In the selection of books below, where a book is published in the UK and the US, the UK publisher is given first, followed by the US one; the abbreviation o/p means out of print.

Noel Barber , Sinister Twilight (Arrow, Uk). Documents the fall of Singapore to the Japanese by re-imagining the crucial events of the period.

James Clavell , King Rat (Hodder/Dell). Set in Japanese-occupied Singapore, a gripping tale of survival in the notorious Changi Prison.

Maurice Collis , Raffles (Century, o/p). The most accessible and enjoyable biography of Sir Stamford Raffles on the market - very readable.

Tan Kok Seng , Son Of Singapore (Heinemann, US, o/p). Tan Kok Seng's candid and sobering autobiography on the underside of the Singaporean success story, telling of hard times spent as a coolie.

Maya Jayapal , Images of Asia: Old Singapore (OUP). Concise volume that charts the growth of the city-state, drawing on contemporary maps, sketches and photographs to engrossing effect.

C Mary Turnbull , A Short History of Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei (Graham Brash, Singapore). Decent, informed introduction to the region.

Michael Wise (ed), Travellers' Tales of Old Singapore (In Print Publishing, UK). A catholic and engrossing collection of vignettes.