Although Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world, its history is still relatively unfamiliar & understudied. Guided by the life & writings of the country's most famous author, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Adrian Vickers takes the reader on a journey across the social & political landscape of twentieth-century Indonesia in this innovative & timely account. He begins by explaining the country's origins under the Dutch in the early part of that century, the subsequent anti-colonial struggle & revolution which led to independence in 1949. Thereafter the spotlight is on the 1950s, a crucial period in the formation of Indonesia as a new nation, which was followed by the Sukarno years, & the anti-communist massacres of the 1960s when General Suharto took over as president. The concluding chapters chart the fall of Suharto's New Order after thirty two years in power, & the subsequent political & religious turmoil which culminated in the Bali bombings in 2002. Drawing on insights from literature, art & anthropology, Adrian Vickers portrays a complex & resilient people borne out of a troubled past. ...

Since the Bali bombings of 2002 & the rise of political Islam, Indonesia has frequently occupied media headlines. Nevertheless, the history of the fourth largest country on earth remains relatively unknown. Adrian Vickers` book, first published in 2005, traces the history of an island country, comprising some 240 million people, from the colonial period through revolution & independence to the present. Framed around the life story of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesia`s most famous & controversial novelist & playwright, the book journeys through the social & cultural mores of Indonesian society, focusing on the experiences of ordinary people. In this new edition, the author brings the story up to date, revisiting his argument as to why Indonesia has yet to realise its potential as a democratic country. He also examines the rise of fundamentalist Islam, which has haunted Indonesia since the fall of Suharto. ...

Libya is coming in from the cold, but for most of the three decades following the 1969 revolution, the country was labelled a pariah state by the West. Dirk Vandewalle, one of only a handful of western scholars to visit during the time, is intimately acquainted with the country. This history
- based on original research & his interviews with Libya's political elite
- offers a lucid account of Libya's past, & corrects some of the misunderstandings about its present. The author takes the story from the 1900s, through the Italian occupation, the Sanusi monarchy & Qadhafi's self-styled revolution. The final chapter is devoted to the events which brought Libya back into the international fold. As the first comprehensive history of Libya over the last two decades, this book will be welcomed by students of the region, professionals & those who are visiting Libya for the first time.

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In the wake of the civil war & Qadhafi`s demise, the time is ripe for a new edition of Dirk Vandewalle`s classic history of Libya. The book, which was originally published in 2006, traces the country`s history back to the 1900s, through the Italian occupation in the early twentieth century, the Sanusi monarchy &, thereafter, to the revolution of 1969 & the accession of Qadhafi. The following chapters analyse the economics & politics of Qadhafi`s revolution, offering insights into the man & his ideology as reflected in his Green Book. The new edition covers the intervening years, since 2005, when, courted by the West, Qadhafi came in from the cold. At home, though, his people were disillusioned, & economic liberalization came too late to forestall revolution. In an epilogue, the author reflects upon Qadhafi`s premiership & the legacy he leaves behind. ...

Robert Service's The Penguin History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the Twenty-first Century provides a superb panorama ...

Nepal emerged as a unified state over two hundred years ago, centred on the Kathmandu Valley with its two thousand years of urban civilisation. While John Whelpton`s history focuses on the period since the overthrow of the Rana family autocracy in 1950-51, the early chapters are devoted to the origins of the kingdom & the evolving relations of its diverse peoples. By drawing on research on Nepal`s environment, society & political institutions, the author portrays a country of extraordinary contrasts, which has been constantly buffeted by its neighbours, the two Asian giants, China & India. Economic & political turmoil over the last fifty years came to a climax in the massacre of the royal family in 2001, when the country erupted into civil war. The book is comprehensive & its accessible approach will appeal to students, professionals & those visiting the region. ...

This survey of Ottoman architecture treats the subject chronologically & within its historical perspective, making reference to Byzantine, Persian & Selcuk examples. There is a discussion of the effects of conquests, religions & social organization, & alongside the descriptions of mosques are studies of the layout & function of the buildings which came to be grouped around the mosques
- schools, baths, hostels, kitchens, fountains, mausolea, & shops. Seeking to appeal to those interested in Islamic art as well as architectural history, buildings are described with a minimum of technical terminology. A glossary of Turkish words is provided & there is a chronological table listing Ottoman rulers & historical events.
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This updated edition analyses the challenges, both internal & external, facing Saudi Arabia in the twenty-first century. Two new chapters discuss the political, economic & social developments in the aftermath of 9/11, painting a vivid picture of a country shocked by terrorism & condemned by the international community. Madawi Al-Rasheed reveals that fragmentation of royal politics, a failing economy & fermenting Islamist dissent posed serious threats to state & society in 2001. She assesses the consequent state reforms introduced under pressure of terrorism, international scrutiny & a social mobilisation of men, women & minorities struggling to shape their future against a background of repression & authoritarian rule. While Saudi Arabia is still far from establishing a fourth state, there are signs that the people are ready for a serious change that will lead them to a state of institutions rather than princes. ...

This lively, accessible book is the first new history of Thailand in English for two decades. Drawing on new Thai-language research, it ranges widely over political, economic, social, & cultural themes. Chris Baker & Pasuk Phongpaichit reveal how a world of mandarin nobles & unfree labour evolved into a rural society of smallholder peasants & an urban society populated mainly by migrants from Southern China. They trace how a Buddhist cosmography adapted to new ideas of time & space, & a traditional polity was transformed into a new nation-state under a strengthened monarchy. The authors cover the contests between urban nationalists, ambitious generals, communist rebels, business politicians, & social movements to control the nation-state & redefine its purpose. They describe the dramatic changes wrought by a booming economy, globalization, & the evolution of mass society. ...

In a work of profound & lasting importance, Albert Hourani tells the definitive history of the Arab peoples from the seventh century, when the new religion of Islam began to spread from the Arabian Peninsula westwards, to the present day. A History of the Arab Peoples is a masterly distillation of a lifetime of scholarship & a unique insight into a perpetually troubled region. For this edition, Malise Ruthven continues the history to include such recent events as the crisis in Iraq, the civil war in Algeria & the aftermath of September 11th. ...