Malay Sketches
Alfian Sa'at
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789810718015

Malay Sketches is a collection of stories that borrows its name from a book of anecdotes by colonial governor Frank Swettenham. In Alfian Sa'at's hands, these sketches are re-imagined as flash fictions that record the lives of a spectrum of vivid and unforgettable characters. With precise and penetrating prose, Malay Sketches offers the reader profound and radical insights into the realities of life as an ethnic minority in Singapore.

Red Star Over Malaya: Resistance and Social Conflict During and After the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, 1941-46 [4th ed]
Cheah Boon Kheng
Singapore: NUS Press, 2012
ISBN: 9789971695088

Red Star Over Malaya describes inter-racial relations between Malays and Chinese during the final stages of the Japanese Occupation and its aftermath. In 1941, none of the three major races of Malaya - Malays, Chinese, and Indians - regarded themselves as "Malayans" with a common identity. When the Occupation forcibly cut them off from China, Chinese residents began to look inwards towards Malaya and stake political claims, leading inevitably to a political contest with the Malays. As the country advanced towards nationhood and self-government, there was tension between traditional loyalties to the Malay rulers and the states, or to ancestral homelands elsewhere, and the need to cultivate an enduring loyalty to Malaya on the part of those who would make their home there in future.

When Japanese forces withdrew from the countryside, the Chinese guerillas of the communist-led resistance movement, the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), emerged from the jungle and took control of many smaller towns and villages. When the British Military Administration sought to regain control of these liberated areas, the ensuing conflict set the tone for future political conflicts and marked a crucial stage in the history of Malaya. Red Star Over Malaya draws on extensive archival research to provide a riveting account of the way the Japanese Occupation reshaped colonial Malaya, and of the tension-filled months that followed Japan's surrender. The book is fundamental to an understanding of social and political developments in Malaysia during the second half of the 20th century.

Gateway to Old School Games [Asian edition]
Asiapac Editorial
Singapore: Asiapac Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789812296146

Chapteh, congkak, hopscotch and five stones... Do these names ring a bell? This book takes you back in time to the 1950s and 1960s for some old school games that children used to play before the age of iPads, Nintendo and the Internet. None of the games mentioned in this book are electronic, yet they have provided many hours of fun and entertainment for the kids of yesterday.

Read on to find out which games have been played for more than 5,000 years, and the origins of certain toys we have taken for granted. Hark back to a simpler era when fun was about maximising a child's imagination and creativity, and discover new ways of having fun!

Whether you are a child, parent or simply someone who is nostalgic about the good old days at kampungs, this book is meant for you!

Did You Know?: Jacob Ballas
Edmund Lim W.K.
Singapore: Pearson, 2012
9789810611576

The story of Jacob Ballas is one of rags to riches. Born into a poor Jewish family, the young Jacob had to learn that success can only be achieved by hard work and determination. Persevering through poverty, World War II and other challenging times, Jacob Ballas became one of the most illustrious stockbrokers in Singapore. However, despite his new-found wealth, he never forgot his roots, nor did he lose his compassion and generosity. Find out how Jacob Ballas overcame the many obstacles in his life to become one of Singapore's most inspiring philanthropists!

Did You Know?: Sir Stamford Raffles
Vera Edwards
Singapore: Pearson, 2012
ISBN: 9789810619824

You have probably heard of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern-day Singapore, but who was he before he became one of Singapore's icons? And what became of him after he founded Singapore?

Born in the late 18th century, to a family that was too poor to send him to school, Raffles had to work hard to succeed in life. Discover the ambition and passion that drove this man to rise above his humble beginnings to become the Governor-General of Bencoolen, and eventually, the founder of Singapore!

Did You Know?: Professor Chao Tzee Cheng
Brenda Tan
Singapore: Pearson, 2012
ISBN: 9789810619817

Professor Chao Tzee Cheng was Singapore's foremost forensic pathologist for more than 30 years. He helped the police in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and even West Africa to solve many murder cases.

His passion for solving crimes was driven by his strong sense of justice. Find out how he became the best forensic pathologist in Singapore and how he solved some of the most shocking crimes in South East Asia!

