Category: reference

Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War

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Historical Dictionary of the Indochina WarHistorical Dictionary of the Indochina War (1945-1954): An International and Interdisciplinary Approach, by Christopher E. Goscha, is the first in English to provide a comprehensive account to date of one of the most important conflicts of the twentieth century. Over 1,600 entries offer in-depth, expert coverage of the war in all its dimensions.

“This is the first dictionary about Vietnam in any language to mine French and Vietnamese sources in equal measure. It ranges beyond Vietnamese and French participants to provide equally incisive entries on British, Chinese, Lao, Cambodian, American, and Soviet actors in a war that took on important international dimensions. The prodigious amount of research that Goscha has put into this dictionary makes it a milestone in the field, a reference work that will be consulted for decades.” —David G. Marr, Australian National University

February 2012 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3604-7 / $175.00 (CLOTH)

Japanese Philosophy: A Sourcebook Now Available in Paperback

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Japanese Philosophy
Japanese Philosophy: A Sourcebook, edited by James W. Heisig, Thomas P. Kasulis, and John C. Maraldo, is now available in paperback.

From a July 2011 blog post: In 1980 Thomas Kasulis (then assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Hawai‘i) dreamed of putting together an anthology focused directly on Japanese philosophical thought. Thirty-one years later, Kasulis and fellow editors James Heisig and John Maraldo have produced what will be an essential reference for English readers interested in traditional or contemporary Japanese culture and the way it has shaped and been shaped by its great thinkers over the centuries. The story behind the Sourcebook’s development, which involved dozens of scholars from around the world, can be found in the Nanzan Institute for Religion & Culture Bulletin 35 (2011).

August 2011 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3618-4 / $35.00 (PAPER)

Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii Back in Print

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Manual of the Flowering PlantsManual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai‘i, by Warren L. Wagner, Derral R.Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer, is available once again. The reprinting of the 2-volume revised edition, “the most significant botanical publication on Pacific plants in recent decades” (Flora Vitiensis Nova), was made possible by funding from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of National History Publication Fund and Walcott Botanical Fund.

Praise for the first edition:
“The most complete and beautifully presented manual that this reviewer has ever seen. It will be an indispensable tool for serious students of the flora of Hawaii.” —Choice

“A very important tool for years to come for botanists studying the floristic and biogeographic questions involving these islands. The authors of this two volume set are to be commended on the production of a significant contribution to the understanding of an extremely interesting flora.” —Phytologia

Japanese Philosophy: A Sourcebook

Posted on by stephchun

Japanese Philosophy
The idea for Japanese Philosophy: A Sourcebook can be traced back to 1980, when Thomas Kasulis (then assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Hawai‘i) dreamed of putting together an anthology focused directly on Japanese philosophical thought. Thirty-one years later, Kasulis and his fellow editors James Heisig and John Maraldo have produced what will be an essential reference for English readers interested in traditional or contemporary Japanese culture and the way it has shaped and been shaped by its great thinkers over the centuries. The story behind the Sourcebook’s development, which involved dozens of scholars from around the world, can be found in the Nanzan Institute for Religion & Culture Bulletin 35 (2011).

July 2011 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3552-1 / $70.00 (CLOTH)

A Bibliographic History of Guam

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GuahanBlending bibliographic integrity with absorbing essays on a wide range of historical interpretations, Guahan: A Bilbiographic History, by Nicholas Goetzfridt, offers a new approach to the history of Guam. Here is a treasure trove of ideas, historiographies, and opportunities that allows readers to reassess previously held notions and conclusions about Guam’s past and the heritage of the indigenous Chamorro people. Particular attention is given to Chamorro perspectives and the impact of more than four hundred years of colonial presences on Micronesia’s largest island.

