I’m currently reading Jade City by Fonda Lee which is an urban fantasy novel based loosely on 1960s Hong Kong and it has once again reminded me of how little I know about recent Asian history. I’m mostly interested in the 19th and especially 20th century, how Japan became such a powerful colonial power, how the Opium Wars impacted China’s role in the region, and how WWII played out in that part of the world. I am looking for a comprehensive overview, not a vignette of a specific event. I’d love for the book not to be written from a Western perspective (but am open to such suggestions) and bonus points if there’s an audiobook!
I am also separately looking for a book on the Opium Wars – doesn’t even have to be a book, can be a documentary or podcast or whatever, too.
by captain-ignotus