From the very beginning, Singapore’s promise of adventure and romance lured visitors to her shores. Travellers came from everywhere and found in Singapore so much to amaze and amuse, so much to write home about. The tales selected for this collection take the reader back to the early days of Singapore when pirates roamed the seas and tigers ate Chinamen for breakfast. It was an era of rickshaws and gharries, of pepper and gambier plantations, of secret societies and opium dens. Through the eyes of more than 60 visitors are seen glimpses of a place, a time and a way of life that is very different from today’s. First published in 1985, this classic volume is bound to entertain and inform a whole new generation of readers

Travellers in search of the unexpected found it in Old Japan. Here was a strange land indeed, where women blackened their teeth, men wore tattoos in lieu of clothing, and the whole family bathed together “with as much freedom as a flock of ducks”. Visitors came in thousands and eagerly put pen to paper, commenting on everything Japanese, from curios to coolies, sake to samurai, etiquette to earthquakes. They left behind—in letters, diaries and memoirs—personal impressions of Old Japan, sometimes as revealing of the writers themselves as the country they came to visit. This book features 74 of these traveller’s tales—many of them funny, others serious, but all a pleasure to read

Literary greats have long visited Singapore, fascinated by its culture and history. Explore the experiences of writers like Anton Chekhov, Rabindranath Tagore, Noël Coward, Isabella Bird, Pablo Neruda and Joseph Conrad, among others, and discover how Singapore remained a lasting part of their creative imagination.

A revered Apache spiritual and military leader and a recurring figure in pop culture lore, Geronimo was a key figure during the settlement of the American Southwest. He led one of the last major independent Indian uprisings and personified the struggle of Native Americans during westward expansion. Geronimo: A Biography explores the life of this legendary leader, a man who has become an icon of the courageous—and doomed—struggle of the Native Americans. This biography follows Geronimo's life from his traditional Apache upbringing to his final days as a celebrity prisoner of war. It discusses the historical and social forces at work during the period, including Native American traditions and lifeways. It also shows how Geronimo's surrender in 1886 marked the end of the traditional Native American way of life. No longer free to roam the lands of their forefathers, Indians faced a future of captivity and a struggle to maintain their identity and traditions.

This collection of essays addresses the important issue of public space in terms of its design, use and management and value as a social, economic and cultural resource, with special reference to Singapore. Multi-disciplinary in perspective, it represents the first concerted attempt by academics and practitioners involved in the physical design and planning of Singapore to closely analyse a much neglected aspect of the Singapore's rapid industrialisation and provide suggestions for the country's future development. The book should interest ecologists, sociologists, botanists, geographers, urban planners, engineers, architects and other building professionals as well as the general public.

Landscape architecture plays a vital role in creating Singapore's Garden City image. This book helps to explain the Republic's successful implementation of environmental policies since independence to achieve its present-day image. There are ten chapters in the book. The first three cover background information, the historical setting, and the work of the current government. The approach is to evaluate different plans against natural, social, and sensory criteria. The next six chapters are case studies, selected to show landscape planning policies in more detail. The last chapter includes a discussion of comments made about Singapore's landscapes followed by a summary. The book is illustrated by a profusion of maps, diagrams and plans.

In this fully updated 4th edition of his ever-popular Crossroads, Jim Baker adds new analysis following the watershed 2018 general elections in Malaysia and reviews the policies and impact of the next generation of Singapore’s leaders. The original text, which traces the complex currents of history and politics of Malaysia and Singapore—neighbours with a common past—has also been revised to re-evaluate events in the context of new historical findings and perspectives. From Srivijaya to British colony to modern states, this is “history without tears” (The New Straits Times). “A must-read” — Ken Whiting, former Associated Press Singapore Bureau Chief “Baker’s thrilling book profits from his refusal to separate Singapore’s history from Malaysia’s. What we get is a broad story filled with surprising details drawn from his own experiences and from other scholarly works and told in an easy and captivating style.” — Dr Ooi Kee Beng, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore "Jim Baker’s Crossroads is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows in more than a few quarters. His book presents a side of history not many may be aware of or even want to know … it is as thought-provoking as it is enlightening.” — The Sun

Eisen Teo is a senior history researcher and docent with a Singapore-based heritage consultancy. He graduated with a first class honours in History from the National University of Singapore. He spends his free time researching on Singapore history, transport, and urban issues, and exploring the concrete jungle that is Singapore