Kinkaseki: One Day at a Time Arthur Titherington Covos Day Books, 2000 A detailed personal account of the horrific Japanese treatment of Allied prisoners of war, centred around the Kinkaseki camp in the hills of northern Taiwan.

Narrow Gauge Railways of Taiwan: Sugar, Shays and Toil Michael Reilly Mainline & Maritime, 2017 Written by the former de facto UK ambassador to Taiwan, the book is a detailed look at railways used for industrial or agricultural purposes. Accompanied by plenty of great photos.

Sex and Taipei City Yu-Han Chao Red Hen Press, 2019 “Sex in Taipei City is not what one expects: it is repressed, traded for cash, vengeful, sometimes awkward and almost always secretive.” A collection of short stories on sex and obsession in Taiwan’s capital.

Journey Through the White Terror: A Daughter’s Memoir Kang-i Sun Chang National Taiwan University Press, 2013 A personal account of a childhood spent under the White Terror. The author’s father was arrested when she was was six; he spent the next ten years in prison.

Man’s Conquest of the Pacific: The Prehistory of Southeast Asia and Oceania Peter Bellwood Oxford University Press, 1979 Theorises the path of human expansion into the Pacific. Notable for its early exposition of the “Out of Taiwan” theory of Pacific migration.

Tanners of Taiwan: Life Strategies and National Culture Scott Simon Westview Press, 2005 Looking at the perspectives of tanners, women managers, and workers, the book demonstrates how cultural and other identities are constructed through dynamics of power and political economy.

Migration to and From Taiwan Kuei-fen Chiu, Dafydd Fell, Lin Ping (eds.) Routledge, 2014 Showcases some of the leading researchers working on migration to and from Taiwan over the last twenty years.

The Taste of Apples Huang Chun-ming Columbia University Press, 2001 Poignant accounts of everyday life in rural and small-town Taiwan. Huang is frequently cited as one of the most original and gifted storytellers in the Chinese language.

Religion in Modern Taiwan: Tradition and Innovation in a Changing Society Philip Clart and Charles B. Jones (eds.) University of Hawai'i Press, 2003 A collection of essays examining the condition and changes of Taiwan’s religious life from the Japanese era to the modern day.

Colonial Development and Population in Taiwan George W. Barclay Princeton University Press, 1954 Using Japanese government statistics Barclay looks at how the colonial regime improved health and living conditions, and how this affected the social stability of Taiwan.

Again I See The Gaillardias Li Tong Balestier Press, 2016 Through misunderstanding, sympathy, reconciliation and love, seven schoolchildren forged an abiding friendship in their hometown Penghu. The original Mandarin edition won two high-profile awards in Taiwan.

Healthy Democracies: Welfare Politics in Taiwan and South Korea Joseph Wong Cornell University Press, 2006 Offers a political explanation for health care reform in the two countrie, focusing on the ways in which democratic change altered incentives and ultimately decisions.

The Food of Taiwan: Recipes from the Beautiful Island Cathy Erway Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015 A Taiwanese-American insider’s look at Taiwanese cooking, with almost 100 recipes for both home-style dishes and street food.

The Jing Affair D.J. Spencer Funk & Wagnalls, 1965 (reissued Camphor Press, 2018) Taiwan’s standout Cold War novel, a page-turning action thriller describing the bloody resistance to a combined military coup and communist invasion.

A Dictionary of Southern Min: based on current usage in Taiwan and checked against the earlier works of Carstairs Douglas, Thomas Barclay, and Ernest Tipson Bernard L.M. Embree Hong Kong Language Institute, 1973 Banned by the KMT as part of its suppression of local languages.

Two Trees Make a Forest Jessica J. Lee Virago, 2019 After unearthing a hidden memoir of her grandfather’s life, Jessica J Lee hunts his story, in parallel with exploring Taiwan, hoping to understand the ways in which our human stories are interlaced with geographical forces.

These My People: Serving Christ among the Mountain People of Formosa Lillian Dickson Zondervan, 1958 Personal account of long-serving missionary Lillian Dickson, who spent 47 years in Taiwan in two spells between 1927 and her death in 1983.

Vignettes of Taiwan: Short Stories, Essays & Random Meditations About Taiwan Joshua Samuel Brown Things Asian Press, 2006 Dipping in and out of Brown’s transition from wide-eyed newcomer to seasoned old hand, this eclectic collection is accompanied by lovely photos.

Policing in Taiwan: From Authoritarianism to Democracy Liqun Cao, Lanying Huang and Ivan Y. Sun Routledge, 2014 Examines the role of the police as a linkage between the state and civil society during the democratic transition and the role of the police in contemporary Taiwan.

Taroko Gorge Jacob Ritari Unbridled Books, 2009 “An atmospheric thriller set in a secluded national park in Taiwan where two American journalists and a group of Japanese teenagers on a school vacation become trapped after three of the girls go missing.” (Jessica Moyer)