Churchill's description of the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942, after Lt-Gen Percival's surrender led to over 100,000 British, Australian and Indian troops falling into the hands of the Japanese, was no wartime exaggeration. The Japanese had promised that there would be no Dunkirk in Singapore, and its fall led to imprisonment, torture and death for thousands of allied men and women. With much new material from British, Australian, Indian and Japanese sources, Colin Smith has woven together the full and terrifying story of the fall of Singapore and its aftermath. Here, alongside cowardice and incompetence, are forgotten acts of enormous heroism; treachery yet heart-rending loyalty; Japanese compassion as well as brutality from the bravest and most capricious enemy the British ever had to face.

The director of the famed Bodleian Libraries at Oxford narrates the global history of the willful destruction—and surprising survival—of recorded knowledge over the past three millennia. Libraries and archives have been attacked since ancient times but have been especially threatened in the modern era. Today the knowledge they safeguard faces purposeful destruction and willful neglect; deprived of funding, libraries are fighting for their very existence. Burning the Books recounts the history that brought us to this point. Richard Ovenden describes the deliberate destruction of knowledge held in libraries and archives from ancient Alexandria to contemporary Sarajevo, from smashed Assyrian tablets in Iraq to the destroyed immigration documents of the UK Windrush generation. He examines both the motivations for these acts—political, religious, and cultural—and the broader themes that shape this history. He also looks at attempts to prevent and mitigate attacks on knowledge, exploring the efforts of librarians and archivists to preserve information, often risking their own lives in the process. More than simply repositories for knowledge, libraries and archives inspire and inform citizens. In preserving notions of statehood recorded in such historical documents as the Declaration of Independence, libraries support the state itself. By preserving records of citizenship and records of the rights of citizens as enshrined in legal documents such as the Magna Carta and the decisions of the US Supreme Court, they support the rule of law. In Burning the Books, Ovenden takes a polemical stance on the social and political importance of the conservation and protection of knowledge, challenging governments in particular, but also society as a whole, to improve public policy and funding for these essential institutions.

In conjunction with Singapore's 50th birthday in August 2015, 50 Years of Environment: Singapore's Journey Towards Environmental Sustainability takes the reader through Singapore's environmental journey over the past 50 years, to its present day challenges and solutions, and seeks to explore what lies ahead for Singapore's environmental future. This book is divided into three parts. The first, drawn largely from the book Clean, Green and Blue: Singapore's Journey Towards Environmental and Water Sustainability, will explore the historical developments in Singapore's environmental journey and the development of NEWater. The second part will be a collection of essays that examine the present environmental challenges that Singapore faces and the ways in which it is addressing those issues through community engagement, international engagement, research and technology, and industry solutions in order to develop sustainable strategies and solutions. Part Three will bring the book to a close by tying the historical and contemporary threads together and discusses the future challenges for Singapore's environment.

In spite of Singapore's small size, it has long had a major impact on the world because of its geographical location and its wealth. The British initially made the island a major port for the shipping of goods and later as an airline hub for the region. These factors, along with a steady government, have helped to contribute to the country's affluence. This multicultural, multiracial, and multi-religious island-nation is the envy of many countries in the world, which have tried to emulate the economic success of Singapore. The new edition of the Historical Dictionary of Singapore has been completely rewritten since the first edition was released 20 years ago. It relates the history of this country through a chronology, an introductory essay, an expansive bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of Singapore history from the earliest times to the present.

When Singapore fell so ignominiously to the Japanese in February 1942, many tens of thousands of men, women and children were left to their own devices. To stay in Singapore meant certain captivity. This book tells of some of the remarkable and shocking experiences that lay in store for those who decided to escape by whatever means. A shocking and inspiring book that embraces great courage and endurance.

The increasing intensity and frequency of natural disasters all around the world has caused severe socioeconomic impacts, especially in South and Southeast Asia. This region is particularly susceptible to vegetation fires, leading to biomass burning pollution with impacts on other countries through trans-boundary air pollution. Despite the growing body of information on biomass pollutants worldwide, only a modest amount of data from these regions are available. With fires and biomass burning identified as a vital issue in South/Southeast Asia, this two-volume set was created to meet community research and application needs. To better serve the atmospheric, environmental, and remote sensing communities, and to address air quality, climate, and the human health impacts of greenhouse gases and aerosols from biomass burning, this set brings together the collective achievements of experts in these regions and the state-of-the-art technologies and spatial analyses to model and monitor biomass burning events and their impacts. This first volume covers various topics on fire, biomass burning, mapping and monitoring while the second volume highlights the impact of biomass burning on the biosphere and reflects extensive research by interdisciplinary teams of experts. This set will serve as a valuable resource for remote sensing scientist, geographers, ecologists, atmospheric scientists, environmental scientists, and all who wish to advance their knowledge on fires, biomass burning, and biomass burning pollution in South/Southeast Asia Specific Features: Unique in its discussion of the sources and the causes of biomass burning and atmospheric research in South and Southeast Asia. Explains how remote sensing and geospatial technologies help the mapping and monitoring of biomass burning events and their impacts. Focuses on large spatial scales integrating top-down and bottom-up methodologies. Addresses the pressing issues of environmental pollution that are rampant in South and Southeast Asia. Includes contributions from global experts currently working on biomass burning projects in the US, Japan, South/Southeast Asia, and Europe.

