From Kilts to Sarongs: Scottish Pioneers of Singapore
Graham Berry
Singapore: Landmark Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789814189651

Farquhar, Crawford, Cavenagh, Thomson, Anderson, Napier, Fullerton, Henderson, MacRitchie, MacPherson, Outram, Purvis, Spottiswoode. These are some of the Scots who have played a part in making Singapore.

Guthrie, Fraser & Neave, Rodyk & Davidson, Sime Darby, Swan & Maclaren, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Straits Trading Company. These are just a few of the numerous companies with Scottish founders who continue to play an active role in the economy of Singapore.

The old Parliament House, Raffles Institution, Raffles Hotel, Stamford House, Goodwood Park Hotel, Cairnhill, Horsburgh Lighthouse, MacDonald House. All these places and more have Scottish connections in one way or another.

Written in a popular style, this book tells the story of the Scots -- administrators, engineers, traders and various professionals -- who helped to develop early Singapore and lay some of the foundations for its undoubted growth and success.

The first book on the subject, it appeals to not only the large Scottish community in Singapore, but also all who are interested in the history and heritage of Singapore.

25 Years of The Substation: Reflections on Singapore's First Independent Art Centre
The Substation
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810967987

INDEPENDENCE. OPPORTUNITY. RAW. EXPERIMENTAL. FRINGE. PROGRESS. RESPONSIVE. EMPATHY. FEARLESS. IMAGINATION. PERSEVERANCE. CHALLENGE. INCUBATOR. SUPPORTIVE. CONTEMPORARY. MULTIDISCIPLINARY. SOCIOPOLITICAL. CRITICALITY. OPENNESS. DIVERSITY. COMMUNITY. POSSIBILITIES. PASSIONATE. PROCESS. HOME.

25 Years of The Substation features the accounts of 25 artists and people who have been associated with The Substation since its founding in 1990. The book is organised around 25 words, which serve as entry points for an extended conversation about The Substation, its stakeholders, and Singaporean society and the arts.

Remains: A Singapore Journey
Kostas Ikonomopoulos
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810961817

The mausoleum of a Muslim saint stands next to an elevated coastal expressway. The Latin-inscribed tombstones of Christian missionaries lay half-buried and forgotten between bungalows and a childcare center. A quarantine station and detention facility is turned into a series of dormitories for tourists. And then there is the improbable shrine to a German girl turned goddess of luck.

Remains is an unorthodox travelogue, a journey through graveyards, stations, and assorted remnants of Singapore's past. It is also an effort to document locations and preserve stories in an island-city that shape-shifted from colonial backwater to glistening business hub at breakneck speed.

The book attempts a look at another Singapore, which is almost a neglected twin to the one everyone knows. It reconstructs a cultural past which is falling victim to a unique, if unavoidable, vanishing act; a past barely preserved in the form of faded gravestones, crumbling aluminum watchtowers, repainted barracks, barricaded hospitals, neglected theme parks and dismantled rail tracks.

At the same time, Remains is a meditation on the policies of development and heritage preservation and a deeply personal account of the history and the aesthetic appeal of the decayed, the forsaken and the bizarre in Singapore.

A Walk through History: A Guide to the Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore: NParks, 2015
ISBN: 9789810962777

A Walk Through History: A Guide to the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a succinct guide to Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is easily portable for visitors interested in exploring the heritage and modern features of the Gardens. Also included is a pull-out map marked with recommended routes to help visitors plan their visit.

The guide is separated into three parts, the first being an introduction to the 156-year history of the Gardens. The second part takes a closer look at the people, plants and buildings that are significant to its rich heritage. The third part focuses on the modern features of the Gardens, such as the world-famous National Orchid Garden, and also highlights some of the wildlife that can be spotted around the grounds

Singapore: Sketches of the Lion City [New ed.]
Lorette E. Roberts
Hong Kong: Bridge House Design, 2015
ISBN: 9789889732868

Returning to update Singapore: Sketches of the Lion City, artist and illustrator Lorette E. Roberts was once again struck by the variety of flowers and trees and how naturally they bloom in modern Singapore. Now, Supertrees, Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands are part of the landscape, having "grown" since her last visit. In her inimitable and unmistakable style, Lorette has now included these along with the other famous sights in this exciting colourful new edition.

