March 1, 2023

Twenty Books to Read for Women’s History Month 2023

Join us in celebrating the cultural, social, and leadership contributions women have played throughout history. From their critical roles in politics and advocacy to the fight against sexual violence, the underrepresentation of women in the workplace and scholarship to unsung...

March 19, 2020

Book Excerpt! Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy, By Phyllis Birnbaum (chapter 17)

“Richly illustrated with rare photos, and enlivened by numerous interviews, Phyllis Birnbaum’s book is a balanced, well-written biography of one of the most notorious figures to emerge in the early twentieth-century contest for empire in northeast Asia. Anyone interested in...

March 17, 2020

Kawashima Yoshiko and Yukawa Haruna: The Connection Between a Manchu Princess and a Japanese Hostage

By Phyllis Birnbaum

In the time that has passed since I finished writing Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy, I’ve been surprised at how many times I’ve thought of Kawashima Yoshiko, the subject of this biography. She is with me on my return trips to...

March 29, 2019

Media Roundup: Biographies, Memoirs, and Letters About Women in History

In celebration of Women’s History Month, today we are featuring books about women. From collections of letters to biographies to one story about a Manchu princess turned spy, each work highlights the achievement and power of womanhood and the female...

April 16, 2015

"Born to Chaos" — an Excerpt from Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy

Read a chapter from “Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy,” by Phyllis Birnbaum

April 15, 2015

Interview with Phyllis Birnbaum, author of "Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy," Part 2

Read the second half of an interview with Phyllis Birnbaum, author of MANCHU PRINCESS, JAPANESE SPY: THE STORY OF KAWASHIMA YOSHIKO, THE CROSS-DRESSING SPY WHO COMMANDED HER OWN ARMY.

April 14, 2015

Interview with Phyllis Birnbaum, author of "Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy," Part 1

Read the first half of an interview with Phyllis Birnbaum, author of MANCHU PRINCESS, JAPANESE SPY: THE STORY OF KAWASHIMA YOSHIKO, THE CROSS-DRESSING SPY WHO COMMANDED HER OWN ARMY.

March 17, 2015

New Book Tuesday: The Greening of Asia, Manchu Princess Turned Japanese Spy, and More New Books

Our weekly listing of new books!