I've been very interested in modern eastern asian history and have decided to read up on these people in particular, due to their role in the success of their countries. However they seem to be shrouded in a veil of bad history and I'm very unsure of which books to pick, I would therefore love some recommendations.
Suggestions of other important modern east asian leaders would also be greatly appreciated (for example in Japan or Korea)!
For the Deng Era, I'd recommend "Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China" by Ezra Vogel. It's fairly dense and not entirely chronological, but it's excellent for understanding the Deng Era. Be warned, however, you're going to want to have at least a basic background in the characters and politics of the era or else you might be a little lost at times.