In addition to Raffles Hotel, Boat Quay, Orchard Road, Sentosa and the newly anointed UNESCO Botanic Gardens are all featured in this new edition. Roberts has captured all the varied architectural styles prevalent in the Lion City: Shophouses, Colonial Bungalows, 'Black and White' homes, the refurbished Fulerton Heritage by the Bay are also included along side the other classic civic buildings which make up Singapore today.

Lorette's sharp eye is trained to spot the unusual: ancient houses on stilts, a tree walk, organic gardens, the old-world charm of Tiong Bahru, Ang Mo Kio's Sunday Bird Club, a tiger-car replica, ethnic fabric designs, hedgehog pastries and vibrant street art. In this engaging book there is something for everyone to enjoy including her trademark snail hidden on every page!

Faith in Architecture: 50 Houses of Worship in Singapore
Gül İnanç (ed.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810953737

Often we are not fully aware of the artistic, diverse and divine features of more than a thousand houses of worship, which surround us in this small, culturally diverse city-state. This semi-photobook is a humble attempt to give 50 of these sacred sands/stones the voice required to share their stories with us and for us to move a little closer to understanding and appreciating the art and culture of major faiths being practised both locally and globally. Complementing the reflections and photography in the book are astute sketches by renowned Singapore artist, Dr Ho Chee Lick.

Images of Singapore Botanic Gardens
Alvin Loh
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2015
ISBN: 9789814677196

With more than 150 years of history, the 74-hectare Singapore Botanic Gardens holds a unique and significant place in the history of Singapore and the region. It was responsible in its early days for the introduction, experimentation and promotion of crop plants, including the rubber tree; it also spearheaded orchid breeding and started a world-renowned orchid hybridisation programme. Today, it not only continues to play a vital role in the horticultural and botanical fields, the Singapore Botanic Gardens has become a fixture of the cultural landscape and the national identity.

Images of Singapore Botanic Gardens takes the reader on an enchanting photographic tour of the gardens' varied landscapes. Highlights include the National Orchid Garden, home of the world's foremost collection of orchids; Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, the first children's garden in Asia; a lush Rainforest trail boasting rare tropical species; picture-perfect water features such as Swan Lake, Eco Lake and Symphony Lake; and some of the best-preserved specimens of colonial architecture in Singapore.

With the decision on its UNESCO World Heritage status due to be announced in 2015 Q3, interest in the Singapore Botanic Gardens will be at an all-time high. This compact volume, packed with over 250 photographs, vividly captures the spirit of Singapore Botanic Gardens in all its glory.

Saving a Sexier Island: Notes From Old Singapore
Neil Humphreys
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2015
ISBN: 9789814634090

With Singapore evolving at blistering pace, old Singapore is being left behind, neglected or just plain dying? As a result, active citizenry is taking off like never before with Singaporeans campaigning to save Bukit Brown, Joo Chiat HDB flats, Rochor Centre, with Jalan Besar, Balestier and Tiong Bahru championed for their history/heritage. Basically, as Singapore becomes more of a global metropolis, the search to save its soul has been taken up like never before.

Nostalgia is spreading through the country. Old Singapore has never been more hip, more trendy as Singaporeans cling to the last vestiges of what actually makes them Singaporean. The race is on to save an even sexier island. So as the nation celebrates its 50th anniversary, Neil Humphreys heads off on a tour of old Singapore to find 50 sights and sounds that are at risk of being overlooked, forgotten or even bulldozed and lost forever. Some are historically significant (like Queenstown or Tiong Bahru). Some are environmentally significant (like Pulau Hantu or Lazarus Island). Some are culturally significant (like Cafe Colbar and Thieves Market). Some are politically significant (like LKY's house!). And some are just quirky and a tad surreal (a remote bus stop, a viewing tower in Upper Seletar, Haw Par Villa and Zouk). But Humphreys tracks them all down in a funny, insightful and unashamedly sentimental search for what's left of Singapore's soul.

Of Whales and Dinosaurs: The Story of Singapore's Natural History Museum
Kevin Y.L. Tan
Singapore: NUS Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789971698553

This is the story of Southeast Asia's natural history collections. Officially established in 1878, the previous Raffles Museum -- the oldest in the region -- has one of the largest collections of Southeast Asian animals.

