the PC, Tablet PC, and the Pocket PC. You will need to download and install the program that is appropriate to your machine. Virtually everything that you can do with a print book you can do with a Reader e-book. Unlike print books, however, e-books are full text searchable.
China
Taiwan
Japan
Others

Title Index Page

New Additions* 

Official Titles of the Han Dynasty :  A Tentative List Compiled for the Han Dynasty Project.   This project which was active at the University of Washington a number of years ago, has now revived at the University of Oregon. In .pdf format.  See the Project page for more information.

Trading with China is an interesting booklet published in 1919 but entirely appropriate for 21st century businesses attempting to crack the China market.Worth reading; very contemporary.

A guide to an important set of papers for a figure of note in the GHQ of postwar Japan.
"William P. Woodard Papers, 1869-1974." Materials themselves will need to be consulted at the University of Oregon Library.  A two MEG .pdf file.

Glossary: Chapter X:  Emperor Hsiao-Ch'eng.  Ban Gu.  The History of the Former Han Dynasty:  A Critical Translation with Annotations by Homer H. Dubs.  Baltimore: Waverly Press, 1938.  This is the first of the glossaries (more to appear).



Featured eBooks*
 

Celebrating its first decade of existence,, Tsing Hua, 1911-1921, is a well-illustrated delightful look at Qinghua in its earliest days.  A top-notch institution  with a very interesting past.

 Some Japanese Bogie-books is a chapter in Andrew Lang's Books and Bookmen. A fairly good introduction to the scariest of topics:  Japanese ghosts.


Fusang is explained in its subtitle:  ... the Discovery of America by Chinese Buddhist Priests in the Fifth Century.  One of the first books to suggest that explorers from the Far East got here before everyone else.  Published in 1875.  MSReader format.

"The Shensi Relief Expedition" by A.D.C. Sowerby describes the effort of a small band of young men with the objective of escorting missionaries to safety in the wake of the 1911 revolution.  Information on the role of the Gelaohui secret society in the revolution


China


New Additions* 

Photoplays in Manchoukuo is part of a special issue of Manchuria focused on the motion picture industry.  This article includes a large number of celebrity photographs and scenes from popular Manchoukuo films.

Trading with China is an interesting booklet published in 1919 but entirely appropriate for 21st century businesses attempting to crack the China market.Worth reading; very contemporary.

A guide to an important set of papers for a figure of note in the GHQ of postwar Japan.
"William P. Woodard Papers, 1869-1974." Materials themselves will need to be consulted at the University of Oregon Library.  A two MEG .pdf file.

Across the Desert of Gobi, is a brief account of missionaries excaping the Boxer Uprising of 1900.  Ueful for any comparative look at China's regions during the violent Boxer .



Featured eBooks*
 

Celebrating its first decade of existence, Tsing Hua, 1911-1921, is a well-illustrated delightful look at Qinghua in its earliest days.  A top-notch institution  with a very interesting past.

 The Rebirth of Korea (1920) is a particularly fascinating account of Korean politics from the Christian perspective.  Extremely pro-Korean and very pro-independence, the book suggests that the impact of the West and Christianity may have not necessarily been an imperialistic evil.

Ping Yao Zhuan is one of e-Asia's most popular items. The only translation from the Chinese, this is the 2006 revised edition.




"Brief History of the Development of Motion Pictures in Manchuria" is the inaugural article in a special issue of Manchuria magazine, devoted entirely to the film industry in Manchoukuo.  As the title says this is a brief history.



PAST FEATURED/NEW ITEMS

Although published in 1988, the Checklist of Missionary Collection is still an extremely useful guide to materials found in the Special Collections Department of the University of Oregon Library. Difficult to find copies of this small pamphlet. Although updated, this checklist does not have the complete missionary holdings, which have expanded since 1988.

Journal of Edith Margaret Wherry. Never before available outside of the University of Oregon Library Special Collections, this brief diary by a 15 year-old girl documents her experiences in the year 1891. Although some of the information merely provides color to an important period in Chinese history, Edith had encounters with notables in China's foreign community (particularly Sir Robert Hart). For this reason alone, the manuscript is worth the read.

