5 Star Mostly-Fiction
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Although purportedly an account of the overseas Chinese domination of the economies of the pacific rim, Mr. Seagrave is too much of a conspiracy buff to be trusted. I would still give it five stars, but more as political fiction rather than anything else. A fun read though.
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Excellent book, for me the best of S. Seagrave books
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Thrilling and lively, documented and precise, this book is an excellent overview of the itinerary of the oversea chinese history with detailed analysis in each country where they have settled.
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A fascinating introduction to Overseas Chinese history
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For those with an interest in the Overseas Chinese and their history, this book is a fascinating introduction. Seagrave's fluid, highly readable, yet scholarly account draws the reader into a world of intrigue and mystery, success and failure. His descriptions of such individuals as the explorer Sun Bao and the soldier-adventurer Coxinga tell of the impact of the Chinese on regions outside China. Despite the impact of such men on the region, their exclusion from many western text books is indicative of the secretiveness by which many Overseas Chinese conduct business today-a secretiveness which has come about through a nessecity to protect assets and personal wealth. Seagrave has written a book which covers a broad sweep of history. It is a fast-paced account that easly allows the reader to go back and re-read individual chapters with it's excellent style.
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Fast paced concise history lesson on the Overseas Chinese
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Highly enjoyable reading on Chinese History and how it has evolved over the many centuries. If you want a concise read on the History of the Overseas Chinese buy this book.
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An exciting reading for everybody interested in Asia
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This book gives you what our European school history lessons do not provide: an overview over the exciting history of the Chinese, written in a way that you do not feel bored at all. Seagrave manages to make you familiar with the background of the Chinese culture and the development of the Chinese history, which is necessary to gain an understanding of todays development in Asia. He gives you facts and dates, but he also tells you stories which makes reading exciting. He takes you through the different dynasties in a way that you get an understanding that the Chinese call themselves the "Middle of the world". Did you know that the famous "Sindbad the Seafarer" we know from our history lessons and from Tales of the 1001 nights was probabely a Chinese eunuch send by his emperor to explore new business and trade relationships in South East Asia, India and Africa? And he gives you an idea of a nation without a state which has gained a lot of money by working hard, building up global enterprises from the scratch. He also gives you an insight in the world of the Chinese triads, the gangs fighting each other, and about the forces behind the economies of the South East Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia. After reading this book, you have not only spend an exciting reading time, but also gained a lot of historical knowledge which enables you to understand todays political, economical and cultural development in China and South East Asia much more better.
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