With the opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore in 2015, the original Raffles Museum was 'reincarnated' and the loop on its remarkable 127-year history has closed. Beneath the sleek exterior of the modern museum building lies a saga of titanic struggles and changes. That the collections survived at all -- through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore's modernization -- is nothing short of miraculous.

This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also tells the story of the frustrations, commitment and courage of the numerous individuals who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly and overcame the odds to protect Singapore's natural history heritage.

We ♥ Chinatown
Urban Sketchers Singapore
Singapore: Wee Editions, 2015
ISBN: 9789810778231

Established by the colonial government, southwest of the Singapore River, to cater to Singapore's Chinese-majority immigrant population, Chinatown is today a bustling destination, much like its counterparts around the world. Designated a conservation area by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 1989, the neighbourhood is still referred to as "Niu Che Shui" -- literally "ox-cart water", a reference to how the area received its water supply -- by some.

The pre-war shophouses that once housed coolies, opium dens and letter-writers are now occupied by a mix of old and new: restaurants, souvenir shops, spas, bars and boutiques. The food stalls on Smith Street pay homage to hawkers of the past, and early malls like People's Park Complex have gone new age with rooftop gardens.

Reflecting Singapore's multi-ethnic nature, Chinatown also interestingly houses the country's oldest Hindu temple, and the prominent Jamae Mosque. We ♥ Chinatown offers a glimpse into this vibrant neighbourhood, as seen through the eyes of the talented artists from Urban Sketchers Singapore.

Through the Lens of Lee Kip Lin: Photographs of Singapore 1965-1995
Lai Chee Kien
Singapore: National Library Board & Editions Didier Millet, 2015
ISBN: 9789814610087

In 2009 the family of the late Lee Kip Lin donated to the National Library Board of Singapore over 14,500 slides and negatives of modern Singapore that he had taken, among other items of historical merit such as maps, rare photographs and prints, and books. Over three decades from 1965 to 1995, Lee captured the many landscapes and buildings that would eventually disappear from the island and its shores. Close to 500 photographs have been reproduced in this book to showcase the exuberance and eloquence of the different built forms -- in an era when time and space in Singapore was more accommodating.

Gardens of Perpetual Summer: The Singapore Botanic Gardens
Bonnie Tinsley
Singapore: National Parks Board, 2014
ISBN: 9789810700263

Gardens of Perpetual Summer celebrates the Singapore Botanic Gardens: the legacy of accumulated achievements of one hundred and fifty years, and the amazing evolution into modern context of one of the world's most valued cultural treasures. For many generations now the Gardens has provided a reservoir of beauty, knowledge and pleasure from which Singaporeans, foreign residents and visitors have drawn great benefit and inspiration.Today the Gardens enjoys many distinctions. Among them is a five-hectare garden containing the world's most extensive and comprehensive exposition of orchid culture, one of Asia's largest collections of rare palms, the first Cool House in the tropics to recreate the climatic conditions of equatorial forests, an irreplaceable library and herbarium collection, and a six-hectare tract of primeval forest in the heart of one of the world's busiest port cities. Located since 1859 at its present matchless site in the city's Tanglin district, the Gardens' land mass has grown from its original 19 hectare site to reach 63.7 hectares at Bukit Timah Road.

Sayang Singapura: Re-Imagining Singapore's Past and Present
Lee Xin Li
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014
ISBN: 9789814561075

Inspired by Hergé, the creator of Tintin, Lee Xin Li blends Hergé's playfulness with meaningful nostalgia for Singapore's iconic past.

The historic Adelphi Hotel, the iconic Great World Amusement Park, the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and the former National Library at Stamford Road are among the nostalgic locales and moments in time lovingly depicted in beautiful and imaginative detail.

Xin Li has captured these cherished memories and immortalised them with his drawings even as Singapore continues to undergo intensive restructuring and makeovers, and heritage buildings of yesteryears make way for new and ever-modern architecture.

