Strange Parallels: Southeast Asia in Global Context, c. 800-1830. Volume 1, Integration on the Mainland

Studies in Comparative World History

by Victor B. Lieberman

In an ambitious effort to overcome the extreme fragmentation of early Southeast Asian historiography, this study connects Southeast Asia to world history. Victor Lieberman argues that over a thousand years, each of mainland Southeast Asia's great lowland corridors experienced a pattern of accelerating integration punctuated by recurrent collapse. These trajectories were synchronized not only between corridors, but most curiously, between the mainland as a whole, much of Europe, and other sectors of Eurasia. Lieberman describes in detail the nature of mainland consolidation and dissects the mix of endogenous and external factors responsible.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Asia, World History, Medieval, Medieval History

510 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 1999

Reviews

[AskHistorians]

Lieberman begins with the development of more centralized society in Southeast Asia, then branches out to show similar patterns of development in several other Eurasian regions, including Russia, France, and briefly, China, Japan, India and Island SE Asia. The scope is breathtaking. This is a once in a generation achievement that is still being absorbed by the Asian studies community.

[Anh Le · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed review will come once I get the second volume done

[Rudy Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the hardest history book I’ve ever read. Definitely worth a read if you want an introduction to hard historiographic surveys and data extrapolations. This book felt more to me like the entire history of a region, instead of the normal kings logs you get for mid evil stuff. It was an enlightening experience at the very least but dry as all get out.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gets points for its ambition and its attempt to de-marginalize Southeast Asian history by bringing it back into discussion with larger historical trends. Lieberman places Southeast Asia withing the Eurasian context without falling into the traps of Euro-centric colonial historiography. However, the book is also repetitive and about four times as long as it needs to be. The 84 page introduction is worth reading, and essentially presents the entire argument of the book. The rest of it re-makes the same argument in slightly more detail. The conclusion makes the argument again.