The following book reviews have been received at Pacific Affairs and will be published in the print edition within the next 12-18 months. Please note that minor textual changes may occur before final publication in our print and official online edition (hosted at IngentaConnect and here).
We do not accept unsolicited book reviews.
Asia General China & Inner Asia Northeast Asia South Asia & the Himalayas Southeast Asia Australasia & the Pacific Islands
Asia General
THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO GLOBAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY | Edited by Ann McGrath and Lynette RussellTHE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO GLOBAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY | Edited by Ann McGrath and Lynette Russell
Bruce Granville Miller | February 15, 2024
Bruce Granville Miller | February 15, 2024
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY IN CHINA, JAPAN, AND INDIA: Assessing Sustainable Development Goals | Edited by Lesley A. Jacobs, Yoshitaka Wada, and Ilan VertinskyGLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY IN CHINA, JAPAN, AND INDIA: Assessing Sustainable Development Goals | Edited by Lesley A. Jacobs, Yoshitaka Wada, and Ilan Vertinsky
Krishna Kumar Verma | February 7, 2024
Krishna Kumar Verma | February 7, 2024
ASIA-PACIFIC SMALL STATES: Political Economies of Resilience | Edited by Stephen Noakes and Alexander C. TanASIA-PACIFIC SMALL STATES: Political Economies of Resilience | Edited by Stephen Noakes and Alexander C. Tan
Bibek Chand | February 7, 2024
Bibek Chand | February 7, 2024
China & Inner Asia
THE URBANIZATION OF PEOPLE: The Politics of Development, Labor Markets, and Schooling in the Chinese City | By Eli FriedmanTHE URBANIZATION OF PEOPLE: The Politics of Development, Labor Markets, and Schooling in the Chinese City | By Eli Friedman
Mark Henderson | April 24, 2024
Mark Henderson | April 24, 2024
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHINA | By Elizabeth C. EconomyTHE WORLD ACCORDING TO CHINA | By Elizabeth C. Economy
Peter TY Cheung | April 24, 2024
Peter TY Cheung | April 24, 2024
QUEERING CHINESE KINSHIP: Queer Public Culture in Globalizing China | By Lin SongQUEERING CHINESE KINSHIP: Queer Public Culture in Globalizing China | By Lin Song
Rui Yang | March 20, 2024
Rui Yang | March 20, 2024
CHINA AND ITS SMALL NEIGHBORS: The Political Economy of Asymmetry, Vulnerability, and Hedging | By Sung Chull KimCHINA AND ITS SMALL NEIGHBORS: The Political Economy of Asymmetry, Vulnerability, and Hedging | By Sung Chull Kim
Angel M. Villegas-Cruz | March 20, 2024
Angel M. Villegas-Cruz | March 20, 2024
PROTECTING CHINA’S INTERESTS OVERSEAS: Securitization and Foreign Policy | By Andrea GhiselliPROTECTING CHINA’S INTERESTS OVERSEAS: Securitization and Foreign Policy | By Andrea Ghiselli
Jingdong Yuan | February 7, 2024
Jingdong Yuan | February 7, 2024
COOPERATING FOR THE CLIMATE: Learning from International Partnerships in China’s Clean Energy Sector | By Joanna I. LewisCOOPERATING FOR THE CLIMATE: Learning from International Partnerships in China’s Clean Energy Sector | By Joanna I. Lewis
Zikun Yang | February 7, 2024
Zikun Yang | February 7, 2024
MASTERY OF WORDS AND SWORDS: Negotiating Intellectual Masculinities in Modern China, 1890s–1930s | By Jun LeiMASTERY OF WORDS AND SWORDS: Negotiating Intellectual Masculinities in Modern China, 1890s–1930s | By Jun Lei
Hui Faye Xiao | February 7, 2024
Hui Faye Xiao | February 7, 2024
CHINA IN THE WORLD: Culture, Politics, and World Vision. Sinotheory | By Ban WangCHINA IN THE WORLD: Culture, Politics, and World Vision. Sinotheory | By Ban Wang
