James Palmer is an author whose extensive travels in East and Central Asia inform his writing. His work often engages with Taoist and Buddhist communities in China and Mongolia, particularly concerning environmental matters. This background provides a unique lens through which he explores complex cultural and ecological themes. Palmer's perspective offers readers a deep dive into the intersection of tradition and modernity in Asia.
Focusing on the work of expatriate director Joseph Losey, this book offers in-depth analysis of five significant and complex films that highlight his unique contributions to cinema. Through detailed examination, it explores the themes, stylistic choices, and cultural impact of Losey's work, providing insights into his artistic vision and legacy in film history.
In the summer of 1976, Mao lay dying, and China was struck by a great natural disaster. The earthquake that struck Tangshan, a shoddily built mining city, was one of the worst in recorded history, killing half a million people. But the Chinese Communist rulers in Beijing were distracted, paralysed by in-fighting over who would take control after Mao finally died. Would Mao's fanatical wife and her collaborators, the Gang of Four, be allowed to continue the Cultural Revolution, which had shut China off from the world and reduced it to poverty and chaos? Or would Deng Xiaoping and his reformist friends be able to take control and open China up to the market, and end the near permanent state of civil war? Palmer recreates the tensions of that fateful summer, when the fate of China and the world were in the balance - as injured and starving people crawled among the ruins of a stricken city.
Historian James Palmer relates the story of megalomaniac Baron Freiherr Roman Nikolai Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg, an anti-Bolshevik German Russian reactionary who in 1920 led a lethally effective rabble of cavalrymen in a grand but short lived campaign to unifMongolMongul people while at the same time frightening the Russians and slaughtering everyone he suspected of irreligion or of being a Jew.
The Fantastical Adventures of Sir Richard Francis Burton Volume One
Embarking on his most incredible journey yet, Captain Richard Francis Burton, a renowned explorer, faces new challenges and discoveries that will test his limits. This adventure promises to delve into uncharted territories, showcasing Burton's bravery and insatiable curiosity. As he navigates through unfamiliar landscapes and cultures, readers will witness his relentless pursuit of knowledge and the thrill of exploration that defined his life. The narrative captures the essence of adventure, highlighting both the dangers and wonders of the world.