Southeast Asia in World History

by Craig A. Lockard

Here is a brief, well-written, and lively survey of the history of Southeast Asia from ancient times to the present, paying particular attention to the regions role in world history and the distinctive societies that arose in lands shaped by green fields and forests, blue rivers and seas. Craig Lockard shows how for several millennia Southeast Asians, living at the crossroads of Asia, enjoyed ever expanding connections to both China and India, and later developed maritime trading networks to the Middle East and Europe. He explores how the people of the region combined local and imported ideas to form unique cultures, reflected in such striking creations as Malay sailing craft, Javanese gamelan music, and batik cloth, classical Burmese and Cambodian architecture, and social structures in which women have often played unusually influential roles. Lockard describes colonization by Europeans and Americans between 1500 and 1914, tracing how the social, economic, and political frameworks inherited from the past, combined with active opposition to domination by foreign powers, enabled Southeast Asians to overcome many challenges and regain their independence after World War II. The book also relates how Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam are now among the fastest growing economies in the world and play a critical role in todays global marketplace.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Caleb Loh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable and pretty reliable actually

[Imran Rasid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy to follow. Good to refresh your knowledge on southeast asian history, or to have a preliminary survey of this region's complex past. Craig Lockard is famous for attempting to link southeast asian history with a broader world historical narratives.

This one should be a quick read.

[Ernest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory work, but don't stop here. Particularly outstanding is the weaving in of bits and pieces of primary sources, perhaps a full treatment of some important sources (there is some of the Malay Annals, but not much else comes to mind). You can probably finish this in <2 hours.

[Marijean Miyar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while traveling through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It enhanced my experience enormously. Highly recommended.

[Luke Sayese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for an intro course to Non-Western history, and it's a pretty good basic introduction to the region. If you need to get a general sense of Southeast Asia before you go more in depth, then this book will help you get more confident before researching on specific countries and nuances for your papers.

[Stephen Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is naturally limited to superficial coverage due to the length of the book, this is a very good introduction to the topic.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could have been clearer about who was who, but I'm still really glad I read it.

[Sharon]

very good overview covering many countries, would look t other books of the series