Best Asian History Books of 2025

In Order to Live is a powerful memoir that sheds light on the hardships of life in North Korea. Yeonmi Park's story of perseverance and determination is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She not only shares the horrific experiences she and her mother endured while escaping to South Korea, but also her ongoing efforts as a human rights activist to bring attention to the oppression in her home country. This memoir is a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand the realities of life in North Korea and the resilience of the human spirit.

Saved: A War Reporter's Mission to Make It Home is a gripping memoir by Benjamin Hall, a veteran war reporter for Fox News. The book tells the story of his harrowing experience in Ukraine, where he was gravely injured in a Russian strike. Hall shares his journey of survival, from his ground-level view of the war to his dramatic rescue and arduous recovery. Through it all, his spirit remains undaunted, buoyed by the remarkable corps of people from around the world who banded together to get him to safety. This memoir is evocative, harrowing, and deeply moving, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the human experience of war.

The Art of War is a classic book on military strategy written by Sun Tzu. This edition, approved by the Holden-Crowther Organisation for Asian Studies, is a decent version of the book, although the chapters are intentionally not in order. The authorship of Sun Tzu is still a mystery, but his timeless tactics and strategies remain relevant. The book falls under the category of success and self-help books and is published by CreateSpace Classics. Overall, The Art of War is a must-read for anyone interested in military strategy and leadership.

Kill Anything That Moves is a groundbreaking investigation of the American war on Vietnamese civilians. Nick Turse draws on classified documents and first-person interviews to reveal the workings of a military machine that resulted in millions of innocent civilians killed and wounded. This book is a searing and meticulously documented account of the horrors the United States inflicted on civilians. With superb narrative skill, Turse spotlights a troubling question: Why, with all the evidence collected by the military at the time of the war, were atrocities not prosecuted? In conclusion, this book is an indispensable, paradigm-shifting new history of the Vietnam War and its impact on civilians.

Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America is a gripping study of the white power movement in America. Based on previously classified FBI files and extensive interviews, the book tells the story of American paramilitarism and the birth of the alt-right. The author argues that the movement emerged as a radical reaction to the Vietnam War, and it operated with discipline, made tragic headlines in Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Oklahoma City, and is resurgent under President Trump. This book is a much-needed and troubling revelation that sheds light on the history of white-racist violence in America.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a must-read for anyone interested in military strategy and history. This complete edition includes the Preface, Introduction, appreciations of Sun Tzu, Apologies for war, and Bibliography, making it the definitive version of the text. The book is composed of 13 chapters, each devoted to a different set of skills related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. It has influenced both Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, lifestyles and beyond. The book is a true classic that belongs on every bookshelf!

"With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" is Eugene B. Sledge's first-person account of fighting in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Based on notes he secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, Sledge's memoir captures the brutal reality of war, including the terror, camaraderie, and banality of combat. The book is a profound primer on what it was like to be in the worst war ever. Sledge's honest and realistic portrayal of his experience makes this a classic that will outlive all the armchair generals' safe accounts. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII history.

Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice is a captivating, real-life tale of Bill Browder's journey from a Wall Street maverick to an accidental activist who exposed corruption in Russia. The book reads like a classic thriller, with an everyman hero alone and in danger in a hostile foreign city. It's a part John Grisham-like thriller, part business and political memoir that sheds light on the corruption and murder in Vladimir Putin's Russia. This book is a must-read for those interested in political leader biographies and international affairs.

Saving Aziz is a captivating true story of how a mission to rescue one friend from the Taliban became a calling to save over seventeen thousand people. Former Force Recon Marine and MMA fighter Chad Robichaux's unwavering determination to save his long-time friend and former interpreter Aziz and his family, despite the risks, is commendable. The book provides readers with a deep and rich description of the complex culture of Afghanistan and its people, Chad's direct interactions with the Taliban, and his perspective on the United States' twenty-year war that took place under four presidents. Saving Aziz is a must-read for anyone interested in the humanitarian crisis and the Afghanistan war.

Richard Lloyd Parry's Ghosts of the Tsunami is a haunting and intimate account of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, resulting in the country's greatest loss of life since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Parry, an award-winning foreign correspondent, spent six years reporting from the disaster zone, encountering stories of ghosts and hauntings, and meeting a priest who exorcised the spirits of the dead. This book tells the story of how a nation faced a catastrophe and struggled to find consolation in the ruins. It's a powerful and heartbreaking narrative that offers an unforgettable insight into one of the greatest disasters of our time.