R. Bin Wong | February 7, 2024
R. Bin Wong | February 7, 2024
JUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER EAST AND WEST | By Richard Ned Lebow and Feng ZhangJUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER EAST AND WEST | By Richard Ned Lebow and Feng Zhang
Robert Sutter | February 7, 2024
Robert Sutter | February 7, 2024
CHINESE ASIANISM, 1894–1945 | By Craig A. SmithCHINESE ASIANISM, 1894–1945 | By Craig A. Smith
Lin Shaoyang | February 7, 2024
Lin Shaoyang | February 7, 2024
LIVING AND WORKING IN WARTIME CHINA | Edited by Brett Sheehan and Wen-Hsin YehLIVING AND WORKING IN WARTIME CHINA | Edited by Brett Sheehan and Wen-Hsin Yeh
Greg P. Guelcher | February 7, 2024
Greg P. Guelcher | February 7, 2024
HOSTILE FORCES: How the Chinese Communist Party Resists International Pressure on Human Rights | By Jamie J. Gruffydd-JonesHOSTILE FORCES: How the Chinese Communist Party Resists International Pressure on Human Rights | By Jamie J. Gruffydd-Jones
Paul J. Bolt | February 7, 2024
Paul J. Bolt | February 7, 2024
EXAMINING US-CHINA-RUSSIA FOREIGN RELATIONS: Power Relations in a Post-Obama Era | By Gregory O. HallEXAMINING US-CHINA-RUSSIA FOREIGN RELATIONS: Power Relations in a Post-Obama Era | By Gregory O. Hall
Zhiqun Zhu | December 6, 2023
Zhiqun Zhu | December 6, 2023
IN THE EVENT OF WOMEN | By Tani BarlowIN THE EVENT OF WOMEN | By Tani Barlow
Ying Zhang | December 6, 2023
Ying Zhang | December 6, 2023
RED CREATIVE: Culture and Modernity in China | By Justin O’Connor and Xin GuRED CREATIVE: Culture and Modernity in China | By Justin O’Connor and Xin Gu
Hai Ren | December 6, 2023
Hai Ren | December 6, 2023
CANADA AND CHINA: A Fifty-Year Journey | By B. Michael FrolicCANADA AND CHINA: A Fifty-Year Journey | By B. Michael Frolic
Shaun Narine | December 6, 2023
Shaun Narine | December 6, 2023
I HAVE NO ENEMIES: The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo | By Perry Link and Wu DazhiI HAVE NO ENEMIES: The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo | By Perry Link and Wu Dazhi
Norbert Francis | December 6, 2023
Norbert Francis | December 6, 2023
VULGAR BEAUTY: Acting Chinese in the Global Sensorium | By Mila ZuoVULGAR BEAUTY: Acting Chinese in the Global Sensorium | By Mila Zuo
Chris Berry | December 6, 2023
Chris Berry | December 6, 2023
Northeast Asia
NORTH KOREA’S FOREIGN POLICY: The Kim Jong-Un Regime in a Hostile World | Edited by Scott A. Snyder, Kyung-Ae ParkNORTH KOREA’S FOREIGN POLICY: The Kim Jong-Un Regime in a Hostile World | Edited by Scott A. Snyder, Kyung-Ae Park
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein | April 24, 2024
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein | April 24, 2024
SCIENCE FOR GOVERNING JAPAN’S POPULATION | By Aya HomeiSCIENCE FOR GOVERNING JAPAN’S POPULATION | By Aya Homei
Andrew L. Oros | April 24, 2024
Andrew L. Oros | April 24, 2024
IMPERIAL GATEWAY: Colonial Taiwan and Japan’s Expansion in South China and Southeast Asia, 1895–1945 | By Seiji ShiraneIMPERIAL GATEWAY: Colonial Taiwan and Japan’s Expansion in South China and Southeast Asia, 1895–1945 | By Seiji Shirane
Anne E. Booth | April 24, 2024
Anne E. Booth | April 24, 2024
GAS MASK NATION: Visualizing Civil Air Defense in Wartime Japan | By Gennifer WeisenfeldGAS MASK NATION: Visualizing Civil Air Defense in Wartime Japan | By Gennifer Weisenfeld
Ryan Ashley | April 24, 2024
Ryan Ashley | April 24, 2024
JAPANESE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE AND GRAND STRATEGY: From the Cold War to the Abe Era | By Brad WilliamsJAPANESE FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE AND GRAND STRATEGY: From the Cold War to the Abe Era | By Brad Williams
