Books by Rian Thum
“In this book, what he claims is that there’s a very long history of both China being part of the story of global Islam, and Islam being part of the story of China.” Read more...
Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Historian
“The actual historical connection between the Uighurs and today’s people is pretty shaky.” Read more...
The best books on Minority Survival in China
James Palmer, Foreign Correspondent
Interviews where books by Rian Thum were recommended
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1
The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia
by James C Scott -
2
The Manchu Way: The Eight Banners and Ethnic Identity in Late Imperial China
by Mark C Elliott -
3
Wolf Totem
by Jiang Rong -
4
The Sacred Routes of Uyghur History
by Rian Thum -
5
Forgotten Kingdom: Lijiang and the Naxi People
by Peter Goullart
The best books on Minority Survival in China, recommended by James Palmer
The best books on Minority Survival in China, recommended by James Palmer
China’s minority peoples have shaped the country’s history and its identity. They led its most successful dynasty, the Qing. But nowadays, their role has been reduced to that of tourist spectacle. Beijing-based writer James Palmer picks the best books on China’s ethnic minorities.
The Best China Books of 2025, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
From books exploring questions of identity and belonging in contemporary China to a charming memoir by a delivery driver, it’s been an extraordinary year for books about China in English argues Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor at UC Irvine and specialist in modern Chinese history. Here, he talks us through some of his favourite China books published in 2025.
