The ancient port town of Malacca is an old town rich in history. Since the beginning of Malacca, its community was made up of a colourful potpourri of cultures and beliefs. The different communities have their own understanding of the powers of the supernatural. As far back as the year 1421, there was a written account from Chinese records of the strange and paranormal witnessed in Malacca. These stories continued in Portuguese, Dutch and British eras, up to modern times. There were accounts about hauntings, poltergeists, cryptozoology, giants, spirits, sorcery, witchcraft, shapeshifting creatures, simulacra, magical cures, strange phenomena, unusual human powers and other bizarre tales. Many of these stories have now become obscured and forgotten to us. This book contains a collection of 60 strange and paranormal stories reported from past reports, news, accounts, statements and descriptions that were officially recorded in books, journals, articles and newspapers.

The Medieval Chronology of Malacca is from an academic paper presented by Charles Otto Blagden at the International Congress of Orientalists that was held in Paris in 1896. Drawing from Chinese, Portuguese and Malay sources, Blagden, a former District Officer of Malacca, Dean of the School of Oriental and African Studies and a Reader in Malay at the University of London, provides a compelling argument on when Malacca was first established as the Kingdom of the Malacca Malay Sultanate.

"Time travel, UFOs, mysterious planets, stigmata, rock-throwing poltergeists, huge footprints, bizarre rains of fish and frogs-nearly a century after Charles Fort's Book of the Damned was originally published, the strange phenomenon presented in this book remains largely unexplained by modern science. Through painstaking research and a witty, sarcastic style, Fort captures the imagination while exposing the flaws of popular scientific explanations. Virtually all of his material was compiled and documented from reports published in reputable journals, newspapers and periodicals because he was an avid collector. Charles Fort was somewhat of a recluse who spent most of his spare time researching these strange events and collected these reports from publications sent to him from around the globe. This was the first of a series of books he created on unusual and unexplained events and to this day it remains the most popular. If you agree that truth is often stranger than fiction, then this book is for you"--Taken from Good Reads website.

Written in the perspective of a Malaysian Dutch descendant, it gives a comprehensive and never before narrated story about the history of the Dutch in Malaysia and the Malaysian Dutch community. This book divides the Dutch historical influences in Malaysia into four different eras. Each era is analysed and represented in relation to its respective social environment and political developments. Included are the historical contributions of individuals, such as the Dutch Admirals who attempted to capture Malacca, the Dutch Governors and their administrative ranks who governed the town and the contributions of the Malacca Burghers in shaping Malaysia's history.

In the tradition of celebrated wartime storytellers Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel casts a powerful spell. The recipient of extraordinary acclaim from critics and the bookselling community, Tan Twan Eng's debut novel casts a powerful spell and has garnered comparisons to celebrated wartime storytellers Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene. Set during the tumult of World War II, on the lush Malayan island of Penang, The Gift of Rain tells a riveting and poignant tale about a young man caught in the tangle of wartime loyalties and deceits. In 1939, sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton-the half-Chinese, half-English youngest child of the head of one of Penang's great trading families-feels alienated from both the Chinese and British communities. He at last discovers a sense of belonging in his unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip proudly shows his new friend around his adored island, and in return Endo teaches him about Japanese language and culture and trains him in the art and discipline of aikido. But such knowledge comes at a terrible price. When the Japanese savagely invade Malaya, Philip realizes that his mentor and sensei-to whom he owes absolute loyalty-is a Japanese spy. Young Philip has been an unwitting traitor, and must now work in secret to save as many lives as possible, even as his own family is brought to its knees.

Now a Netflix Mandarin original drama! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger, a Reese’s Book Club pick Yangsze Choo’s stunning debut, The Ghost Bride, is a startlingly original novel infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, and unexpected supernatural twists. Li Lan, the daughter of a respectable Chinese family in colonial Malaysia, hopes for a favorable marriage, but her father has lost his fortune, and she has few suitors. Instead, the wealthy Lim family urges her to become a “ghost bride” for their son, who has recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at what price? Night after night, Li Lan is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, where she must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family. Reminiscent of Lisa See’s Peony in Love and Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter, The Ghost Bride is a wondrous coming-of-age story and from a remarkable new voice in fiction.

This fully revised third edition of this Concise Encyclopedia brings it completely up-to-date. Featuring lively and engaging entries by some of the leading philosophers of our age, it is a readable reference work and engaging introduction.

The author presents a clear-sighted and sobering analysis of where we are today in the struggle against terrorism. Jenkins, an internationally renowned authority on terrorism, distills the jihadists?? operational code and outlines a pragmatic but principled approach to defeating the terrorist enterprise. We need to build upon our traditions of determination and self-reliance, he argues, and above all, preserve our commitment to American values.

This book serves as an essential guide for those visiting St Paul's Hill at Malacca. It provides the vistor with background information regarding the ancient tombstones and graves found at the hill. It details out the location of the historic graves and includes a transcript of the epitaphs. Also provided are translations Portuguese, Latin and Dutch writings on the tombstones, as well as background information on those who were buried there. The graves on St Paul’s Hill are located in three different areas. The first is located within the ruined church on the top of the hill. The second is located in the area on the outside surrounding the ruined church. Thirdly, there are a number of graves located in the old cemetery at the foot of the hill, known as the Dutch cemetery. Research for this book covers previous publications on the graves at St Paul's Hill, including research done by E. M. Merryweather (1900), Robert Norman (1905) and Alan Harfield (1984). However, this book provides further details on the background of those who were interred at St Paul’s Hill. With this book, the visitor will receive a better insight on the many historical tombstones of those real people who had once lived or visited Malacca and were interred at the hill. It is also an ideal reference book for Malaysian Tourist Guides. It will help Guides to speak more confidently about the historic tombstones at St Paul's Hill.

The Unfortunate Dutchman is a tale of the many trials and tribulations faced by Jacob van Kal, an employee of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), during this travels to the Far East and his return to Holland at the end of the 18th century. It tells of his journey together with his family to Batavia, then the seat of the VOC’s power in the East, but only to find that he brought them to their doom as they contracted and died unknown tropical diseases. Unable to break the bond of his employment, he was transferred to a relatively unimportant Dutch colony in Malacca. There, he remarried but he eventually became entwined in tussle with the colony’s governor and it led him to be imprisoned and ultimately dismissed from his employment. Upon Jacob van Kal’s return to Holland, he initiated legal proceedings and he was granted compensation on what would be an astronomical payout from the Dutch government. Jacob’s curse of misfortunes surpasses the tolerances of the normal man but his tragedy tells an amazing story of his travels and experiences in the East Indies.