Singapore

Tourism / Living in Singapore

• Singapore: State of the Art: By Ian Lloyd, this unique book captures the essence of Singapore with beautiful images of Singapore’s iconic structures, diverse multi-racial community and the daily life of locals.
• Living in Singapore: Published by The American Association of Singapore, an expatriate guide to the practicalities of Singapore life.
• The Rough Guide to Singapore: By Rough Guides, This is one of the more comprehensive guidebooks to Singapore, mainly geared to the tourist and backpacker.
• Cultureshock Singapore: By Marion Brav-Bhasin. A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette in Singapore.
• Fun for Kids in Singapore: By Karen Renner, Guide to many of the activities and recreational options available in Singapore.
• 60 Fabulous Adventures in the City: By Marianne Rogerson. A great book that contains a list of things to do in Singapore, some well known and some off the beaten track. Contains full contact details, prices, locations and expected duration for each activity.
• Six Degrees of Expatriation: Real Lives of Expats Unfolding in Singapore by Maida Pineda. First hand account of moving to Singapore and finding a life for yourself in this thriving city.

Architecture

• Singapore: Architecture Of A Global City: By Robert Powell and Arthur Lim. This is a definitive book on Singapore architecture. Contents are divided by areas – the Central Business District, Marina Centre and the Civic District and others. Both public buildings and private houses are illustrated. This is a very good pictorial on the standards of a cosmopolitan city.
• Landscape Planning in Singapore: By Edmund Waller. Landscape architecture plays a vital role in creating Singapore’s Garden City image. This book explains Singapore’s successful implementation of environmental policies to achieve its present-day image. History, current policies and the government criteria of planning are discussed in depth. Real life case studies are generously supplied in the book. Supporting materials include diagrams, maps and blueprints.
• Singapore: City of Gardens: By William Warren. The unique intermingling of city and country is part of what makes Singapore one of the world’s most fascinating destinations. In Singapore: City of Gardens, armchair travelers can stroll down Singapore’s wide boulevards shaded by lavish rain trees; walk through the city’s famed Botanical Gardens, Zoological Gardens, and national parks; or marvel at the towering skyscrapers and highways sitting alongside great expanses of junglescape. Photographs by world-renowned photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni and text by botanical expert William Warren bring The Garden City splendidly to life.

Art

• Peranakan Museum, A-Z Guide: This is a colourful guidebook to the collections of Singapore’s new Peranakan Museum. The collections make available information and artifacts which shed light on the ways of life of the Straits Chinese, a major force in the development of modern Singapore and Southeast Asia.
• Bus Stopping: American photographer Stephen Black observes Singapore from an unusual angle – inside a public bus. Although this is a pictorial with no text, it still manages to convey a sense of Singapore by following one of the most frequently used modes of transport in the republic. This is a very insightful ‘read’ into the public transport system of Singapore and it includes praise and frustration of the highly debated system.

Food

• Makansutra: More than 1000 uncompromising and unbiased street food, restaurant listings and reviews, plus stories and information on the culture & lifestyle of dining in Singapore.

History and Politics

• Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew: The Singapore Story is the first volume of the memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew, the man who planted this island state firmly on the map of world and Singapore’s Senior Minister. In intimate detail, Lee recounts the battles against colonialists, communists and communalists that led to Singapore’s independence. This book is not all politics: Lee brings the reader into his private life, with unusual candour, personal anecdotes and the occasional touch of humour. The book is a significant resource for historians and political analysts as it provides insights into national and international issues confronting the country and of the Senior Minister’s roles and perception in and on the Malaysian period 1963-65.
• Singapore: The Unexpected Nation: By Edwin Lee, former Head of Department of History of the National University of Singapore, traces the history of Singapore from its beginnings as a trade settlement in the 13th century to its emergence as a separate independent nation.
• Crossroads: A Popular History of Malaysia & Singapore: By Jim Baker, a readable history of Singapore and Malaysia from a longtime resident and expert.
• Singapore’s 100 Historic Places: Published by the National Heritage Board, a must for history lovers! Even locals are unable to point out more than 20 historic places for you to visit. This book does a wonderful job of identifying historic buildings and sites, complete with description and origins. It provides good insight into Singapore’s rich culture and heritage.
• Paths Not Taken: Political Pluralism in Post-War Singapore: Edited by Michael Barr and Edwin Trocki, this book is a very detailed and analytical read into the possible paths Singapore could have taken in the early 1960s. It allows a different viewpoint on the history of Singapore and what could have happened if Singapore’s leaders did not do what they did. It also contains many multi-disciplinary papers by academics.
• Battle for Singapore: The True Story of the Greatest Catastrophe of World War II : A book outlining the events of the fall of Singapore and the impact that it had on life on the island.

Language

• Singapore English in a Nutshell: By Adam Brown, a humorous yet informational book detailing the creative expressions of Singaporean English, or ‘Singlish’.

Fiction

• West from Singapore: By Louis L’Amour, few knew that Mr. L’Amour was a Merchant Marine in Southeast Asia. In this novel he creates his brand of fascinating American West storytelling, only this tale takes place in the waters around pre-World War II Singapore.