A Savage Dreamland: Journeys in Burma

by David Eimer

David Eimer journeys to the heart of Burma and out to its unexplored vistas, bringing to vivid life all its riches and complexities.

For almost fifty years Burma was ruled by a paranoid military dictatorship and isolated from the outside world. At this time, Burma became Myanmar without local accord. Eimer sides with the locals by using its original name, refusing to let the nation's history be rewritten. In 2015, a historic election swept an Aung San Suu Kyi-led civilian government to power and was supposed to usher in a new golden era of democracy and progress, but Burma remains unstable and undeveloped, a little-understood country.

Nothing is straightforward in this captivating land-home to a combustible mix of races, religions and resources. Eimer reveals a country where temples take priority over infrastructure, fortune tellers thrive and golf courses are carved out of war zones. Setting out from Yangon, David Eimer travels through this enigmatic nation, from the tropical south to the Burmese Himalayas in the far north. The story of modern Burma is told through the voices of the people Eimer former political exiles, squatters in Yangon's shanty towns, radical monks, Rohingya refugees, princesses and warlords, and ethnic minorities clustered along Burma's frontiers.

Layers of history are unfurled and innumerable stories are woven together to create a sensitive and revelatory portrait of this mysterious country. Authoritative and ground-breaking, A Savage Journeys in Burma is set to be a modern classic of travel writing.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Asia

384 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2019

Reviews

[Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating read into a country that many people don't know much about. It's packed with information while carrying the somewhat whimsical voice of a travel diary. It was a bit sad to read as this was written before the 2021 military coup when Burma was a lot more hopeful about democracy.

The title does not do it justice because white people calling anything savage is such a bad look lol but I get what he's going for...anyway thanks educational king David Eimer

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the country whose very name is confusing and controversial. In 1989 a military regime changed the name of Burma to Myanmar. Burma linguistically came from British colonists’ adaptation of Portuguese’s name which was an adaptation from Indian name Bama, after the native people of the land. Or something like that. There’s plenty of controversy surrounding the subject. But a country by any other name…
Basically, it’s currently known by both, though the only thing printed in the US news is Myanmar and the news from Myanmar are never good. It’s a third world country, terribly underdeveloped even by the South Asian standards, hobbled by colonialism, crippled by WWII, devastated by constant infighting and dramatically unable to improve itself despite having a wealth of natural resources. It is only within the last decades that they finally got out from under a strict decades long junta rule and have something like a democratic election putting the controversial opposition leader and a Nobel Peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in charge as prime minister. A change as epic as they come, conceptually, and yet the one that didn’t’ quite play out, because Burma or Myanmar is still only in the news for terrible things, like the Rohingya crisis.
So maybe not a place you’d actually want to visit unless you’re one of those despicable people who get off on touring poverty, but definitely a place worth learning about and the best way to do that is via an armchair travel tour.
Being a seasoned armchair adventurer, I’ve actually traveled with David Eimer before, only last time it was the remote areas of China. Now it’s the entirety of Myanmar, which he staunchly calls Burma on principle. Pretty bold considering the politically correct time we live in and everyone’s obsessive preoccupation with proper nomenclature. But anyway…
Eimer knows Asia. The man has lived and traveled Asia extensively and has a profound understanding of the culture and politics. You’d have a tough time finding a more knowledgeable tour guide. So this book isn’t just a travelogue or just a political overview or a tale of exotic land, this is a combination of all of those elements thoroughly steeped in historical context. This is something that’ll enable you to actually understand a far away and seemingly strange place. And it is strange…to Western world, at least. It has a layered historical past and imposing neighbors that have time and again shaped the country, though fundamentally it remained the same, a strictly Buddhist nation featuring some 143 official minorities none of which can quite get along, unable to accomplish proper of national cohesiveness, unable to overcome the crippling reign of military regime (though now diminished, it still owns a quarter of the government seats, just enough to exercise control over most decisions), unable to take advantage of their natural resources and so on.
Eimer travels to various regions of the country, talks to various minorities and it consistently highlights a pervasive resentment toward the others, often with very legitimate grievances, sometimes with completely contrived ones. All of this exacerbated by a profound desperation and terrible poverty. And there doesn’t seem to be much to hope for in the future either. Sure, there are some of the younger generation who are trying to make a difference and raise awareness though documentaries and so on, but most people, young and otherwise, who can leave, do. In fact, so many of the Burmese Eimer talked to survived primarily on whatever remittance their families from abroad provided. The country itself providing all too limited infrastructure and opportunities.
So all of this to say is…this is a very bleak armchair travelling experience. A very depressing read. A very sobering reminder that while yes, the world is going to sh*t everywhere lately (except NZ, loved you, NZ), it is far from an equal proposition for many who didn’t have far to go to begin with. It’s difficult to read about Burma or Myanmar, especially from the perspective of a first world country. It’s difficult to think about people existing in such living conditions. I suppose that’s what makes it such a worthy read, it doesn’t just expand the mind, it exercises compassion muscles also.
And Eimer is a very good writer. Very fact based and unbiased, not a lot of his personality or opinions come through, it’s all about the places he goes to and people he meets. And he really did go to ever corner of the country and talked to everyone, or so it seems. It’s a very, very through virtual visit, comprising years of the author’s life and work there. Eimer is absolutely terrific at descriptions, his writing is very vivid and transportive. Good thing here, because the book has no photos whatsoever and, frankly, you don’t really need them. You get the proverbial thousand words instead. No, that makes it seem like the book was overwritten and given to prolixity, and it really wasn’t. Unlike, say, this review. It fact, it read reasonably quickly for its size and heavy atmosphere, but, for all the reasons mentioned, it wasn’t an easy or a conventionally enjoyable read. I, for one, would have probably been ok with a shorter less minutely detailed overview, but then again it was all so interesting. Still, though, very much worth the time.
So there you go, an absolutely exhaustive and emotionally exhausting journey to a faraway savage dreamland you probably wouldn’t actually want to set foot in. All you ever wanted to know about a country with two names, this is about as good as serious travel writing can be. Recommended.

[Bagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Eimer's travelogue, A Savage Dreamland, emerges as a timely and insightful exploration of modern Burma, which is significant due to its publication in 2019, just two years before the military coup that ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The 2021 military coup marked a pivotal turning point, thrusting the country into an ongoing political crisis.

David’s journey through Burma spans multiple visits, commencing in 2010 during a period of recovery following the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis. This timing allowed him to witness firsthand the country's transition towards a nominally civilian government, marking the beginning of a new era. Through his interactions with ordinary people, David deftly captures the nuances and consequences of this political transformation, offering a perspective that distinguishes his work from previous books on Burma.

In his travelogue, David seamlessly blends elements of journalism and scholarship, presenting a multifaceted portrayal of Burma's evolving landscape. His willingness to go beyond the conventional and venture into areas off-limits to foreigners, even under the civilian government, exemplifies his dedication to understanding the country deeply. Notably, he crosses borders to access regions controlled by ethnic minorities, such as his journey to Mong La in eastern Shan State from the Chinese province of Yunnan. These daring exploits provide readers with rare insights into the complexities of Burma's ethnic diversity.

David’s extensive experience covering China as a journalist lends additional layers of depth to his travelogue. By delving into the relationship between China and various ethnic groups dependent on Chinese investments and its government’s goodwill, he uncovers intricate dynamics that often render these groups more aligned with China than with the Burmese authorities in Naypyidaw. This dimension adds a thought-provoking dimension to his narrative.

Offering a panoramic view of the challenges faced by Burma's diverse ethnic minorities, A Savage Dreamland complements the works of other scholars like Thant Myint-U. David’s meticulous attention to detail and his ability to weave together the stories of individuals he encounters on his journey create a tapestry of insights that broaden our understanding of Burma's intricate sociopolitical fabric.

[Thomas Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant journalism about a troubled country that deftly weaved history, personal narratives and wry observations.

[Ryan Murdock · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 / 5* for David Eimer's fascinating account of his travels through Southeast Asia's least known country.

I spent a month in Burma in 2002, at a time when so many areas were closed to foreigners. Travel from Rangoon to Mandalay was easy, with stops in Pagan and Inle Lake, but the farthest I was able to reach was Hsipaw in the Shan State.

Intrigued by an earlier visit he'd made in 2010, Eimer moved to Rangoon in 2015 and ventured into every region of what is now Myanmar, from the slender tail of the southeast to the borderlands of Chin, scene of violent clashes between Buddhists and the Muslim Rohingya peoples. He even went deep into remote corners of the Shan and Kachin regions, where gambling dens cater to Chinese visitors, jade mines fuel dreams of riches, and opium lords rule self-contained cities blessed with electricity and luxury cars.

Throughout it all, he tries to come to grips with a complex patchwork of ethnicities, tribal armies, superstitions and the pain of history.

This is a sensitive portrait of a country where things change, but mostly they form echoes of the past.

[Apratim Mukherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start my review, I just didn't understand why Myanmar was called a 'savage dreamland'. There was no savages or dreams in the whole text. Anyways,this is one of the rare books written on Myanmar post junta era where Burmese history has been intertwined with travel writing. The author travelled a lot in Myanmar and the intricate details of the writing is a proof of that. The research work is also outstanding . However, the lack of photographs makes reading boring sometimes. I think this will be 'good read' for anyone interested in contemporary Myanmar.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, with a name like 'Savage Dreamland', I want sure what to think. However this book dives into all areas of Burma and not simply the tourist areas. I couldn't find many books about the history of Burma or travel in Burma that was published after British colonial rule. This does a bit of both - history and travel. I enjoyed the spotlight on ethnic minorites and their challenges and stories with living in Burma. I didnt realize how much the book would connect back to India and the surrounding boarder countries. As I'm currently living in India, it was helpful to see what the relationship between India and Burma is. Not a hard read and the book flows well from place to place.

[Tairachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book No. 30 that I‘ve read this year is A Savage Dreamland: Journeys in Burma by David Eimer. I’ve not been to Burma and I’m not used to reading travel writing but it is a fascinating genre.
The writer has authored many Lonely Planet books. It helps that he’s incredibly gifted and well connected which made this recently published book very comprehensive.
As someone who has little knowledge about Burma, this book was eye-opening and shed a lot of light on the bigger cities and smaller, incredibly remote shanty towns of Burma, its political history and current state of affairs. Though rich in natural resources, Burma is poor compared to its Southeast Asian neighbours due to colonial rule and a ‘paranoid military dictatorship’ being in power for an incredibly long time.
Being bordered by China, India, Bangladesh and Thailand, Burma is a true melting pot of many ethnicities and religious groups. The book covers its ethnic and religious tensions, political history, geography, illegal trade, the feared military Tatmadaw, Aung San Suu Kyi, George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling’s writings on Burma, crime, economy, the colonial era, General Ne Win’s astrologists, and so much more, from the perspective of political exiles, religious folk, former drug users, Rohingya people, and many other minority ethnic groups.
The voices in the book are so interesting because they are not what you often see or hear about in the news, and a lot of the information in the book was acquired through interviews with acquaintances made in Burma over a long period of time.
Memorably, one person describes Aung San Suu Kyi as a kite in the sky flying high but the Western countries don’t see who is holding the strings: the army.
As the Guardian summarises, “Eimer’s powerful account reveals a country plundered and brutalised during the colonial era and decades of autocratic rule, while struggling to come to terms with the reality of its present ethnic and religious diversity.” Definitely recommend A Savage Dreamland if you’re interested in Burma, travelling through Southeast Asia or simply Asian politics. Many thanks to @definitelybooks for this review copy!

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer of 1988 found me with an air ticket into Rangoon, a plan history squashed by General Ne Win's successful coup. Instead, I flew to Thailand where I began experiencing how surprisingly tribal Southeast Asia remains.

Reading A Savage Dreamland I see a point where money, lethal power, drugs, and taxation merge, exemplified in the ethnic melting pot called Burma. Both colonial and the national military have attempted to manage conflicts between shady tribal interests but humans have difficulty seeing past zero sum games. Maybe the unrest is due to (drug) money or maybe asking very different cultures to share and sacrifice is impossible. It's not fair because with its resources and location between India and China, tall these people should be happily wealthy.

Humanity shares so many aspirations and the author's extensive Burmese travels narrate this well but differences in language and history create greedy thirsts for power. Burma is especially interesting because of its indigenous religious and ethnic diversity. The Muslim Rohingya get the Western press but that's scraping the surface of a larger problem. Savage Dreamland is an interesting read about a country I regret not seeing.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-written and honest prose on a breadth of areas in Burma.

Pros: The author traveled to places that most foreigners are either not allowed to go, or wouldn't choose to go. This helped provide insight into aspects of Burma that would otherwise be overlooked, particularly by the Western world. My favorite chapters were "Christmas in Chin" and "The Road to Heaven," because they offered really fascinating and personal insight into religion in the country.

Cons: I felt that the last quarter of the book -- mostly centered around ethnic groups in the country -- could've been condensed into half of its length. It was too detailed and obscure for the average reader, and the space could've been used to cover other additional topics.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite sure the title is the best fit, but the book provided great insight into a country in my region I don't know much about and am unlikely to visit. The explanation of colonial history (teak and oil) and all the various minorities, not just the Rohingya, was interesting. It did seem to end abruptly, without even attempting an overall summary or conclusion.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exhaustive (and exhausting) trek into Burma's most inhospitable - and dangerous - areas with, sadly, little cause for optimism for the future. A benighted land which has been (and continues to be) pillaged and torn apart both by outside forces and its own internecine hatreds.

[Neil Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts travelogue, history and analysis of the troubled Burma of today. I enjoyed this book and want to visit the country even more than I did before reading it.

[Mary Jeneverre · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great overview of Burma and its neighboring countries. If you want to travel to Burma, this is the book to read in preparation for that journey.

[Sevelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful written work on a fascinating country. Learned a great deal and enjoyed every minute.

[Caleb Berlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eimer goes everywhere in Burma except for Kawthoolei, which is really important and a little disappointing, but he goes into a lot of detail about Burma's history, and its current conflict between lots of armies, especially in Shan State, as he visits two separate ethnic armies who fight against each other.

[Robert Costin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sympathetic and enlightening book, written with a keen desire to explore all the political and ethnic tensions in Myanmar in 2020. I’m travelling there soon so this is part of a great introduction to a fascinating, but troubled, country.