Did You Know?: Brother Joseph McNally
Mary Strang
Singapore: Pearson, 2012
ISBN: 9789810621179

Brother Joseph McNally was an Irishman by birth, but became a Singaporean by choice. A missionary with the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Brother Joseph came to Singapore as a teacher. A great man and an even better teacher, Brother Joseph touched many lives in the years that he lived here. An artist at heart, he made many contributions to further the importance of art in Singapore, and we have him to thank for founding the LASALLE College of the Arts. Get to know this gentle but passionate man who dedicated his life to serving the people of Singapore!

A Guide to 21st Century Singapore Architecture
Patrick Bingham-Hall
Singapore: Pesaro Publishing, 2012
ISBN: 9789814428002

Singapore has been the location for a spectacular amount of architectural activity over the last decade, and is now acknowledged as one of the world's architectural hotspots. The rate of construction has not been slowed by the economic downturn that hit so many other global cities, and many of the world's best architects are now working in Singapore. At the heart of a momentous geo-political swing to Asia, the city currently occupies a unique position at the forefront of global change, and the extraordinary range of new architecture reflects this new 21st century reality.

Our Gurkhas: Singapore Through Their Eyes
Zakaria Zainal
Singapore: Wee Editions, 2012
ISBN: 9789810730260

Gurkhas. The word evokes images of an elite force dedicated to protect and serve. Loyal and impartial, these men from Nepal have undergirded the security of Singapore through turbulent times—like the Indonesian Confrontation, Hock Lee Bus Riots and Maria Hertogh Riots—as well as stood guard over historic events, like the first General Election of Singapore in 1959.

Through this poignant anthology of portraits and anecdotes, experience first-hand accounts of key milestones in Singapore’s history, and marvel at the contribution of the silent sentinels who have dedicated their lives to this nation.

Studying Singapore's Past: C.M. Turnbull and the History of Modern Singapore
Nicholas Tarling (ed.)
Singapore: NUS Press, 2012
ISBN: 9789971696467

C.M. (Mary) Turnbull’s contributions to historical writing on Singapore extended from her 1962 thesis, published in 1972 as The Straits Settlements, 1826-67: Indian presidency to crown colony, to her magisterial history of Singapore, first published in 1977 and re-issued in 2009 in an updated edition as A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2006. Her approach to history involved detailed work with documents and published materials, with a particular focus on political and economic history. One contributor to the present volume described the book as an “exercise in endowing a modern ‘nation-state’ with a coherent past that should explain the present.’

As styles in history evolved, younger scholars including some of her former students and colleagues began exploring new approaches to historical research that drew on non-English-language source material and asked fresh questions of the sources. Mary enjoyed controversy and expected debate, and had a deep interest in these accounts, which were in many ways a natural progression from her own publications even when they raised questions about her interpretations and conclusions.

Studying Singapore’s Past had its origins in a conference organized to discuss her work. The volume includes ten contributions, some from long-established scholars of Singapore’s history, others from a new generation of researchers. Their work offers an evaluation of established understandings of Singapore’s history, and gives an indication of new directions that researchers are exploring. In publishing the book, the editor not only pays tribute to a distinguished historian but also makes a contribution to the historiography of Singapore and to ongoing debates about Singapore’s past.

Praying to the Goddess of Mercy: A Memoir of Mood Swings
Mahita Vas
Singapore: Monsoon Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789814358910

When Mahita Vas was fifteen, a teacher at her Catholic school in Singapore said she could see the devil in her eyes. Throughout her career with SIA, then as a highflying advertising industry executive, the author led a volatile life: sometimes blissfully and enviably contented, at other times screaming like a lunatic. Born to Indian parents and raised by a Chinese amah, Mahita Vas struggled to fit into a conservative society where exuberance is frowned upon and conformity is a tradition. At nineteen, she started as a flight attendant and worked her up to a senior position at a leading advertising agency. Over the years she found herself working with companies such as BMW, Ogilvy, Four Seasons and L’Oreal. She also got married and raised a family. No one suspected she was mentally ill despite her extreme mood swings. Frequent explosive rants led to a bipolar disorder diagnosis at fortytwo, followed by a suicide attempt where she narrowly escaped death. Set in Singapore, Praying to the Goddess of Mercy charts Mahita’s journey from chaos to stability. It offers insights into an illness for which there is no known cause, no cure and no immunity. It will inspire and enlighten people with mental disorders and the loved ones who suffer with them, and, ultimately, it is about being true to oneself and having the courage to take charge in the pursuit of happiness.

