New Books on Singapore History

Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang: The Trip to Java and Bali by Four Singapore Pioneering Artists

By Gretchen Liu

National Library Board Singapore (2025), 298 pages
Call no. RSING 779.995986 LIU

In 1952, four Singapore artists – Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng – visited Java and Bali to seek inspiration. Their trip led to an exhibition held the next year that has been hailed as a major milestone in Singapore’s art history. Despite this, few details of the trip were ever revealed. Bali 1952 showcases more than 250 black-and-white photographs taken by Liu Kang during the seven-week adventure. These photographs, most of which have never been seen, tell the story of a remarkable journey that has left a lasting legacy on Singapore’s art history.

By Generations, for Generations: Fifty Years of Temasek as Told by the People Who Shaped It

By Ong Soh Chin

Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited (2024), 307 pages
Call no. RSING 338.86095957 ONG

Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Temasek Holdings, By Generations, for Generations draws from extensive research and interviews with Temasek staff, alumni and business partners. It provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the history and milestones of the company.

Early Southeast Asia: From First Humans to First Civilizations

By Charles Higham

NUS Press (2025), 376 pages
Call no. RSEA 959.01 HI4

Recent discoveries and improved investigative techniques reveal that the first modern humans reached Southeast Asia at least 60,000 years ago. They encountered not two, but four different human species and interbred with at least one of them. Early Southeast Asia provides a synthesis of nearly two million years of human endeavour.

My Journey of Peace to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia

By Tommy Koh

World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. (2025), 75 pages
Call no. RSING 327.479047 KOH
(Also available as an ebook on OverDrive)

The unexpected end of the Cold War in 1991 dissolved the Soviet Union into 15 free and independent states. These countries, which were once subject to Soviet control, were faced with the presence of Russian troops in their territories. This is an account of the author’s trip to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1993 to help these countries come to an agreement with Russia on when and how its troops would leave.

The Politics of the Malayan Communist Party from 1930 to 1948

By David Lockwood

NUS Press (2024), 192 pages
Call no. RSEA 324.2595075 LOC

Established in 1930, the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) grew to become one of the most successful communist parties in Asia by 1946, with members numbering in the thousands. By examining almost two decades of its tumultuous history, the writer explains why the MCP embarked on a path of self-destruction in 1948, raises questions about postwar politics that led inevitably to armed struggle and questions the accepted narrative of Party Chairman Lai Teck’s treachery.

The Story of Southeast Asia

By Eric C. Thompson

NUS Press (2024), 305 pages
Call no. RSEA 959 THO

The oldest figurative cave paintings in the world are found on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Hand stencils and animals painted some 45,000 years ago attest to a long history of human creativity. Southeast Asia is a complex network of trade, ideas and social relationships. The Story of Southeast Asia tells how the peoples of the region crafted their diverse societies and cultures over thousands of years.