Welcome!

The world is looking at the Asia-Pacific region with new interest. Based in Hong Kong, Blacksmith Books focuses on locally relevant non-fiction – biography, business, culture, current affairs, food, photography and travel – and through distributors in Asia, North America, Australia and the UK, we present the works of our local and expat authors to a worldwide readership.

From this website, we deliver books all over the world. Delivery within Hong Kong and other parts of China is free of charge.

Please use the links to explore. And thanks for reading.

What people are saying about our books

“Through Carter’s journey of self-discovery, we end up discovering a little more about ourselves — and a land so vast, so disparate, that 638 pages of photos barely manage to scratch the surface.”
Simon Ostheimer, Time Out
“Tom Carter is an extraordinary photographer whose powerful work captures the heart and soul of the Chinese people.”
“The recipes are clear, with many dishes illustrated with mouth-watering pictures and, best of all, they work. This is a valuable contribution to the Chinese culinary scene.”
Rupert Parker, Huffington Post
“It’s that sense of commonality that makes Street Life Hong Kong by its end a celebration of our city and the spirit of the people who inhabit it.”
“Hui’s story gives us glimpses of a Hong Kong – the opium dens, the pool halls, the nightclubs, the casinos and the girls, girls, girls – not adequately reflected in official histories of the city.”
Kent Ewing, Asia Times
“Year of Fire Dragons is not only a riveting coming of age story, but also a testament to the distance people will travel for love.”
Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife
“Jason Y. Ng is back with a new book of insights after casting his perceptive gaze over the good, bad and ugly side of city life.”
“Hong Kong for Kids is an invaluable resource for helping us design fun, wonderful learning activities for our students all over Hong Kong.”

Recent blog posts and news

  • Book cover image: Strangers on the Praia

New book: Strangers on the Praia, by Paul French

July 16th, 2020|0 Comments

Based on true stories and new research, Paul French weaves together the stories of those Jewish refugees who moved on from wartime Shanghai to seek a possible route to freedom via the Portuguese colony of Macao – “the Casablanca of the Orient”. The delicately balanced neutral enclave became their wartime home, amid Nazi and Japanese [...]

  • Book cover image: Strangers on the Praia

Webtalk by Paul French, June 3, 7pm: Strangers on the Praia, Macau in World War II

June 3rd, 2020|0 Comments

In this talk for the Royal Geographical Society Hong Kong, well-known China historian, raconteur and author Paul French talks of Macau during World War II. Based on true stories and new research, he attempts to weave together the stories of those Jewish refugees who in the war moved on from their temporary haven of Shanghai. [...]

New book: Trading Places, a photographic journey through China’s former treaty ports

April 1st, 2020|0 Comments

China’s treaty ports were cities along its coast and on major rivers which were forcibly opened to foreign trade by the Western powers, starting from the early 19th century. The treaty port era extended from then until 1943, and during this time foreigners had a significant presence in China. This new book contains more than [...]

  • graham reels

Book excerpt: Confessions of a Hong Kong Naturalist

March 2nd, 2020|0 Comments

Confessions of a Hong Kong Naturalist is a natural history memoir, tracing the journey from novice to expert of aspiring naturalist Graham Reels as he follows a trail of discovery into the miraculously fascinating and diverse world of Hong Kong’s wildlife. Read this excerpt from his book. It is taken from Chapter 9, Far-flung Shores. [...]