Year of the Tiger: A Wartime Secret in Singapore Triggers a Global Bioterrorism Nightmare
David Miller
Singapore: Monsoon Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789814358897

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army looted untold amounts of gold and other valuables from across its occupied colonies in Southeast Asia to finance the empire’s ongoing military expansion. But when the tide of war turned against Japan in 1943, much of this treasure had to be buried in secret. Over the decades thousands have searched in vain for the legendary Yamashita’s Gold, until now.

A group of foreign workers digging a tunnel under the Padang in present-day Singapore stumbles across a forgotten underground vault and inadvertently triggers a biological booby trap set by the Japanese a generation earlier to protect Yamashita’s Gold. An unknown strain of anthrax is released that threatens a global holocaust. To stop this biological disaster, it is up to Inspector Gerald Loh of the Singapore Police Force to decipher a cryptic clue left behind with the loot by General Yamashita’s men.

Year of the Tiger takes readers on a roller-coaster journey of political wrangling, murky history and secret organisations, from World War II Singapore to the present day, to discover the elusive cure for a seemingly unstoppable anthrax pandemic.

This story, a work of fiction, is based on well-researched historical facts. A sizeable amount of the loot seized by Golden Lily – a secret arm of the Japanese Government during World War II – was stashed underground in Singapore, Malaya and the Philippines. Obscure Japanese shrines and forgotten tunnels which still exist in Singapore, continue to fuel speculation over the location of these treasure troves none of which have been found. However a test archaeological excavation of the Padang in 2009 uncovered amongst other things, a trench dating back to World War II as well as the remains of several gas masks.

Savour Chinatown
Annette Tan
Singapore: Ate Media, 2012
ISBN: 9789810870935

Savour Chinatown is the first book in a series that pays tribute to a local enclave in Singapore featuring the many stories behind the history of the food served there and how it has developed over the years.

Singapore is famous for its many streets that house food stalls and restaurants that have served many generations of devoted foodies. These great culinary neighborhoods are renowned for the way they have shaped Singapore’s food scene at the most basic level, providing quality fare, consistently and sometimes for generations. Yet as the years pass and neighborhoods change, that knowledge is slowly being lost and Singapore’s food heritage is in danger of forgetting its past and losing its sense of place.

Savour Chinatown collects and gathers these stories so they’re not lost to future generations of Singaporeans; the volume also celebrates the diversity of hawker stalls, shops and businesses that have existed over the past 100 years.

Rebel With a Course
Damian D'Silva
Singapore: Ate Media, 2012
ISBN: 9789810703424

Damian D’Silva’s charming, witty essay follows the renowned chef ’s upbringing in post-war Singapore, from the unstable 50s to the swinging 60s. He recollects his mother’s cooking, and that of his Malay neighbours, which he used to enjoy as a child. In this book, the Bad Boy of the local food scene also brings us for a crazy ride through Orchard Road in the 70s, during his more tumultuous youth.

Keeping the Faith: Syed Isa Samait, Mufti of Singapore, 1972-2010
Syed Zakir Hussain
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2012
ISBN: 9789814342087

Syed Isa Semait worked as a typist, welder, bookseller and marriage registrar before being appointed Mufti of Singapore in 1972 at the age of 33. He soon found his decisions aimed at improving the religious life of Singapore’s Muslim community challenged by many. Some called him a government lackey. But backed by his peers and older religious leaders, he persevered and gradually won the hearts and minds of many Muslim Singaporeans round to what he was convinced was the best way for them to organise their religious affairs in the midst of rapid development.