Black and White: The Singapore House, 1898-1941 [updated ed.]
Julian Davison
Singapore: Talisman, 2014
ISBN: 9789810903282

The unique Black and White house in Singapore is the most distinctive and imposing of the island's colonial architectural legacy. Surviving examples are testament to their physical and aesthetic durability - a unique tropical style with a colourful pedigree of architectural influences. In this updated edition, an additional chapter on residential life in these extraordinary homes adds depth and added information to an already comprehensive book. The colonials of yesteryear enjoyed a life of undisputed privilege - and even today, many of these beautiful houses continue to serve their original purpose as gracious family homes. Others have been adapted successfully as restaurants, offices and artisan's studios. Researched, written and photographed with flair, Black and White traces their evolution through the architects and practices that designed them - houses as relevant today as when they first appeared over 100 years ago.

Last Train From Tanjong Pagar
Koh Hong Teng
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810769192

The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train that ran between Singapore and Malaysia for almost 80 years was rerouted to Woodlands Train Checkpoint following the closure of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station -- now a gazetted national monument -- in June 2011.

Based on real tours led by architecture historian Lai Chee Kien, Last Train from Tanjong Pagar follows a group of heritage enthusiasts as they discover Singapore’s railway heritage, and gather with passengers from all walks of life for one final ride out of Tanjong Pagar station.

Seamlessly blending fact and fiction, Koh Hong Teng has produced a timely and thought-provoking graphic homage to our trains and not only the physical journeys but also the human connections they have made possible.

Naked Ape, Naked Boss: The Man Behind the Singapore Zoo & the World's First Night Safari: Bernard Harrison
Kirpal Singh
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2014
ISBN: 9789814351720

Bernard Harrison is credited for having shaped Singapore's most attractive and iconic leisure destinations — the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari. For nearly 30 years he was intimately involved and engaged with the transformation and creative developments of these nature parks.

This book explores Harrison's journey and focuses on the critical phases which served as moments of reckoning. How easy was it for this passionate and determined man who couldn't and wouldn't take "no" for an answer to do what he really and truly wanted? What shaped his personality? What problems did he encounter in wanting to create a zoo and a night safari that Singapore could be, and is, proud of? In both the personal and the professional fields, his positioning of certain beliefs and value-systems are put in context and readers will be made aware of the intimate drivers of his passions.

We ♥ Katong
Urban Sketchers Singapore
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810766078

The artists from Urban Sketchers Singapore capture the conserved architecture, mouth-watering cuisine and fascinating confluence of cultures in this celebrated East Coast neighbourhood.

Singapore: World City
Kim Inglis
Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 2014
ISBN: 9780804843355

In just a few short decades, Singapore has transformed itself from a tiny island off the coast of mainland Asia into a global superpower in banking, IT, education, biotech, transportation and many other fields. The fascinating story of how this tiny city-state which has no hinterland, no natural resources, and a relatively small population has achieved success is told in this book.

Singapore's history as a British colonial port, its dynamic multi-ethnic population, and its innovative governmental and social structures, are a part of the story. But there are others as well. How Singapore became a regional hub for finance, shipping and air travel, and now also for the arts, sport and leisure - are all showcased in dynamic detail, with over 300 full-colour photographs to illustrate graphically how this small island functions like a well-tuned racing machine.

From the world's only night-time Formula One race to its thriving calendar of international and local events, and its culture of non-stop eating, drinking and clubbing, Singapore has finally stepped out of the shadows and onto the world stage. Famed for its innovative business prowess, what is less known is that the island has more parks, gardens and recreational facilities than any other city of comparable size.

Balik Kampung 2B: Contemplations
Verena Tay (ed.)
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776541

Balik Kampung 2B: Contemplations presents nine new tales by authors who have lived in the respective neighbourhoods for at least ten years. How does one's environment affect one's outlook in life? Is your home your identity? How do people react to a specific place over time? The various short stories within this collection ponder over these questions and more. By the time you reach the last page, you are guaranteed to view parts of Singapore with a fresh perspective.

Balik Kampung 2A: People and Places
Verena Tay (ed.)
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776558

Balik Kampung 2A: People and Places presents eleven new tales by authors who have lived in the respective neighbourhoods for at least ten years. What was it like to grow up in a particular district of Singapore during a specific decade? How can you go for a peaceful walk around your home if the area is being constantly remodelled by demolition and construction? How do present perceptions of space contrast with memory? Such questions fill the various stories that are inhabited with vivid characters and strong portrayals of different locales. If you wish to discover new perspectives about parts of Singapore that you may or may not have previously been aware of, then read this book.