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Merdeka: One Man’s Fight to Free a Nation From Colonial Oppression
I realised that the struggle in Indonesia was very important as it concerned the destiny of over 70 million people. I knew that if the struggle for Independence failed, the western world would be equally to blame.
Tom Atkinson
Merdeka (Indonesian; Malaysian): ‘independent’ or ‘free’. ‘Merdeka’ became Indonesia’s national battle-cry and salute during its fight for independence from the Dutch Empire in the 1940s.
Indonesia: a state formed of over 17,000 islands, Indonesia was under Dutch control for nearly 200 years until it declared independence in 1945 under President Sukarno.
In this book Chris Moorhouse recounts the extraordinary, previously unwritten saga of Tom Atkinson – a soldier, political speechwriter, farmer, hotelier, and publisher. At the heart of Indonesia’s 1940s struggle for independence, Tom played an important role in spreading the truth of what was happening in Indonesia around the world, helping to liberate the nation from centuries of colonial rule. Stationed in Indonesia immediately after World War II with the raf, he founded the Indonesian Information Bulletin, paving the way for his tenure as President Sukarno’s speechwriter for over a decade.
Merdeka weaves a poignant narrative, merging political commentary and a captivating love story, shedding fresh perspectives on a nation’s genesis.
Compiled from personal letters, interviews with Tom’s wife Rene and recorded interviews, this book captures the remarkable and largely unknown efforts by Tom Atkinson to help Indonesia gain independence from the Dutch and to become established as a new country, while also allowing for a glimpse into his personal life, his thoughts and his feelings.
Tom Atkinson
Merdeka (Indonesian; Malaysian): ‘independent’ or ‘free’. ‘Merdeka’ became Indonesia’s national battle-cry and salute during its fight for independence from the Dutch Empire in the 1940s.
Indonesia: a state formed of over 17,000 islands, Indonesia was under Dutch control for nearly 200 years until it declared independence in 1945 under President Sukarno.
In this book Chris Moorhouse recounts the extraordinary, previously unwritten saga of Tom Atkinson – a soldier, political speechwriter, farmer, hotelier, and publisher. At the heart of Indonesia’s 1940s struggle for independence, Tom played an important role in spreading the truth of what was happening in Indonesia around the world, helping to liberate the nation from centuries of colonial rule. Stationed in Indonesia immediately after World War II with the raf, he founded the Indonesian Information Bulletin, paving the way for his tenure as President Sukarno’s speechwriter for over a decade.
Merdeka weaves a poignant narrative, merging political commentary and a captivating love story, shedding fresh perspectives on a nation’s genesis.
Compiled from personal letters, interviews with Tom’s wife Rene and recorded interviews, this book captures the remarkable and largely unknown efforts by Tom Atkinson to help Indonesia gain independence from the Dutch and to become established as a new country, while also allowing for a glimpse into his personal life, his thoughts and his feelings.
198 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2024
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