Thomas Wilkins | March 20, 2024
Thomas Wilkins | March 20, 2024
BELONGING IN A HOUSE DIVIDED: The Violence of the North Korean Resettlement Process | By Joowon ParkBELONGING IN A HOUSE DIVIDED: The Violence of the North Korean Resettlement Process | By Joowon Park
HaeRan Shin | March 20, 2024
HaeRan Shin | March 20, 2024
DISCOVERING WOMEN’S VOICES: The Lives of Modern Japanese Silk Mill Workers in Their Own Words | By Sandra SchaalDISCOVERING WOMEN’S VOICES: The Lives of Modern Japanese Silk Mill Workers in Their Own Words | By Sandra Schaal
Janet Hunter | March 20, 2024
Janet Hunter | March 20, 2024
ASIA AND POSTWAR JAPAN: Deimperialization, Civic Activism, and National Identity | By Simon AvenellASIA AND POSTWAR JAPAN: Deimperialization, Civic Activism, and National Identity | By Simon Avenell
Mary Alice Haddad | March 20, 2024
Mary Alice Haddad | March 20, 2024
KOREA: A New History of South and North | By Victor D. Cha and Ramon Pacheco PardoKOREA: A New History of South and North | By Victor D. Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo
Brandon Palmer | February 7, 2024
Brandon Palmer | February 7, 2024
FLOWER OF CAPITALISM: South Korean Advertising at a Crossroads | By Olga FedorenkoFLOWER OF CAPITALISM: South Korean Advertising at a Crossroads | By Olga Fedorenko
Laura C. Nelson | February 7, 2024
Laura C. Nelson | February 7, 2024
UNDERSTANDING KOREAN WEBTOON CULTURE: Transmedia Storytelling, Digital Platforms, and Genres | By Dal Yong JinUNDERSTANDING KOREAN WEBTOON CULTURE: Transmedia Storytelling, Digital Platforms, and Genres | By Dal Yong Jin
Se Young Kim | February 7, 2024
Se Young Kim | February 7, 2024
THE OXFORD HANDBOOK OF SOUTH KOREAN POLITICS | Edited by JeongHun Han, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, and Youngho ChoTHE OXFORD HANDBOOK OF SOUTH KOREAN POLITICS | Edited by JeongHun Han, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, and Youngho Cho
Sangmin Bae | February 7, 2024
Sangmin Bae | February 7, 2024
SHRIMP TO WHALE: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop | By Ramon Pacheco PardoSHRIMP TO WHALE: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop | By Ramon Pacheco Pardo
Michael J. Seth | November 23, 2023
Michael J. Seth | November 23, 2023
CONSTRUCTING STUDENT MOBILITY: How Universities Recruit Students and Shape Pathways between Berkeley and Seoul | By Stephanie K. KimCONSTRUCTING STUDENT MOBILITY: How Universities Recruit Students and Shape Pathways between Berkeley and Seoul | By Stephanie K. Kim
Younghan Cho | November 23, 2023
Younghan Cho | November 23, 2023
South Asia & the Himalayas
WAITING FOR DIGNITY: Legitimacy and Authority in Afghanistan | By Florian WeigandWAITING FOR DIGNITY: Legitimacy and Authority in Afghanistan | By Florian Weigand
Amin Saikal | April 24, 2024
Amin Saikal | April 24, 2024
SUBCONTINENT ADRIFT: Strategic Futures of South Asia | By Feroz Hassan KhanSUBCONTINENT ADRIFT: Strategic Futures of South Asia | By Feroz Hassan Khan
Shahla Hussain | April 24, 2024
Shahla Hussain | April 24, 2024
COLONIZING KASHMIR: State-building under Indian Occupation | By Hafsa KanjwalCOLONIZING KASHMIR: State-building under Indian Occupation | By Hafsa Kanjwal
Jugdep Singh Chima | April 24, 2024
Jugdep Singh Chima | April 24, 2024
QUEER COMPANIONS: Religion, Public Intimacy, and Saintly Affects in Pakistan | By Omar KasmaniQUEER COMPANIONS: Religion, Public Intimacy, and Saintly Affects in Pakistan | By Omar Kasmani
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz | April 24, 2024
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz | April 24, 2024
HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE: Parliament and the Making of Indian Democracy | By Ronojoy SenHOUSE OF THE PEOPLE: Parliament and the Making of Indian Democracy | By Ronojoy Sen
Pahi Saikia | March 20, 2024
Pahi Saikia | March 20, 2024
THE RURAL-URBAN NEXUS IN INDIA’S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION | Edited by Tsukasa MizushimaTHE RURAL-URBAN NEXUS IN INDIA’S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION | Edited by Tsukasa Mizushima
Matthew McCartney | March 20, 2024
Matthew McCartney | March 20, 2024
CULTIVATING DEMOCRACY: Politics and Citizenship in Agrarian India | By Mukulika BanerjeeCULTIVATING DEMOCRACY: Politics and Citizenship in Agrarian India | By Mukulika Banerjee
Anindita Adhikari | March 20, 2024
Anindita Adhikari | March 20, 2024
INDIA IS BROKEN: A People Betrayed, Independence to Today | By Ashoka ModyINDIA IS BROKEN: A People Betrayed, Independence to Today | By Ashoka Mody
Reeta C. Tremblay | February 15, 2024
Reeta C. Tremblay | February 15, 2024
HOW TO SUBVERT A DEMOCRACY: Inside India’s Deep State | By Josy JosephHOW TO SUBVERT A DEMOCRACY: Inside India’s Deep State | By Josy Joseph
James Manor | February 15, 2024
James Manor | February 15, 2024
MAKING PLACE FOR MUSLIMS IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA | By Kalyani Devaki MenonMAKING PLACE FOR MUSLIMS IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA | By Kalyani Devaki Menon
Sabah Khan | February 15, 2024
Sabah Khan | February 15, 2024
THE VULGARITY OF CASTE: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India | By Shailaja PaikTHE VULGARITY OF CASTE: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India | By Shailaja Paik
Chinnaiah Jangam | February 15, 2024
Chinnaiah Jangam | February 15, 2024
THE DANCER’S VOICE: Performance and Womanhood in Transnational India | By Rumya Sree PutchaTHE DANCER’S VOICE: Performance and Womanhood in Transnational India | By Rumya Sree Putcha
Madhumita Biswal | February 15, 2024
Madhumita Biswal | February 15, 2024
INSECURE GUARDIANS: Enforcement, Encounters and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi | By Zoha WaseemINSECURE GUARDIANS: Enforcement, Encounters and Everyday Policing in Postcolonial Karachi | By Zoha Waseem
Maria Bastos | February 15, 2024
Maria Bastos | February 15, 2024
REORDERING ADIVASI WORLDS: Representation, Resistance, Memory | By Sangeeta DasguptaREORDERING ADIVASI WORLDS: Representation, Resistance, Memory | By Sangeeta Dasgupta
Rahul Ranjan | December 6, 2023
Rahul Ranjan | December 6, 2023
PEACE, POVERTY, AND BETRAYAL: A New History of British India | By Roderick MatthewsPEACE, POVERTY, AND BETRAYAL: A New History of British India | By Roderick Matthews
Dane Kennedy | December 6, 2023
Dane Kennedy | December 6, 2023
BOLLYWOOD’S NEW WOMAN: Liberalization, Liberation, and Contested Bodies | Edited by Megha Anwer and Anupama AroraBOLLYWOOD’S NEW WOMAN: Liberalization, Liberation, and Contested Bodies | Edited by Megha Anwer and Anupama Arora
Sonal Jha | December 6, 2023
Sonal Jha | December 6, 2023
THE INDUSTRIAL EPHEMERAL: Labor and Love in Indian Architecture and Construction | By Namita Vijay DhariaTHE INDUSTRIAL EPHEMERAL: Labor and Love in Indian Architecture and Construction | By Namita Vijay Dharia
Robert Anderson | December 6, 2023
Robert Anderson | December 6, 2023
EMPIRE BUILDING: The Construction of British India, 1690–1860 | By Rosie Llewellyn-JonesEMPIRE BUILDING: The Construction of British India, 1690–1860 | By Rosie Llewellyn-Jones
Pushkar Sohoni | November 23, 2023
Pushkar Sohoni | November 23, 2023
FIFTY YEARS OF BANGLADESH, 1971–2021: Crises of Culture, Development, Governance, and Identity | By Taj HashmiFIFTY YEARS OF BANGLADESH, 1971–2021: Crises of Culture, Development, Governance, and Identity | By Taj Hashmi
