"Many old books about the old China at that period are poorly written, difficult to read and not very interesting. We chose the books because the content is interesting, they are well written and readable," he says.

    Earnshaw knows the books have a small market, but it is a labor of love for someone, who is "very interested in the connections between the old and new China, and the extent to which Chinese culture and society today is the same as or different from Chinese culture and traditions in the old days. And the way that Chinese culture and international/Western culture interact."

    The series is available in English-language bookstores in Shanghai, including the Foreign Language Bookstore, Imported Bookstore, Garden Books and Chaterhouse Bookstore, among others. Readers can purchase the books at www.talesofoldchina.com, a Website about Chinese history that Earnshaw set up in 1996.

    Earnshaw chose American Carl Crow's "Foreign Devils in the Flowery Kingdom" as the first of the series (first published in 1940). The author of the classic "400 Million Customers," Crow lived in Shanghai for 25 years and helped create the modern advertising industry in China.

    Known as "Ten Miles of Foreign Spectacles" or "Paris of the Orient," Shanghai was where many foreigners rose to success. In vivid details, Crow recounts his adventures, with the eye of the reporter he was when he arrived.

    He reveals fascinating tidbits about life and describes what many believe to be an odious sign and symbol of foreign racism at Huangpu Park on the Bund. It supposedly said "No dogs or Chinese allowed."

    The truth, says Crow, was still repellent, but there were actually two signs, one barring dogs and one excluding Chinese, except for ayis and their little expat charges.

    It is generally believed that foreigners brought modernization into China and taught the Chinese how to conduct modern business. But Crow also learned and attempts to clarify misunderstandings about China and Chinese.

    The book reveals his complex feelings about the place, where he worked with, argued with, employed, and hung out with Chinese people.

    He describes an expat life of luxury, business and adventure. Crow left after the Japanese invasion of 1937.

    Earnshaw is especially interested in such interactions between foreigners and Chinese as he considers it "very important for the future of China as well as the West."

    "And there are lessons to be learned from the past. I think these books help us to understand how foreigners and Chinese used to get on," says Earnshaw, who also feels that "both foreigners and Chinese people probably know too little about the history of that period, which is more complex than the simple images most people have."

    Another Shanghai book is "The Unexpurgated Diary of a Shanghai Baby" by Elsie McCormick, a humorous little book that was first published in 1923.

    Adopting the "viewpoint" of a one-year-old baby, the author describes the life of an American expat household in Shanghai in the early 1920s. Seeing the old days through the eyes of the baby, you might find the expat lifestyle surprisingly similar to that of today.

    As in the old days, many foreign families hire a Chinese ayi who speaks only a little English, if any. At times, they still get confused by how the ayi cleans the house or does the laundry. And the ayi still can't understand when parents let the toddlers run around by themselves.

    Such similarities are what Earnshaw considers "fun and significant," and a big reason for republication.

    "The experience of the 19th century is relevant to today and it has a value. If we understand the 19th century, then we are better able to understand what is happening in China today," says the publisher.

    Far fewer Chinese mastered English back then, compared with today, which is why most of the books are written by foreigners. But Earnshaw also found a unique book in English written by Yung Wing, "My Life in China and America," first published in 1909.

    The author, born in South China before the Opium Wars, was the first Chinese to graduate from a major US college - Yale - in 1854. He returned to China and witnessed the turbulence in the 19th century.

    Understanding both China and the West, he looked for ways to help his own country become stronger. And he wrote the history of his life in English. Earnshaw sees it as "a very special way of seeing into the minds of the 19th century."

    "To understand the past, we are better able to interpret the present and also to forecast the future," concludes Earnshaw.

    Earnshaw, fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, translated Jin Yong's (Louis Cha) first serialized wuxia (martial art) book, "The Book and the Sword," first published in 1955.

    Earnshaw is also walking to Tibet, chatting with people along the way and writing a book about his own adventures.

    Other titles

    "The Yangtze Valley and Beyond"

    By Isabella L. Bird, an intrepid traveler in the 19th century. She also visits Sichuan Province and what is now the Tibet Autonomous Region. First published in 1900.

    "Two Years in the Forbidden City"

    By Princess Der Ling, favorite lady-in-waiting to the Empress Dowager in the imperial palace in Beijing from 1903. An intimate portrait of the Dragon Lady. First published in 1911.

    "Across China on Foot"

    By Edward John Dingle. The adventurer recounts experiences traveling up the Yangtze River and walking southwest from Chongqing into Burma (now Myanmar). First published in 1910.