Books on Asia

Amy Chavez, John Ross
  • 4.5 (8)
  • Books
  • Updated Biweekly

Books on Asia is your guide to finding quality books on Japan and Asia, including travel, literature, current events, and culture. Explore Asia in-depth. Hosted by Amy Chavez.

  1. 5d ago

    Whistling Arrows and Heavenly Horses: The Han-Xiongnu War

    Whistling Arrows and Heavenly Horses: The Han-Xiongnu War John Ross speaks with Scott Forbes Crawford about his book The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC–89 AD. For more than two centuries, Han China fought a bitter struggle against the Xiongnu, a powerful confederation of horse-riding nomads from the Asian steppe. This was far more than a border war. It helped shape the future of China, transformed Central Asia, and opened the routes that would become known as the Silk Road. In writing this history, Scott followed the example of China’s greatest historian, Sima Qian (the subject of BOA episode 82), and took a biographical approach. We learn about remarkable figures such as Modun, the ruthless founder of the Xiongnu Empire; Li Guang, the legendary “Flying General”; the explorer Zhang Qian; and Princess Jieyou, a royal diplomat/spy who spent decades advancing Han interests deep in Central Asia. Notes: The full title of Scott Crawford’s book is: The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC–89 AD: The Struggle of China and a Steppe Empire Told Through Its Key Figures (Pen & Sword, 2023) To learn more about Scott’s work, including his novel Silk Road Centurion, visit his website: https://www.scottforbescrawford.com/   The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    30 min

  2. Jun 1

    Don Weiss: Future of the Shikoku Pilgrimage

    Amy Chavez talks to Don Weiss, currently mid-way through the Shikoku Pilgrimage — Japan's 1,300 km Buddhist route that has been walked for almost as many years. Pilgrims share their journey with Kobo Daishi, patron saint of the 88-temple circuit and founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. Don explains his "gratitude pilgrimage," what it means and why he is undertaking it. Along the way, he speaks with fellow pilgrims and priests at a number of temples to assess the experience for international visitors. While the 88-temple route faces challenges — from local depopulation to overtourism — Don finds common ground in conversations with priests about how overseas visitors might help keep the tradition alive, and what temples can do in turn to make the route more welcoming to those coming from abroad. Don's book Echoes of Incense, about his first trip around the ancient pilgrimage route decades ago, is available as an e-book on Amazon in English and Japanese. You can follow Don on his gratitude pilgrimage via his You Tube Channel The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    34 min

  3. May 25

    Sima Qian–China’s Grand Historian (with Tim McGirk)

    Sima Qian – China’s Grand Historian (with Tim McGirk) John Ross chats with repeat guest Tim McGirk about Sima Qian (c. 145–86 BC), the Father of Chinese History. He earned this accolade for his monumental work, the Shiji (usually translated as Records of the Grand Historian). It covers more than two thousand years, from the legendary early emperors up to Emperor Wu, under whom Sima Qian lived and fell afoul. Sima Qian would use his history writing to criticize cruel leaders, most notably Qin Shi Huang, the despotic first emperor of China, who burned books and attacked the humanistic legacy of Confucius. The backstory of the Records is one of the great bibliographic tales of all time. And as McGirk explains, the man and his work were inspiration for his historical novel, The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers. Books discussed: Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian (English translation by Burton Watson, Columbia University Press, 1961, 1993, 1996). The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers by Tim McGirk (Plum Rain Press, 2025) Related episodes: In episode 53, John chatted with Tim about his Plum Rain Press novel The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers. It weaves the story of archeological discoveries in modern-day Mexico with that of Xu Fu, a Taoist alchemist/priest sent to bring back the secret of immortality. And in episode 65, John and Tim talked about Simon Winchester’s biography of Sinologist Joseph Needham, The Man Who Loved China. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    29 min

  4. May 18

    Hiroshima's Last Witnesses and Japan's Nuclear Future

    M. G. Sheftall has lived in Japan since 1987. He has a PhD in international relations and modern Japanese history from Waseda University in Tokyo. Since 2001, he has been a professor of modern Japanese cultural history and communication at the Faculty of Informatics of Shizuoka University. He lives in Hamamatsu, Japan. Amy Chavez talks about Sheftall's books on the Asia Pacific War, in particular Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses and Nagasaki: The Last Witnesses both oral histories featuring interviews with survivors of the atomic bombs. Has Japan's 80 years of peace education been all for naught? The book serves as a prescient warning given the current political climate and Japan's complex relationships with the US, Taiwan, China, and the broader world. Recent developments—including Nihon Hidankyo's 2024 Nobel Peace Prize and the ongoing protests against revising Article 9—bring this subject into sharp focus. Against this backdrop, the author offers his own perspective on Japan's nuclear future. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    32 min