The city-state of Singapore is a relatively recent arrival on the world stage. Singapore has achieved the remarkable transformation of transforming itself from a Third World to a First World entity within the span of just one generation. It was founded by a prescient Englishman, Sir Stamford Raffles, a visionary who saw the potential for an expanding British Empire. From February 1819 until February 1942, English presence continued and expanded, until the Japanese invaded and occupied the territory. The Fall of Singapore heralded the end of the British Empire, a time when other colonies were wakened to assert their independence from the colonial yoke. Initially, Singapore was to join the Malaysian Federation, but political differences resulted in the expulsion of the small state. On the same day of that expulsion, Singapore became independent. Lee Kuan Yew, a remarkable man, then assumed the helm of the new country. His political acumen oversaw the transformation of this city-state into a modern powerhouse, a remarkable achievement. Singapore has become a place of advanced trade, the desired tourist attraction, amidst economic and political stability. This achievement is the more remarkable since Singapore has limited land and no natural resources. Its only resource is a deep harbor, sufficient for entrepot trade. It is this singular feature that has been exploited to the fullest. Entering Singaporean waters reflects on a remarkable scene: dozens of ships, of every flag and purpose, from industry to cruise liner, awaits entry to its ports. I describe the scene and setting, together with the remarkable man whose influences are still present among the three different communities comprising Singapore: Chinese, Malaysian, and English-speakers. Though democratic, the Singaporean government is paternalistic, with the greatest care exerted in how different people can live together in harmony. And this city-state is doubly remarkable for the integrity of its government and people. I was amazed to see a full-sized umbrella leaning in a corner of the subway, with none who entered or left the car removing it from its perch. What other city can boast such a standard? I also describe the Jewish community here, how they live in this city-state while Israel and Israeli advisors remain in the background, though exerting great influence on Singaporean defense and military preparedness. This is a remarkable place and its founders set the standard that continues today.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From a bestselling graphic novelist comes “a hugely ambitious, stylistically acrobatic work” (The New York Times Book Review) that brings us on a uniquely moving, funny, and thought-provoking journey through the life of an artist and the history of a nation. Meet Charlie Chan Hock Chye. Now in his early 70s, Chan has been making comics in his native Singapore since 1954, when he was a boy of 16. As he looks back on his career over five decades, we see his stories unfold before us in a dazzling array of art styles and forms, their development mirroring the evolution in the political and social landscape of his homeland and of the comic book medium itself. With The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, Sonny Liew has drawn together a myriad of genres to create a thoroughly ingenious and engaging work, where the line between truth and construct may sometimes be blurred, but where the story told is always enthralling.

The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei is the ultimate travel guide to these three exciting Southeast Asian destinations. Discover this dynamic region; from the turquoise beaches of Thailand, spectacular Gunung Mulu National Park, Mount Kinabalu, historic temples and the Perhentian Islands, to amazing Singaporean cuisine and lively nightlife. Packed with detailed, practical advice, this guide provides up-to-date descriptions of the best hotels in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and recommended restaurants, shopping and festivals, for all budgets. Fully updated and expanded, coverage includes Taman Negara, Penang and Singapore, and magnificent Ulu Muda Forest Reserve. You’ll find expert background on Malaysian, Singaporean and Brunei history, with full colour features exploring Malay culture and Borneo’s longhouse architecture. Explore all corners of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei with the clearest maps of any guide and practical language tips. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

The Author, who lives in Shanghai, sets out to demonstrate that the British military has been at the forefront of many of the great changes that have swept China over the last two centuries.He devotes chapters to the various wars, military adventures and rebellions that regularly punctuated Sino/British relationships since the 1st Opium War 1839-1842. This classic example of Imperial intervention saw the establishment of Hong Kong and Shanghai as key trading centres. The Second Opium War and the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions saw the advancement of British influence despite determined but unsuccessful efforts by the Chinese to loosen the grip of Western domination. The Royal Navys might ensured that, by gunboat diplomacy, trading rights and new posts were established and great fortunes made.But in the 1940s the British grossly underestimated Japanese military might and intentions with disastrous results. After the Second World War the British returned to find that the Americans had supplanted them. The Communists victory in the Civil War sealed British and Western fates and, while Hong Kong remained under British control until 1997, the end of British rule was almost inevitable. But the handover was a masterly piece of pragmatic capitalism and the former Colony remains an economic powerhouse with strong British influence.