Although not really a production of the e-Asia Digital Library, this online magazine directed toward grades K-12 is closely affiliated with the Digital Library project. Notable for its use of Flash. e-Asia, the magazine, is funded by the Comittee on Councils, Association for Asian Studies and is a joint project of the University of Oregon and Pacific University.

An extremely important,albeit, difficult classical Chinese work. The Chunqiu zuozhuan edition produced by e-Asia requires that your machine have a unicode font installed. The best available, Arial Unicode MS, can be gotten free from Microsoft. e-Asia uses unicode for virtually all of its Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and mixed language texts. For more information see the Unicode FAQ. This work is in simplified Chinese.

This is a book of quips -- not jokes, hence this translated collection, Quips from a Chinese Jest Book (Shanghai: Kelly and Walsh, 1925), by Herbert A. Giles is amusing rather than hilarious. Useful for an examination of Chinese humor and cross-cultural implications.

...COVERS AND BLURBS


 

This is the first book converted by the e-Asia project. Wu Tingfang's views, America Through the Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat, may seem a little peculiar to Americans; on the other hand, American views of China around the turn of the 20th century could often be fantastic.

This compilation by Martin Schmitt, Catalog of Manuscripts in the University of Oregon Library (Eugene: University of Oregon, 1971) is difficult to find in its print edition. This catalog includes many items of interest to students of East Asia, and it remains valuable despite the fact that it is now thirty years out-of-date..

The reknowned philosopher educator, John Dewey and his wife, paid visits to Japan and China in early 1919. These are their letters (most interesting from the standpoint that they were written by Dewey)

The Nuerjing (The Classic for Girls), as translated by Isaac Taylor Headland, is a rather interesting example of an "aid to living" for teenage and younger girls. While much of the advice seems reasonable enough, the guide has obvious ideological underpinnings. Short but useful.


Although published in 1988, the Checklist of Missionary Collection is still an extremely useful guide to materials found in the Special Collections Department of the University of Oregon Library. Difficult to find copies of this small pamphlet. Although updated, this checklist does not have the complete missionary holdings, which have expanded since 1988.

Journal of Edith Margaret Wherry. Never before available outside of the University of Oregon Library Special Collections, this brief diary by a 15 year-old girl documents her experiences in the year 1891. Although some of the information merely provides color to an important period in Chinese history, Edith had encounters with notables in China's foreign community (particularly Sir Robert Hart). For this reason alone, the manuscript is worth the read.

Although not really a production of the e-Asia Digital Library, this online magazine directed toward grades K-12 is closely affiliated with the Digital Library project. Notable for its use of Flash. e-Asia, the magazine, is funded by the Comittee on Councils, Association for Asian Studies and is a joint project of the University of Oregon and Pacific University.

An extremely important,albeit, difficult classical Chinese work. The Chunqiu zuozhuan edition produced by e-Asia requires that your machine have a unicode font installed. The best available, Arial Unicode MS, can be gotten free from Microsoft. e-Asia uses unicode for virtually all of its Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and mixed language texts. For more information see the Unicode FAQ. This work is in simplified Chinese.

This is a book of quips -- not jokes, hence this translated collection, Quips from a Chinese Jest Book (Shanghai: Kelly and Walsh, 1925), by Herbert A. Giles is amusing rather than hilarious. Useful for an examination of Chinese humor and cross-cultural implications.

 

This is the first book converted by the e-Asia project. Wu Tingfang's views, America Through the Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat, may seem a little peculiar to Americans; on the other hand, American views of China around the turn of the 20th century could often be fantastic.

This compilation by Martin Schmitt, Catalog of Manuscripts in the University of Oregon Library (Eugene: University of Oregon, 1971) is difficult to find in its print edition. This catalog includes many items of interest to students of East Asia, and it remains valuable despite the fact that it is now thirty years out-of-date..

The reknowned philosopher educator, John Dewey and his wife, paid visits to Japan and China in early 1919. These are their letters (most interesting from the standpoint that they were written by Dewey)

The Nuerjing (The Classic for Girls), as translated by Isaac Taylor Headland, is a rather interesting example of an "aid to living" for teenage and younger girls. While much of the advice seems reasonable enough, the guide has obvious ideological underpinnings. Short but useful.


