New Books on Singapore History

Chapters on Asia: Selected Papers from the Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship (2021)

By Benjamin J.Q. Khoo, Zhi Qing Denise Lim and Seah Cheng Ta
National Library Board (2022)
Ebook available on Libby

Focused on the history and heritage of Singapore and the region, Chapters on Asia contains fresh research based on the collections of the National Library and National Archives of Singapore. This edition features essays on the circulation of premodern knowledge of Singapore and its straits before 1819, the representation of Europeans in the prewar press, and Chinese newspaper literary supplements in Singapore’s postwar literary scene.

From Keroncong to Xinyao: The Record Industry in Singapore, 1903–1985

By Ross Laird
National Archives of Singapore (2023), 321 pages
Call no.: RSING 338.4778149095957 LAI

From Keroncong to Xinyao is a captivating exploration of Singapore’s vibrant record industry from the early 20th century to the mid-1980s. It highlights the multinational giants and first local record companies, the impact of World War II, the heyday of the 1960s and 1970s, and the industry’s eventual decline. This book presents a fascinating journey through the industry’s triumphs and challenges, revealing how Singapore was once a significant recording centre in Southeast Asia.

Khairat Kita: A History of Malay/Muslim Mutual Aid in Singapore

By Fauzy Ismail, Zakaria Zainal and Zaki Jumahri
Ethos Books (2022), 107 pages
Call no.: RSING 369 FAU

Khairat Kita documents the remaining 20 or so Malay/Muslim mutual benefit organisations (badan khairat kematian) in Singapore, which provide aid and charity to families of deceased members. Based on a centuries-old tradition of mutual aid, these organisations are driven by volunteers and are social anchors in the Singapore’s Malay/Muslim community.

More Than the Eye Can See: Memoirs of Gopinath Pillai

By Gopinath Pillai and John Vater
World Scientific (2022), 328 pages
Call no.: RSING 959.5704092 PIL-[HIS]

Gopinath Pillai is a Singaporean businessman and diplomat who served as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran (1989–2008) and High Commissioner to Pakistan (1994–2001). In his memoirs, he reflects on Singapore's early industrialisation and the pursuit of its values and interests abroad and at home, framing episodes of personal struggle against milestones in the progress of the nation.

The Straits Philosophical Society & Colonial Elites in Malaya: Selected Papers on Race, Identity and Social Order 1893–1915

Edited by Lim Teck Ghee and Charles Brophy
ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute (2023), 462 pages
Call no.: RSING 959.503 STR

Founded in Singapore in 1893, the Straits Philosophical Society was a society for the “critical discussion of questions in Philosophy, History, Theology, Literature, Science and Art”. It produced a large corpus of literature on colonial Malaya. This book expands our understanding of the ways in which colonial thought has shaped governing systems of the past and present.