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Southeast Asia: A Modern History
This innovative book adopts both a narrative and a comparative approach to the modern history of Southeast Asia. It examines the experiences of Southeast Asian states, peoples, and regimes, and it links those experiences with those of states, peoples, and regimes in other parts of the
world.
world.
568 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2001
11 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Tarling
78 books3 followersNicholas Tarling was Professor of History at the University of Auckland from 1968 until 1997 and a Fellow of its New Zealand Asia Institute. He was the editor of The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia and wrote nearly 50 books and a large number of articles on the region.
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March 11, 2021
Good god, i'm finnally finish it. It took me almost one year from 12 March 2020 to 11 March 2021. It was one hell of journey. It was interesting journey. The juxtaposition of north and south point of view of historical study, with two main point question; if we solely focus on North historical study, didn't will depict Southeast Asia history into western and eurocentrist lens that alianated native and ignore voice and emancipation of southeast asian people?
But if we solely focus on South historical study, didn't will depict Southeast Asia history, even though in native and Southeast Asia people voice it will turn to glorification and romanticization that become the opposite of sincere and scientific value of historical studies.
It tries to intergrated and intertwined these two point of view, and it succed in my opinion. Intertwinned the regional history of Southeast Asia with native point of view and historical narritive with world history that dominated by Eurocentrist point of view, into one hell of interesting reading.
The deep impression that left in me, after i read Southeast Asia history from pra-colonial era with its great kingdom and civilization that strect from mainland Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Campuchea, Vietnam, Malaysia) to the Southeast Asia Coastal island (Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Filipina) with its pre-colonial relation with India and China, and its deep rooted Mandala/tributary/patront-client relations. Into the next phase of modern Southeast Asia histories, the contradictory nature of colonialism of Imperial power (Europe, United States, and Japan) that in one side left its deep scar in our history, but at the same time made an immaginative community into one modern and integrated nation despite its different ethnical root). The troubled history of genocide and political turbulence especially in "year zero" at Cambodia, at 1965 in Indonesia. History of democracy and dictatorship in Filiphine, Thailand, and Myanmar and Southeast Asia countries overall.
The deep passion to fully immerse in poem of Southeast Asia History countries in the visit of Angkor Wat of Siem Riam, the Golden Pagoda of Bangkok and Yangoon, Pha Tat Luang of Viantanine, The Great Moselum of Brunei, Ho Chi Mint city and the Golden Bridge, Changi Airport of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur city, the Spanish-esque of Manila and history of Jose Rizal, and of course many of Indonesia historical cities that i haven't yet explore.
But if we solely focus on South historical study, didn't will depict Southeast Asia history, even though in native and Southeast Asia people voice it will turn to glorification and romanticization that become the opposite of sincere and scientific value of historical studies.
It tries to intergrated and intertwined these two point of view, and it succed in my opinion. Intertwinned the regional history of Southeast Asia with native point of view and historical narritive with world history that dominated by Eurocentrist point of view, into one hell of interesting reading.
The deep impression that left in me, after i read Southeast Asia history from pra-colonial era with its great kingdom and civilization that strect from mainland Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Campuchea, Vietnam, Malaysia) to the Southeast Asia Coastal island (Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Filipina) with its pre-colonial relation with India and China, and its deep rooted Mandala/tributary/patront-client relations. Into the next phase of modern Southeast Asia histories, the contradictory nature of colonialism of Imperial power (Europe, United States, and Japan) that in one side left its deep scar in our history, but at the same time made an immaginative community into one modern and integrated nation despite its different ethnical root). The troubled history of genocide and political turbulence especially in "year zero" at Cambodia, at 1965 in Indonesia. History of democracy and dictatorship in Filiphine, Thailand, and Myanmar and Southeast Asia countries overall.
The deep passion to fully immerse in poem of Southeast Asia History countries in the visit of Angkor Wat of Siem Riam, the Golden Pagoda of Bangkok and Yangoon, Pha Tat Luang of Viantanine, The Great Moselum of Brunei, Ho Chi Mint city and the Golden Bridge, Changi Airport of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur city, the Spanish-esque of Manila and history of Jose Rizal, and of course many of Indonesia historical cities that i haven't yet explore.
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