Isaac Taylor Headland, who did many useful translations in the early 20th century, provides readers with yet another glimpse into Chinese society of the time. Rules of Behaviour for Children, is an intimate excursion into Home Life in China (from which this translation was taken). Headland's work is superb for its examination of ordinary lives.

This Marxist classic, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, by Frederick Engels, is the 1975 Peking edition. Extremely useful for understanding the underpinnings of China's official socialist ideology.

 

Today's polemics are tomorrow's historical documents. This important document, "On the Question of Stalin", by the Communist Party of China, is highly critical of the USSR -- an indication of the seriousness of the rift between the world's two largest and most important Communist parties.

This is an extremely interesting book written by two Chinese Army officers: Unrestricted Warfare . (Beijing: PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House, 1999). Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui provide a Chinese understanding of such concepts as information war as well as a detailed and very astute analysis of US military strategy and tactics.

Leninism provided the organizational structure for both the CCP and the Guomindang. This critical work by Lenin, One Step Forward, One Step Back, is relevant to the study of Chinese political organization.


This artifact from the the Cultural Revolution period, Confucius: "Sage" of the Reactionary Classes by Yang Jung-kuo is useful for not only its value as a period piece but also for its intended purpose: a critical analysis of Confucianism.

The Boxer Rebellion is a synthetic book composed of US Navy and US Marine documents that pertain to 1900 Boxer uprising in China. Useful for the fact that this is a collection of primary source documents.



Shi Naian's classic Water Margin (also translated by Pearl Buck as 'All Men are Brothers") is undoubtedly one of the world's most read books; the translator of this edition is J.H. Jackson -- and the text is quite readable. This is a two volume set; volume one and volume two.

Lest anyone think that Christianity has a monopoly on Hellfire and Brimstone, this translation by Geo. W. Clarke of The Yu-li or Precious Records, shows that the consequences of wrong-doing have equally grim punishments in traditional Chinese religion. This is a quite interesting book that might usefully be examined along side Dante's Inferno.

This is an excellent reference resource -- Era and Timeline of Chinese History -- by Seke Wei. It is bilingual (English and Chinese), but you'll need Chinese to get much value from the timeline.

 


This concise listing of dynastic reign names, A List of Chinese Reign Names (Nianhao suoyinbiao), is quite useful as a ready reference tool. Not detailed but sufficent for general purposes. In Chinese.


Calling the Sino-Soviet Split recounts an instance in which the CIA was ahead of both politicans and the public. This article by Harold P. Ford appeared in Studies in Intelligence, a CIA publication.

China's Taiping rebellion was one of mankind's deadliest civil wars. This 1898 recollection Personal Recollections of the T'ai-p'ing Rebellion, by Arthur Evans Moule, who personally visited the Taiping areas, is a brief but useful resource for understanding a remarkable event.

This is a rather interesting version of the Daodejing by virtue of its highly electic rendition. Composed by Peter A. Merel under the GNL license it is definitely worth examining and comparing with other Daodejing translations


This classic by Lao She, Luotuo xiangzi, (frequently translated as "Rickshaw Boy") is now available on E-Asia.  In simplified Chinese and best viewed with a unicode font on your readingdevice.



Despite decidedly wacky views on the "Yellow Peril" and Orientalism, Sax Rohmer's mysteries remain a bit of a cult phenomenon.The Golden Scorpion carries forward the Rohmer tradition.

 

The Wallet of Kai Lung, by Ernest Bramah is one of a series of books by Bramah, who -- like Sax Rohmer --- is a bit of a cult writer. Useful for entertainment purposes.



Shan Hai Jing (The Book of Mountains and Seas) is an ancient classic of "geography." The descriptions and illustrations of the strange beings beyond China's borders (late Warring States/early Han) are quite fascinating .... and fantastic.

Primarily a historical account of the considerable role of eunuchs in Chinese history, this account, Chinese Eunuchs,  by G. Carter Stent, also provides a cross-culture view. Contains Chinese characters; hence it uses unicode.

Jinpingmei [vol. 1] , [vol. 2], [vol. 3], [vol. 4] ----- (the author is anonymous) is a timeless classic and the best known Chinese erotic novel.The e-Asia edition consists of 4 volumes; volume 4 is incomplete, and volume 5 will be added as soon as time permits.

