The Battle for Merger
Lee Kuan Yew
Singapore: National Archives of Singapore & Straits Times Press, 2014
ISBN: 9789814342773

The Battle for Merger charts the crucial years of 1961-1962, when the PAP government was in a precarious position and the future of Singapore was hanging in the balance.

This commemorative book retains the authenticity of the transcripts of Lee Kuan Yew's twelve radio talks and appendices, which are exact reproductions of the original 1962 edition.

Complete with nostalgic photographs of historical events as well as painstaking reproductions of secret letters and codes, this book also includes new material to give a comprehensive coverage on the intriguing subject of merger between Singapore and Malaysia.

This publication contains the following:
1. A new message from Lee Kuan Yew that reveals the former prime minister's hindsight on merger
2. A comprehensive essay by Associate Professor Albert Lau that provides the historical background to merger
3. Concise notes to key players, places and events
4. MP3 audio recordings of the twelve radio talks in English, Mandarin and Malay

The battle for merger is a story worth retelling. This book is for all who want to understand what was at stake during those tumultuous times. Reading this would be akin to reliving the sensational moments created by Lee Kuan Yew's timely revelations during the twelve radio broadcasts. It tells of how the Old Guards stood up and fought back against the communists and later the communalists, of how they refused to be cowed and thus won the confidence of that generation, which went on to help build modern Singapore.

LKY: Political Cartoons
Morgan Chua
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789814615723

The urban legend goes that Morgan Chua's first political cartoon of Lee Kuan Yew in the Singapore Herald led to the newspaper's closure in 1971. Undeterred by this, Lee's near mythic status became fodder for Morgan's creative imagination and incisive pen as he continued his satirical sketches of the prime minister in the Far Eastern Economic Review.

For the first time, over 100 of Morgan's LKY cartoons -- along with new ones -- have been collected, covering Lee's pioneering years up to the present day. In LKY: Political Cartoons, the fearless Morgan meets the fearsome Harry.

The Bicycle
Cheah Sinann
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789814615501

In one of the last remaining jungles in Singapore, an old bicycle is unearthed in an archaeological dig. Its discovery brings the elderly Lim Ah Cheng back to a time when he rode with his life on the line…

Meticulously researched by the creator of Singapore's first daily comic strip The House of Lim, cartoonist Cheah Sinann, The Bicycle tells the tale of Toshiro Iwakura, an aristocratic, battle-hardened private haunted by his desire to cycle in the Olympics, and five-year-old street urchin Ah Cheng, who dreams of nothing more than learning how to ride a bike. Their paths cross during the Japanese Occupation, when a unique bond formed over two wheels is quickly put to a life-or-death test.

Let the People Have Him: Chiam See Tong: The Early Years
Loke Hoe Yeong
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810791735

Chiam See Tong (b. 1935) is Singapore's longest serving opposition politician. A member of parliament for nearly three decades, Chiam is also one of Singapore's most iconic, influential and beloved political figures. Through his efforts in shaping Potong Pasir into a "model constituency", the veteran statesman has greatly contributed towards an increasingly pluralistic Singapore.

When he first entered politics in 1976, there was not a single opposition member in Parliament. As the founder of the Singapore Democratic Party, and later the Singapore People's Party, Chiam has long rallied for the need of an opposition as the essential democratic check on a one-party system. He is respected for his level-headed and non-confrontational stance, and is the only opposition member to have received public apologies and out-of-court damages from cabinet ministers of Singapore's ruling People’s Action Party.

Based on extensive interviews, family documents and party archives, Let the People Have Him is the first biography of an opposition politician from post-independence Singapore -- a biography of a man who, through his accomplishments and devotion, struggled to build a fairer, more balanced and diverse country.

Tracing the first half of a life fully lived, this book sheds light on Chiam's circuitous and colourful route to Parliament at the age of 4 -- from his revolutionary family background to his days as a champion school swimmer; from his political awakening in New Zealand to his stint as an inspiring school teacher in Malaysia; from training as a lawyer to his cross-continental romance with his wife Lina; from standing as an independent candidate in 1976 to winning the Potong Pasir seat in 1984 as the leader of the fledging Singapore Democratic Party. Let the People Have Him draws a humanistic picture of Chiam in his early days -- as his country changed around him before he was to change it -- while revealing the guiding values that have made this humble and unassuming man revered for generations to come.

One More Chance: The Story of Benny Se Teo From Heroin Addict to Restaurant Boss
Colin Cheong
Singapore: Armour Press, 2014
ISBN: 9789814597425

By the time he was in Primary 5, Benny Se Teo was packing opium and running the packets to his father’s opium den in Chinatown. At 15, Benny had his first puff of pot, then one night, he bought a straw of heroin and his troubles truly began.

In jail after his umpteenth arrest, he began to bleed in his stomach and had to be rushed to hospital. In those hours, he remembered the Saviour he had accepted in 1980 at the first halfway house he had been sent to. And he remembered the pain he had caused his family - especially his mother. He decided to get clean and stay clean.

