The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester (with Tim McGirk)

John Ross talks with Tim McGirk about Simon Winchester’s masterpiece, The Man Who Loved China. That man was Joseph Needham, an eccentric Cambridge biochemist who traveled through war-torn China to document the nation’s scientific heritage. The ensuing book series, Science and Civilisation in China, revealed the world’s debt to Chinese science. John and Tim discuss the “Needham Question” (why China, once the global leader in technology, fell behind) and the scandal that almost ended his academic career. McGirk, a former foreign correspondent who knows Winchester from his early journalism days, shares some reporting anecdotes. Tim also explains how the life of Joseph Needham inspired his own historical novel, The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers.

Books mentioned

The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom by Simon Winchester (HarperCollins, 2008).

Science and Civilisation in China: Needham’s monumental series. Volume 1 was published by Cambridge University Press in 1954.

The Diamond Sutra: considered the world’s oldest dated printed book (AD 868).

The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers by Tim McGirk (Plum Rain Press, 2025)

People mentioned

Joseph Needham: The Cambridge scientist who documented China’s early scientific achievements.

Lu Gwei-djen: A scientist from Nanjing who sparked Needham’s interest in Chinese culture, and, after a 51-year romance, his second wife.

Dorothy Needham: Joseph’s first wife and a fellow brilliant scientist.

H.T. Huang: A refugee from Malacca who served as Needham’s secretary during his epic China expeditions.

Zhou Enlai: The Premier of the People’s Republic of China and Needham’s wartime friend who invited him to investigate biological warfare allegations.

Selected locations mentioned

Cambridge University, the UK, specifically Caius College (pronounced “keys”).

Chungking (Chóngqìng): China’s wartime capital.

Dunhuang: Home of the Mogao Grottos, a vast complex of Buddhist cave temples in northwest China, and where the Diamond Sutra was discovered.

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

This episode of the Books on Asia podcast introduces new fiction and non-fiction on Japan to be published this year, along with two upcoming books on Taiwan. We present the books here in the order they appear on the podcast. Listen to the episode for more information on each title:

Phantom Paradise: Escape from Manchuria, by Kay Enokido
(Bold Story Press, January 13, 2026)

Kokun: The Girl from the West, by Nahoko Uehashi (transl. Cathy Hirano)
(Europa Editions, January 13, 2026)

When the Museum Is Closed, by Emi Yagi (transl. Yuki Tejima)
(Soft Skull Press, January 27, 2026)

Hooked: A Novel of Obsession, by Asako Yuzuki (transl. Polly Barton)
(HarperVia, March 17, 2026)

Sisters in Yellow, by Mieko Kawakami (transl. Laurel Taylor and Hitomi Yoshio)
(Knopf, March 31, 2026)

Hollow Inside, by Asako Otani (transl. Ginny Tapley Takemori)
(Pushkin Press, May 5, 2026)

Japan’s Anime Revolution!: Twenty Animated Films That Changed the World, by Jonathan Clements
(Tuttle Publishing, May 12, 2026)

Troubled Waters, by Ichiyō Higuchi (transl. Bryan Karetnyk)
(Pushkin Press Classics, May 26, 2026)

Upcoming 2026 Releases from Plum Rain Press :

Taiwan 22: Travels in Paradox, by Tyrel Eskelson
Release date to be announced

Hidden Formosa: Life and Travels in Rural Taiwan, an anthology( ed. John Ross)
Release date to be announced

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

Thomas Bird was living in Southern China when he decided to explore the country by train and write a book about it. He first attempts to trace the steps of Bruce Chatwin after reading an article of his in the New York Times, but eventually decides to just go with the flow, traveling far and wide on China's old railway during the pre-Covid years 2014-2019. He seeks out old lines and trains and chronicles the people he meets along the way to tell readers what China is like today. The result is Harmony Express: Travels by Train Through China.

Books and authors included in the discussion

Riding the Iron Rooster (1988), by Paul Theroux

Forgotten Kingdom: Nine Years in Yunnan 1939-48 by Peter Goullart (1955)

The Great Walk of China: Travels on Foot from Shanghai to Tibet (2010), by Graham Earnshaw

Bruce Chatwin and Joseph Rock.

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.