Selected Readings
Shanghai represents a particular challenge to the book buying forces here in the Museum Store. Not only is this a long exhibition (running from February into September), but there is an abundance of published materials related to the art and culture of the city.
Naturally, we cannot carry everything—those of you who are familiar with our store know the limitations—but we’re stocking nearly everything we can find in print: scholarly texts as well as sumptuously illustrated volumes; memoirs and modernist fiction; architectural studies and travelogues.
What follows is something of a primer, and is by no means exhaustive; all told, we’ll have between 80-100 related titles, depending on availability. Stop by the Museum Store to see what’s new.
Art and China’s Revolution
by
Melissa Chiu
Exploring the full artistic and intellectual consequences of China’s Cultural Revolution, this comprehensive survey deals with original records as well as contemporary artists’ responses to politics and protocol.
Shanghai Architecture & Design
by
daab
From the well-known daab series comes a full-color tome that reinforces Shanghai’s position as a leader in forward-thinking design. As a bonus, we have this book at a great price.
Shanghai: The Rise & Fall of a Decadent City 1842-1949
by
Stella Dong
Dong crafts an exceedingly detailed biography of a city that was once called “the whore of the east.” If you’re looking for a salacious account of mobs, brothels and politicking, this is your book.
Shanghai Girl Gets All Dressed Up
by
Beverley Jackson
The undeniable charms of fashion are fully illustrated in this approachable introduction to Shanghai’s stylish revolution.
Modern Urban Housing in China 1840-2000
by
Lu Junhua, Peter G. Rowe, & Zhang Jie
This authoritative study of China views architecture throughout its historical, political, and economic revolutions.
Shanghai Style: Art & Design Between the Wars
by
Lynn Pan
Pan strikes the perfect balance in a handbook that is neither too scholarly nor too pedestrian.
Shanghai Style
by
Angelika Taschen
You’ll find no shortage of visual diaries on China’s most dynamic city, but this is one of the best. Plus, it’s a Taschen book, which means a lot of quality for little money.
Shanghai Architecture: Watermark Architectural Guides
by
Anne Warr
The architect and preservationist draws from a rich history to create an engaging guide to urban culture in a practical format for travelers.
The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai
by
Han Bangqing, translated by Eileen Chang, revised by Eva Hung
A classic of modern China offers entry into the pleasure quarters of late-19th Century Shanghai. Originally written in the Wu dialect, it received wider readership after Eileen Chang’s translation, and in 1998 was adapted into the film Flowers of Shanghai. One of the best examples of the mannered life of brothels, as well as an excellent work of fiction—highly recommended.
The Song of Everlasting Sorrow
by
Wang Anyi, translated by Michael Berry & Susan Chan Egan
Beginning in the high-glamour years prior to WWII, Wang’s novel chronicles the story of a naïve contestant in the Miss Shanghai pageant and follows her for the ensuing half-century. The result is an intimate portrait of a city and its people, absorbing and intricately crafted.