Saleh Shahriar | November 23, 2023
Saleh Shahriar | November 23, 2023
Southeast Asia
BETWEEN WAR AND THE STATE: Civil Society in South Vietnam, 1954–1975 | By Van Nguyen-MarshallBETWEEN WAR AND THE STATE: Civil Society in South Vietnam, 1954–1975 | By Van Nguyen-Marshall
Ryan Nelson | April 24, 2024
Ryan Nelson | April 24, 2024
UNEARTHING POLITICS: Environment and Contestation in Post-socialist Vietnam | By Jason Morris-JungUNEARTHING POLITICS: Environment and Contestation in Post-socialist Vietnam | By Jason Morris-Jung
Duy D. Trinh | March 20, 2024
Duy D. Trinh | March 20, 2024
UPLAND GEOPOLITICS: Postwar Laos and the Global Land Rush. Culture, Place, and Nature | By Michael B. Dwyer; Foreword by K. SivaramakrishnanUPLAND GEOPOLITICS: Postwar Laos and the Global Land Rush. Culture, Place, and Nature | By Michael B. Dwyer; Foreword by K. Sivaramakrishnan
Miles Kenney-Lazar | March 20, 2024
Miles Kenney-Lazar | March 20, 2024
CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIA | Edited by Melissa CrouchCONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIA | Edited by Melissa Crouch
Steven Drakeley | March 20, 2024
Steven Drakeley | March 20, 2024
CRIMES IN ARCHIVAL FORM: Human Rights, Fact Production, and Myanmar | By Ken MacLeanCRIMES IN ARCHIVAL FORM: Human Rights, Fact Production, and Myanmar | By Ken MacLean
Francesco Buscemi | March 20, 2024
Francesco Buscemi | March 20, 2024
MEKONG DREAMING: Life and Death along a Changing River | By Andrew Alan JohnsonMEKONG DREAMING: Life and Death along a Changing River | By Andrew Alan Johnson
Kanokwan Manorom | February 15, 2024
Kanokwan Manorom | February 15, 2024
TURNING LAND INTO CAPITAL: Development and Dispossession in the Mekong Region | Edited by Philip Hirsch, Kevin Woods, Natalia Scurrah, and Michael DwyerTURNING LAND INTO CAPITAL: Development and Dispossession in the Mekong Region | Edited by Philip Hirsch, Kevin Woods, Natalia Scurrah, and Michael Dwyer
Andrew Alan Johnson | February 15, 2024
Andrew Alan Johnson | February 15, 2024
THE ROAD TO DIEN BIEN PHU: A History of the First War for Vietnam | By Christopher GoschaTHE ROAD TO DIEN BIEN PHU: A History of the First War for Vietnam | By Christopher Goscha
Jorge Bayona | February 15, 2024
Jorge Bayona | February 15, 2024
WORKERS AND DEMOCRACY: The Indonesian Labour Movement, 1949–1957 | By John InglesonWORKERS AND DEMOCRACY: The Indonesian Labour Movement, 1949–1957 | By John Ingleson
Amalinda Savirani | December 6, 2023
Amalinda Savirani | December 6, 2023
Australasia & the Pacific Islands
MIGRANT ECOLOGIES: ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIES OF THE PACIFIC WORLD | Edited by James Beattie, Ryan Tucker Jones, and Edward Dallam MelilloMIGRANT ECOLOGIES: ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIES OF THE PACIFIC WORLD | Edited by James Beattie, Ryan Tucker Jones, and Edward Dallam Melillo
Nicholas Hoare | April 24, 2024
Nicholas Hoare | April 24, 2024
WAR AT THE MARGINS: Indigenous Experiences in World War II | By Lin PoyerWAR AT THE MARGINS: Indigenous Experiences in World War II | By Lin Poyer
John Barker | April 24, 2024
John Barker | April 24, 2024
SPIES AND SPARROWS: ASIO and the Cold War | By Phillip DeerySPIES AND SPARROWS: ASIO and the Cold War | By Phillip Deery
Brian Walsh | November 23, 2023
Brian Walsh | November 23, 2023
OPHIR: Decolonise. Revolutionise | A film by Alexandre Berman and Olivier PolletOPHIR: Decolonise. Revolutionise | A film by Alexandre Berman and Olivier Pollet
Anna-Karina Hermkens | November 23, 2023
Anna-Karina Hermkens | November 23, 2023