Keeping the Faith tells the story of Syed Isa, the Mufti of Singapore for almost 40 years, and how with his guidance, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis, or Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) oversaw improvements to the collection and administration of zakat or tithes, the fixing of Islamic calendar dates, the administration of wakaf or endowments, and the revamping of religious education to keep up with changing times. By the time he stepped down from the post of Mufti at the end of 2010, Syed Isa had helped see to a more confident and progressive Muslim community that was no less religious but more conscious of the role it could play in a cosmopolitan, multi-religious Singapore. As an active member of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Syed Isa also led the way in fostering friendships with leaders of the various faiths in Singapore.

Keeping the Faith shows how Syed Isa applied his knowledge and convictions to help shape what he believed would lead to the best outcomes for his community.

Green House: Sustainable Design at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Patrick Bellew, Meredith Davey, & Paul Baker
Novato, CA: ORO Editions, 2012
ISBN: 9781935935568

The book explores the sustainable design principles and innovative engineering behind the development of two of the world's largest conditioned public conservatories or biomes. Nestled within waterfront gardens, the biomes are the centrepiece of a development that will define Singapore as the world's premier tropical garden city: gardens that are on track to become a national and international exemplar of sustainable practice.

Through a combination of photographs, graphics and narratives, the book explores the challenges of building two huge enclosures to recreate, in Singapore's naturally sunny, hot and humid environment, the ideal growing conditions for plants from cool-dry Mediterranean regions and the cool-moist conditions of tropical mountain regions.

While the thrust of the narrative will consider the environmental design and engineering approach of Atelier Ten, three other voices reflect upon the landscape, architectural and structural engineering issues that confronted the core members of the integrated design team. As environmental engineers Atelier Ten developed highly innovative passive and active environmental strategies for controlling conditions within the conservatories, while minimising energy demand to exemplar levels. Outside the Biomes the unique Supertree structures house components of the systems that provide cool and dry air to the biomes and also incorporate photovoltaic panels to generate power. The systems run mainly on tree-thinnings - waste material generated by Singapore's National Parks maintenance programme - which are being diverted from landfill to be used as a source of biomass to generate energy and heat. The landscaping incorporates extensive natural water treatment devices to control, attenuate and cleanse the enormous flows of water from the biome roof areas and the hard landscaping areas during tropical storms. These have been seamlessly integrated into the hard and soft landscaping which comes to life during the frequent deluges that are characteristic of the tropical climate. In addition, Atelier Ten have developed sustainable management matrices to establish agreed principles of design and construction to exceed benchmarks establish by LEED(TM), Singapore's BCA Green Mark scheme and One Planet Living approaches.

Tales of Old Singapore: the Glorious Past of Asia's Greatest Emporium
Iain Manley
Hong Kong: Earnshaw Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789881998408

Old Singapore was an eclectic trade emporium, where an ethnically and culturally diverse populace coalesced, and sometimes clashed, under the aegis of the British Empire.

It was a fascinating world filled with traders of all nations, roving bands of pirates, murderers running amuck and even the occasional flesh-hungry tiger. Using a patchwork of words and images from Singapore's residents and visitors of yesteryear, author Iain Manley brings old Singapore's colourful colonial past back to life with striking clarity.

Private Lives: An Expose of Singapore's Rainforests
Wang Luan Keng
Singapore: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, 2012
ISBN: 9789810724733

The latest in this brilliantly done series of interesting books about Singapore's nature and biodiversity. It covers maybe the most important habitat of all: the tropical rainforests, which still cover small sections of the island. Packed with new information and new stunning photography of charismatic animals and plants that will surprise you. Great souvenir and gift item as well as important reference for serious students of tropical ecology.

Singapore Childhood: Our Stories Then and Now
Jamie Koh
Singapore: World Scientific, 2012
ISBN: 9789814390774

The political, economic and social changes that have occurred over the past 60 years have shaped and transformed the childhood of children in Singapore. This book explores this transformation through anecdotes and memories through interviews with individuals hailing from different races and age groups, together with related archived materials from different sources. The components of childhood birth, home, play, school, health and welfare are revisited so as to provide useful insights about the past to young readers and at the same time serve as a nostalgic read for older readers.

Written in a simple and accessible manner and filled with numerous photographs and specially commissioned cartoons, this book will be of interest to anyone who is interested in knowing about childhood as it was and is being experienced in Singapore.