Isaac Taylor Headland was a prolific writer on China. Home Life in China is one of his best. Headland describes the everday life he encountered; it is a valuable book, for Headland was an astute and sympathetic observer.


The Communist International and the Chinese Communist Party, by Zhou Enlai is an important tract in terms of understanding the dynamics of the Sino-Soviet split.



The Status of Negotiations Between China and Tibet is something less than an objective assessment. Useful for understanding the mentality of U.S. politicians. Hearings held in the year 2000.



The I Ching (Yijing -- The Book of Changes) is certainly one of the most recognized of Chinese texts -- primarily for divination . This e-book edition is an abbreviated version of the 1899 Legge translation.


Published in the Journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1897-1898, The Office of the District Magistrate in China, by Byron Brenan is a useful introduction to China's"grassroots" government during the imperial era.

China has a significant Muslim minority -- and has not had particularly good relations with that minority over the centuries.  The  Qur'an is critical to understanding the religious beliefs of an important segment of China's population.  We anticipate offering the Chinese version of the Qur'an shortly.


Marco Polo, of course, was not the only foreigner to serve the imperial Chinese court.The Memoirs of Father Ripa is a distilled account of Ripa's experiences at the Chinese court in the early 18th century.



The Cultural Revolution was a shattering experience in China.  A key document to that period is a policy statement by Lin Biao, Report to the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China 

This is an important document of modern Chinese history "Let a Hundred Flowers Blossom, a Hundred Schools of Thought Contend" fuses the concepts of democracy and socialism.


The Civil War in France, by Karl Marx,may not seem to have much relevance to East Asia; however, this classic is part of the political tradition of China and much of East Asia.


A short but nonetheless useful exposition on one of history's most important developments. Standard Weights and Measures of the Ch'in Dynasty,  First published in 1903-1904.

The latest installment to the e-Asia collection of dynastic histories is the Hou Han shu. Volume one (of six ebook volumes) is currently available. The remaining volumes will be added within the next few days.

Translated variously as "Monkey" and "Journey to the West," this 1913 translation of the Xiyouji , A Mission to Heaven , is by Timothy Richards (of missionary fame) and is the first translation ever made of this classic into a Western language.
 

Indiscreet Letters from Peking, edited by B.L. Putnam-Weale, claims to be letters from a witness to events surrounding the Boxer Uprising in Peking. The perspective is different from most Western personal accounts -- hence the letters are "indiscreet."


And, of course, there is the classic, Voyages and Travels of Marco Polo, with an introduction by Henry Morley.
Several other e-book editions of Marco Polo's adventures are also available via the Internet.

This is but one of a number of e-Asia ebooks that pertain, generally, to Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China With its resources stressed by population, China regards the environment with special concern.


Taiwan

 PAST FEATURED/NEW ITEMS


Although not really a production of the e-Asia Digital Library, this online magazine directed toward grades K-12 is closely affiliated with the Digital Library project. Notable for its use of Flash. e-Asia, the magazine, is funded by the Comittee on Councils, Association for Asian Studies and is a joint project of the University of Oregon and Pacific University.

Although published in 1988, the Checklist of Missionary Collection is still an extremely useful guide to materials found in the Special Collections Department of the University of Oregon Library. Difficult to find copies of this small pamphlet. Although updated, this checklist does not have the complete missionary holdings, which have expanded since 1988.

...COVERS AND BLURBS



 

This compilation by Martin Schmitt, Catalog of Manuscripts in the University of Oregon Library (Eugene: University of Oregon, 1971) is difficult to find in its print edition. This catalog includes many items of interest to students of East Asia, and it remains valuable despite the fact that it is now thirty years out-of-date..

MIssionary accounts are a superb source of early Western information about East Asia. This account --- The Blackbearded Barbarian (The Life of George Leslie MacKay of Formosa) --- like most missionary accounts, reflects a religious framework. For historians, however, the commentary on life in Formosa in the early 20th century is invaluable.


Japan

 PAST FEATURED/NEW ITEMS


Duran, Leo. Plays of Old Japan. New York: Thomas Selzer, 1921. MS Reader format]

...COVERS AND BLURBS


Nitobe Inazo. Bushido: the Soul of Japan. New York: Putnam's, 1905.

 

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