The Indonesia Reader: History, Culture, Politics

The World Readers

by Tineke Hellwig (Editor), Eric Tagliacozzo (Editor)

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, encompassing nearly eighteen thousand islands. The fourth-most populous nation in the world, it has a larger Muslim population than any other. The Indonesia Reader is a unique introduction to this extraordinary country. Assembled for the traveler, student, and expert alike, the Reader includes more than 150 journalists’ articles, explorers’ chronicles, photographs, poetry, stories, cartoons, drawings, letters, speeches, and more. Many pieces are by Indonesians; some are translated into English for the first time. All have introductions by the volume’s editors. Well-known figures such as Indonesia’s acclaimed novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer and the American anthropologist Clifford Geertz are featured alongside other artists and scholars, as well as politicians, revolutionaries, colonists, scientists, and activists. Organized chronologically, the volume addresses early Indonesian civilizations; contact with traders from India, China, and the Arab Middle East; and the European colonization of Indonesia, which culminated in centuries of Dutch rule. Selections offer insight into Japan’s occupation (1942–45), the establishment of an independent Indonesia, and the post-independence era, from Sukarno’s presidency (1945–67), through Suharto’s dictatorial regime (1967–98), to the present Reformasi period. Themes of resistance and activism in a book excerpt decrying the exploitation of Java’s natural wealth by the Dutch; in the writing of Raden Ajeng Kartini (1879–1904), a Javanese princess considered the icon of Indonesian feminism; in a 1978 statement from East Timor objecting to annexation by Indonesia; and in an essay by the founder of Indonesia’s first gay activist group. From fifth-century Sanskrit inscriptions in stone to selections related to the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 tsunami, The Indonesia Reader conveys the long history and the cultural, ethnic, and ecological diversity of this far-flung archipelago nation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel, Politics, Asia

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthologies, especially those that intend to cover a wide gamut of material loosely joined by a broad theme (in this case, political geography) are rather hard to review: you're dealing with multiple essays from a variety of authors, after all. And at that, cohesive anthologies are also very hard to edit and put together for an editor: readers/anthologies are a staple of college course-work for many topics and also a huge boon to non-academics with an interest in a specific topic, be it gothic literature or the history of Argentina or . . . well, or Indonesia. So with all that said, and bearing in mind someone on here recently criticized me (with some justification) for writing reviews that were too short and too vague, I will try herein to do my best to provide a good overview of this volume.

The task at hand was tough: the editor of this book had to encompass everything from current-day politics to colonial society to native arts like batik, and had to select essays that would best represent each topic, each period. Overall, I feel that effort was successful and then some. The essays included are all engaging and some outstanding. The essay on the Bugis epic La Galigo and the chapter "Drawings from a Japanese Camp" both provide a great introduction to their topics and are highly entertaining, too. Some such as "The First Dutch Voyage to the Indies" provide necessary historical accounts while others are contemporary, well-researched, and some are even quite personal. "The Old Order, The New Order—Political Climate" provides introspection on the topic you'd expect from it without becoming too detailed to put off a non-expert and a fine balance throughout the book is struck between detail and an awareness that this is, yes, a specialist book of sorts, but will be read by a diverse variety of people interested in Indonesia from grad students to ex-pats to travelers with a keen literary interest. I feel it meets the challenges for an area studies reader better than most in this regard.

This volume is part of a series by Duke University Press of nation-based readers, with many others already in that line concerning Latin America. It's the only one I've yet read but if it indicates the general quality of them all, I expect to read more.

[Parag · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never tried to go cover to cover on a compiled non-fiction reader without a companion class before. Now I know why it's hard: the pieces selected for this collection are very short and span the breadth of recorded histories, accounts, and other writings about Indonesia. The editors' notes before selections are helpful, but use this as I did: just to open the door on a nation/place that you know little about, and as a guide to treatises on specific topics of interest, such as the building of the modern nationstate, the role of bahasa Indonesia in the national project, the variety of resistance, independence, and cultural movements, and the interesting ways that culture, religion, and modernity intersect in Indonesia.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books from which you pick selections to enhance your understanding.
I started by double-checking that I knew where Indonesia actually is (it's in that archipelago-type area southeast of China - but not all of it) and referring to the reference librarians for more direction.

I didn't know before opening the book how much about Indonesia I already knew - the commerce stuff, with the East India company, namely, and bits and pieces about Islam and Communism.

From there I asked a few questions, sought what the index might have to answer them, and found the answers, like every other book with an index. So I liked it overall!

Off for dinner now!

[Jindřich Zapletal · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

This is a standard format textbook for a reading course on Indonesian history in a US college. It consists of numerous quite short selections from primary sources ranging from medieval to 2000, with minimal commentary. The reader needs either a teacher to guide her/him through the book, or really solid preexisting knowledge of the topic to maintain a sense of orientation and context. I read a couple of standard Indonesia history textbooks (like Ricklefs) previously and with that background, the present book was an enjoyable and efficient collection of pointers to further study.

Especially towards the end, the selections follow way too closely the main academic specialty of the first author, which in complex industrial societies makes for too narrow perspective.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good companion to another book in a course on Indonesia. There was a lot of breadth but little real depth of the various aspects of Indonesian history and culture. It did raise my awareness and interest in some things. Some of the chapters seemed a little random and not very substantive and made me wonder if there were important pieces of history that were not covered. One thing I was hoping to learn more about that wasn't in the book was the forced trans-migration. In general I feel that I learned more through the paragraph chapter intros than in the text itself.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the Indonesian archipelago itself, this book covers a vast array of short stories, essays, eyewitness accounts, poetry, etc. that touches on the rich history and culture of Indonesia. This not History of Indo 101,thus will have more meaning for people who already have some familiarity with that country. Some pieces are useful to give some perspective on the goings-on of the time, while others were utterly boring.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far, I'm not terribly impressed. Interesting information, but poorly edited. Many short blurbs with little provided context, criticism, or discussion of why they are included.

Did I mention I'm going to Indonesia, though?!?

[Lisa Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting primary documents, with a quick paragraph or two as introduction to the context surrounding each document. Obviously meant as a companion to a more linear history, it's well worth it to read the actual words of various Indonesians and visitors throughout history.

[Purple Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Seems to have a purely chronological lay out. Not as interesting as the other readers in the series.

A lot of texts by foreigners.
A lot of classical literary texts.
A lot of travel documents: diaries, letters, etc.
Second half more interesting.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely meant for a college course but sort of interesting.