where are the leftist histories of the different regions of asia?

Submitted by Agent of the I… on October 9, 2019

There are quite a number of books that cover Western Asia (usually written as part of a 'history of the middle east') from a left wing perspective, but I feel that attention hasn't been afforded to other parts of Asia - particularly the South, East and Southeast regions. Perhaps I am mistaken. What books would you recommend in these subjects?

I have read A People's History of the World by Chris Harman which have dealt with these regions, as one would expect from a book attempting to cover all of the world. But that was a long time ago, and I don't remember much of any details from it.

Reddebrek

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Reddebrek on October 9, 2019

It depends on what you mean by left wing, the CPC and Communist party of Vietnam have published loads of histories of their nations and the region, even the Khmer Rouge published a surprising amount on the old Khmer Empire.

I don't know if you'd call it leftist per se, but Red Brotherhood is a history of South East Asia focusing mainly on their communist party movements and their nationalistic rivals and conflicts with each other.

There was also that book about the Uplands of Asia the Art of not being Governed.

sherbu-kteer

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sherbu-kteer on October 10, 2019

Heard good things about "Mao's China and After" by Maurice Meisner

R Totale

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on October 10, 2019

Not read it myself so can't say how good it is, but Benedict Anderson generally seems pretty sound, and his Under Three Flags is described as "a compelling exploration of late-nineteenth-century politics and culture against a background of militant anarchism in Europe and the Americas, Jose Marti's armed uprising in Cuba and anti-imperialist protests in China and Japan. Anderson charts the complex intellectual interactions of two great Filipino writers – the political novelist Jose Rizal and the pioneering folklorist Isabelo de los Reyes – with avant-garde European literature and politics, connecting nationalist movements of the era."

I was going to add that I'd be interested if anyone can specifically recommend histories of the Korean anarchist movement and the Shinmin commune, but after a brief bit of looking I've found "Asia's Unknown Uprisings Volume 1: South Korean Social Movements in the 20th Century" by George K, which sounds like it's probably what I'm looking for (dunno if I'll ever get around to reading it though) - "Asia's Unknown Uprisings Volume 2: People Power in the Philippines, Burma, Tibet, China, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, and Indonesia, 1947—2009" may also be of interest to you?

Mike Harman

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Mike Harman on October 11, 2019

Japanese Workers and the Struggle for Power, 1945-47, by Joe Moore, is excellent.

There's also John Crump on the anarchist movement in Japan.

Also Ngo Van Xuyet's writings on the Saigon Commune.

sherbu-kteer

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by sherbu-kteer on October 12, 2019

Anyone have any thoughts on Bruce Cumings' work on Korea?

R Totale

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on October 12, 2019

Also, just realising this is pretty East Asian-focused - as far as India goes, the Angry Workers of the World wrote this about 1968 in India, and there's this on workers' history in Faridabad. Could ask the AWW or Gurgaon Workers News for more reading recommendations if you're curious?
For reading recommendations on China, Chuang have got you covered with a great big list here.

Agent of the I…

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Agent of the I… on October 12, 2019

R Totale

I was going to add that I'd be interested if anyone can specifically recommend histories of the Korean anarchist movement...

Have you read Anarchism in Korea by Dongyoun Hwang? I haven't read it myself, so I can't say whether it is good or not.

R Totale

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on October 13, 2019

Agent of the International

Have you read Anarchism in Korea by Dongyoun Hwang? I haven't read it myself, so I can't say whether it is good or not.

I have not.

Method of Freedom

4 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Method of Freedom on October 13, 2019

checking the pdfs i have downloaded but not read

The Birth of Chinese Feminism Essential Texts in Transnational Theory has section on He-Yin Zhen Chinese anarchist 7 essays about

there are 2 essays and biography on Itō Noe in book I don't have name of but I think it's The Bluestockings of Japan: New Woman Essays and Fiction from Seitô, 1911-16

looking for the name of the book I found 2 university thesis

Rebel Girls:
Radical Feminism and Self-Narrative in Early 20th-Century Japan and China (chapter 2)
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1093&context=senproj_s2019

ITO NOE: LIVING IN FREEDOM A CRITIQUE OF PERSONAL GROWTH IN JAPANESE
SOCIETY

these and 3 essay translations
https://beyondthepalebookclub.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/14742.pdf

an account of her death
https://libcom.org/history/how-strangle-anarchists

Anarchism and Chinese political culture by Peter Zarrow

Anarchism and Syndicalism in the Colonial and Postcolonial World, 1870–1940 has some chapters on asia as does Robert Grahams anthology

https://libcom.org/files/Anarchism1870_1940.pdf

https://libcom.org/library/anarchism-documentary-history-libertarian-ideas-volume-1-2/