This is Benny’s story - of how his faith and the faith his friends placed in him, turned him from a hard-core heroin addict into a restaurant boss. But it is more than a story of a wasted youth - it is also a primer for young people who have the idealism and drive to start businesses that can help society and make the world a kinder place.

Descent Into Hell: The Fall of Singapore - Pudu and Changi - The Thai-Burma Railway
Peter Brune
Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2014
ISBN: 9781741145342

Descent into Hell is a scrupulously researched and groundbreaking account of one of the most traumatic calamities in Australian history - the Malayan Campaign, the fall of Singapore and the subsequent horrors of the Thai-Burma Railway. Unpicking the myths and legends of the war, Peter Brune goes to the heart of the Australian experience. He describes the shambolic planning by the British in Singapore and the failures and incompetence of some of the Australian command. He debunks the claims about Australian deserters in Singapore, and we learn of the black market in Changi and the beatings, torture and murder on the Thai-Burma Railway.

Here too are stories of the war's many heroes and villains: of officers who looked after their men and optimised their chances of survival, and others who looked after themselves at their men's expense; the heroes of battle who became ineffectual and lost in the camps and on the Railway, and the least liked and least respected battlefield officers who came to be great leaders. And then there are countless acts of kindness and decency performed by one POW for another in the most cruel of circumstances.

Impressive, compelling and rich in human spirit, Descent into Hell is an unprecedented chronicle by one of Australia's finest military historians.

Tan Siak Kew: Going Against the Grain
Fiona Tan
Singapore: World Scientific, 2014
ISBN: 9789814603072

"A scholar by inclination, a businessman by necessity, a diplomat by duty" - — those were the words chosen by a reporter in 1966 to describe Mr Tan Siak Kew. This description still remains relevant today, encompassing the multi-varied nature of Mr Tan's public life, who was a fervent supporter of education, President of the Chinese Chambers of Commerce for multiple terms, Singapore's first ambassador to Thailand, nominated member of the Legislative Assembly, community leader of the Teochew community and notable philanthropist of his time.

Despite his many contributions to Singapore, it is surprising that there has been so little secondary literature written of this trader who defies attempts at stereotyping.

Effectively bilingual, but still conscious of his responsibility to his community and the new nation which was about to be born, Tan was able to bridge between the Chinese-speaking and English-speaking community with his tact and non-partisan political stance.

Tan Siak Kew: Going Against The Grain is a timely biographical sketch which fill this historical lacuna, and tells the story of his public life through historical records, contemporaneous literature, and discussions with his contemporaries.

The Little Red Dot: Reflections of Foreign Ambassadors on Singapore, Volume III
Tommy Koh & Chang Li Lin (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2014
ISBN: 9789814612807

The first two volumes of The Little Red Dot series covered a wide range of views about Singapore's diplomacy by Singaporean diplomats. This new addition to the series will offer a complementary perspective of Singapore and its bilateral relations, through the eyes of past heads of missions from foreign countries who have served in Singapore or were responsible for Singapore.

The reader will be able to glean insights from the foreign diplomats who took an active role in getting to know Singapore, and at the same time, also worked hard to promote their respective countries' interests. As seen from their lens, the reader can learn more about what was unique about Singapore, what they learnt and what made their postings to Singapore memorable.

These candid reflections will allow Singaporean readers to understand how different elements of our country are often seen as a whole, and how that in turn contributes to the impressions that our foreign friends have of Singapore.

Often cited by the contributors are the success of Singapore's economic development, our cohesive multicultural and multi-religious society, our education system and opportunities for the young. A timely reminder that what Singaporeans take for granted are what others marvel at and appreciate.

The Invisible Force: Singapore Gurkhas
Chong Zi Liang & Zakaria Zainal
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810910990

The Gurkhas need no introduction, with their storied reputation built up over two centuries of battlefield exploits around the world. A unit of these Nepalese warriors have been serving Singapore for more than 65 years, yet precious little is known about them. Indeed, the Gurkha Contingent clashed with communists and militant unions in its early days and continues to protect the island state’s most important places and people even today.

Discover the untold story of the Singapore Gurkha through the eyes of different generations who carried the famed kukri blade: The rigorous, punishing training that forges elite soldiers; the family lives of these paramilitary policemen; and the lengths their sons go to follow in their fathers' footsteps.

Above all, The Invisible Force reveals the loyalty and gratitude the Gurkha has for Singapore, and the struggles he and his family face upon retirement, including an unresolved request for better employment terms.

Separation: A History
Christine Chia
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810913717

The sequel to The Law of Second Marriages, the best-selling and critically acclaimed poetry book by Christine. With "terrifying sparseness and intensity", as Cyril Wong observes, Christine threads together stories of the Separation between Singapore and Malaysia with the separation between her parents. Her searing vision, ambitious and intimate, opens up emotional spaces in unlikely places.