  5. May 11

    Jason Nieling and Paul Bresin of the Sightseeing Japan

    Sightseeing Japan John Ross is joined by Jason Nieling and Paul Bresin of the Sightseeing Japan Podcast, which started back in 2019 and now has over 160 detailed but fun episodes. The two Japanophiles discuss how their show explores Japan through episodes on culture, food, and travel. Jason and Paul share a range of fiction and non-fiction book recommendations. Book Recommendations You Gotta Have Wa (1977) by Robert Whiting. (Amy spoke with Robert about his Tokyo Junkie memoir back in 2021.) Battle Royale (1999, Eng. 2003) by Koushun Takami Tearmoon Empire (2019) by Nozomu Mochitsuki Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune (2016) by Pamela S. Turner Massacre at Shirakawa (2023) by I. J. Parker Earthlings (2018 / Eng. 2020) by Sayaka Murata Convenience Store Woman (2016, Eng. 2018) by Sayaka Murata. (Amy spoke with translator Ginny Tapley Takemori in an episode last September) Be sure to check out the Sightseeing Japan Podcast.           The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    29 min

  6. May 4

    Simon Elegant’s City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong

    Simon Elegant’s City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong  John chats with writer and journalist Simon Elegant about his third novel, a crime thriller set during the Hong Kong protests of 2019. City on Fire is published by Pegasus Crime, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The novel follows Inspector Killian Tong’s investigation of a brutal murder against a backdrop of political chaos, police tensions, and also personal conflict – Killian’s half-sister is a radical protester. John and Simon also discuss the background to the 2019 protests, including the National Security Law and the earlier 2014 Umbrella Movement. Among the books mentioned were: Manchu (1980) by Robert Elegant (a swashbuckling novel by Simon’s father). Gorky Park (1981) by Martin Cruz Smith Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy (2023) by Shibani Mahtani & Timothy McLaughlin Simon’s recommendations The Immobile Empire (French 1989, English 1992) by Alain Peyrefitte. This is on the 1973 Macartney mission to Peking. Apple in China (2025) by Patrick McGee, which explores Apple’s deep entanglement with China’s manufacturing system. Ginkgo Season (2025) by Naomi Xu Elegant, a coming-of-age novel set in Philadelphia. To learn more about Simon Elegant and his novel, visit the publisher’s website at www.pegasusbooks.com  The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    33 min

  7. Apr 27

    Jane Lawson: Secret Japan

    Amy Chavez talks with Jane Lawson about her book Secret Japan: An Insider's Guide to Deeper Travel in the World's Most Fascinating Country (Simon & Schuster, 2026). Jane encourages people to get off the beaten track to discover the most amazing people, places, and foods. This gives travelers a chance to see and experience Japanese life and culture from the inside by spending time in smaller places. It's the difference between tourism being forced on locals and those locals being granted the choice to reach out and connect. Use Jane's prescription for travel to let the Japanese introduce you to their culture, in their way. Find a more relaxing way of travel by discovering the smaller events and more local foods. Three of Jane Lawson's favorite books on Japanese food: Oishinbo manga series on food and food culture, by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki (English) The Japanese Kitchen by Hiroko Shinbo and Rodica Prato (English) Japanese Cooking as a Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji (English) (Note: If you're wondering about the sound at 27 minutes into the cast, that's the ferry coming into Shiraishi Island (where I'm recording) from the mainland of Okayama. At 29:15 there's another ferry toot, a different ferry, coming in from the further islands and stopping in at Shiraishi before going back to the mainland). Jane Lawson Food, Zenbu Tours on FB, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest www.zenbutravel.com The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    34 min

  8. Apr 20

    Replay: Alex Kerr on Finding the Heart Sutra

    Amy Chavez talks with Alex Kerr about his book Finding the Heart Sutra: Guided by a Magician, an Art Collector and Buddhist Sages from Tibet to Japan (Penguin U.K., 2020).  Kerr is the author of several books, including Lost Japan, Dogs and Demons, Another Kyoto (w/Kathy Arlyn Sokol), Another Bangkok and Hidden Japan.  The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.  Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

    26 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Books on Asia is your guide to finding quality books on Japan and Asia, including travel, literature, current events, and culture. Explore Asia in-depth. Hosted by Amy Chavez.

Information

  • Creator
    Amy Chavez, John Ross
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2018-2020 Amy Chavez, 2021-2025 Amy Chavez / Stone Bridge Press, 2025 Amy Chavez
  • Show Website
    Books on Asia

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