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.