Indonesia: Peoples and Histories

By Jean Gelman Taylor

Book Overview

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world. It comprises more than 17,000 islands inhabited by 230 million people who speak over 300 different languages. Now the world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia remains extraordinarily heterogeneous due to the waves of immigration--Buddhist, Hindu, Arab, and European--that have defined the region's history.

Fifty years after the collapse of Dutch colonial rule, Indonesia is a nation in the midst of dramatic upheaval. In this broad survey, Jean Gelman Taylor explores the connections between the nation's many communities, and the differences that propel contemporary breakaway movements.

Drawing on a broad range of sources, including art, archaeology, and literature, Taylor provides a historical overview from the prehistoric period to the present day. The text is enlivened by brief "capsule" histories on topics ranging from pepper to Maharajas to smallpox.

This ambitious book--the first new history of Indonesia written in over twenty years--will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Southeast Asia and the future stability of the region.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300105185
• ISBN13: 9780300105186
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Good introduction to history of Indonesia.

Good introduction to history of Indonesia. Not much information on pre-Islamic period, but that is because records written on palm leaves (lontar) did not survive; not this author's fault. This book served me well as preparation for a trip to Bali.

Quirky history for an eccentric nation

This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in Indonesia. It is not a standard sort of history, but its value lies in how the author brilliantly weaves together strands of Indonesia's prehistory, colonial history, and history as an independent nation--it reminds one of Churchill's maxim about the Balkans, that the region has to be a net exporter of history because it produces too much for local consumption. This book also demonstrates why the Australians are absolutely first-rate in Indonesian studies (look at a map--they have to be). Another huge plus are the extremely valuable capsule histories scattered throughout--little gems that capture small topics deftly. My only criticism is about the author's writing style: hardly "voluptuous" as one reviewer put it (what does voluptuous writing look like?)--but in fact it's fairly inelegant; the list approach to making your points.