Extensive cross-references and generous but targeted samples of historical narratives compliment the bibliographic essays. Detailed Name and Subject Indexes to the book’s 326 entries cover accounts and interpretations of the island from Ferdinand Magellan’s “discovery” of Guahan (“Guam” in the Chamorro language) in 1521 to recent events, including the Japanese occupation and the American liberation of Guam in 1944. The indexes enable easy and extensive access to a bounty of information. The Place Index contains both large and localized geographic realms that are placed vividly in the context of these histories. An insightful Foreword by Chamorro scholar Anne Perez is included.

“Goetzfridt’s work demonstrates the dynamics of history, each generation considering past events in light of current realities and contemporary understandings of the world. This volume, therefore, is important not simply because it provides us with an invaluable and substantial fount of references that will be supremely useful to teachers, scholars, and all enthusiasts of Mariana Islands history. Its importance lies also in its packaging as a resource for current and future generations to understand the changing face and contested space of Guam history.” —from the Foreword by Anne Perez Hattori

May 2011 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3481-4 / $55.00 (CLOTH)

Latest in the ABC Chinese Dictionary Series

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ABC English-ChineseThe ABC English-Chinese, Chinese-English Dictionary (ECCE), edited by John DeFrancis and Zhang Yanyin, is a student-oriented bilingual dictionary that, like other dictionaries in the ABC series, organizes Chinese words by their pronunciation as written in pinyin. This innovative, straightforward alphabetical organization allows the user to find most words more quickly and easily. It also facilitates the comparison of words that are pronounced similarly or identically, which is not possible in traditionally-ordered dictionaries. The series’ alphabetical ordering has been imitated in other dictionaries, but ECCE is still unique in that it offers detailed and authoritative coverage of grammar (parts of speech, constructions, and examples) and orthography (both simplified and complex characters as well as pinyin). The ECCE contains 67,633 entries: 29,670 in the English-Chinese section, 37,963 in the Chinese-English section.

The dictionary is a handy 4.5 x 7.5 inches with a plastic flexcover.

ABC Chinese Dictionary Series
October 2010 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3485-2 / $20.00 (PAPER)

English-Tahitian Tahitian English Dictionary Back in Print

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English-Tahitian Tahitian English DictionaryThe English-Tahitian Tahitian English Dictionary is the most useful and comprehensive dictionary of its kind available. The author, Dr. Sven Wahlroos, who was a devoted student of Tahitian for more than three decades, provides an extensive introduction to the language with detailed notes on grammar, usage, and pronunciation.

This reprint edition has been re-sized to 6 inches x 9.25 inches, making it a convenient and handier alternative to larger-sized dictionaries.

“A labor of love that is also a big, solid reference that will get loads of use.” —Honolulu Star-Bulletin

March 2010 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3473-9 / $64.00 (CLOTH)
Distributed for Eva Wahlroos

Tonga: A New Bibliography

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Tonga is a fascinating and subtle combination of a traditional Polynesian kingdom—the only one to survive the impact of colonization in the nineteenth century and remain independent—and a thoroughly Christian country. This comprehensive bibliography is a selective guide to the most significant and accessible English-language books, papers, and articles on every aspect of the kingdom’s history, culture, arts, politics, environment, and economy. It is a much updated and expanded edition of the original version that was published in 1999 as part of the World Bibliographical Series, with the addition of more than 200 new entries. Each of the approximately 600 described and annotated items is organized under broad subject headings, and indexed by author, title, and subject. In addition—and new to this edition—all known Ph.D. theses, although not annotated, are shown within their appropriate subject categories and indexed. Also new is a section on the most important Tonga-related websites. A general introduction describes the Tongan kingdom, its history and society, and its current situation.

“Tonga is unique among bibliographies in its perception and understanding, and in its affection for Tonga and its people. . . . Daly’s work stands on exceptionally sound foundations. . . . His summaries are excellent, indeed, but Daly writes always with the authority of first-hand knowledge, with a keen eye for the essential, and the ability to interpret and clarify obscurities. . . . A trustworthy introduction to Tonga in all its diversity, a splendid point de départ for all, layman or scholar, needing a reliable guide to the essential literature about this remarkable Polynesian kingdom.” —Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies

February 2009 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3196-7 / $65.00 (CLOTH)

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