E2 - A DECENT BOTTLE OF WINE IN CHINA by Chris Ruffle (2016, Earnshaw Books)

What makes Japan such a good country to explore by bicycle? John Ross talks with longtime Japan resident Tom Gibb about the 2,500-km journey behind his new book, Charinko, published by Plum Rain Press. Tom set off spectacularly underprepared: he had never done a long-distance cycling trip, knew almost nothing about bicycle maintenance, and was riding a decidedly unfashionable bike. Somehow, it carried him from Kyushu through western Japan and back towards his home in Ibaraki. The conversation ranges from mountain roads, roadside camping and nightly onsen visits to Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores, the pleasures of getting off the tourist trail, and the remarkable kindness Tom encountered along the way. They also discuss how travelling – alone and setting himself the challenge of having a conversation every day – helped Tom turn a cycling adventure into an immersion course in Japanese language and culture. And if you want more Tom and John, check out their companion conversation on the Books on Asia podcast. You can support the podcast and press by buying the ebook, either on Plum Rain Press or Amazon.

With Episode 10 we’ve reached the end of our journey through Dr. Chen Yao-chang’s Three Tribes. Rather than give too much away about the novel’s final chapters here, we simply want to say thank you to everyone who has followed along with us. And special thanks to Scott Crawford for his help (learn more about his work at: www.scottforbescrawford.com) And although this is the end for Maria, Chen Ze, and Uma, it isn’t quite the end of the story for us. We are working on a historical drama series called Plunder Isle, which is also set in Taiwan’s wild 1600s. And if you have any suggestions for future book read-along series, let us know. Happy reading.

Things move quickly as various threads come together in this gripping episode. The Dutch colony is nearing its end. Maria Hambroeck learns the fate of her family.

John Ross and Scott Crawford continue their ten-part read-along of Dr. Chen Yao-chang’s A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa. This section of the novel, called “The Siege,” takes us deeper into 1661. Governor Frederick Coyett and the remaining VOC forces are still holding out inside Fort Zeelandia – and still clashing with Koxinga’s forces. We get action aplenty, but also quieter moments, such as when Maria Hambroeck unexpectedly finds herself working as an interpreter for Koxinga.

Scott Crawford and John Ross continue their ten-part read-along of Dr. Chen Yao-chang’s A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa. Part Six of the novel, “At War,” brings us to 1661 and the invasion of Dutch Formosa. Koxinga’s fleet appears out of the fog and brings his forces ashore by an unexpected route. Fort Provintia falls, Dutch civilians flee through the countryside, and Fort Zeelandia becomes the last major VOC stronghold. The episode also brings us to one of the siege’s most famous scenes, as Reverend Antonius Hambroeck is sent into Fort Zeelandia with Koxinga’s demand for surrender – will he urge the Dutch defenders to yield or to keep fighting? This ten-part series is an experiment – hopefully the first of many such projects. But we need your feedback. Is this read-along useful and enjoyable? What other books about East Asia (fiction or non-fiction) would you like to see given this long-form treatment? We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.