Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity (Politics in contemporary Asia series) [Paperback]

Martin Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999 | ISBN-10: 1856496600 | ISBN-13: 978-1856496605 | Edition: Second Edition

Burma remains a land in deep crisis. The popular uprising of 1988 swept away 26 years of military rule under General Ne Win in name only. The National League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory in the 1990 election. But, as this book relates, the military remained in control and the future of Burma looks more problematic than ever. With unparalleled command of largely inaccessible Burmese sources and interviews with many of the leading participants, Martin Smith charts the rise of modern political parties and unravels the complexities of the long-running insurgencies waged by opposition groups, including the Communist Party of Burma, the Karen National Union and a host of other ethnic nationalist movements. In this revised and updated edition, the author vividly explains how one of the most fertile and potentially prosperous countries in Asia has collapsed to become one of the world's poorest.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book is indispensable for Burma’s future leaders... It must be considered, to date, the definitive work on what is indeed the central problem in Burma.” —Pacific Affairs

“We are all in debt to Smith for having added to our limited understanding of the people and policies of Burma.” —Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group

About the Author

Martin Smith is a leading authority on Burmese politics. He has researched for two decades, reported extensively and made several TV documentaries on Burma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Zed Books; Second Edition edition (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1856496600
• ISBN-13: 978-1856496605
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,854,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It is a good research work for ethnic conflicts and politics, May 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity (Paperback)

I met Martin Smith at Marnalplaw, KNU headquater near the Thai Burma border. He interviewed rebel leaders and obtained the information he wanted. I am an ethnic Karen people of Burma, so I understand his hard work. It is a very good book for historians, students and politicians to understand morer about Burma.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first class book, June 5, 2001

By 

Shelby Tucker (Oxford United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity (Politics in contemporary Asia series) (Paperback)

No book about Burma's civil war quite rivals this for its detail and scope, nor has the author an equal for the depth of his research and his grasp of the war's ethnic complexities. It is an astonishing achievement.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An objective analysis, June 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity (Politics in contemporary Asia series) (Paperback)

This would be one of the few truly objective accounts of politics and ethnic insurgence in Myanmar/Burma. So many books on this country are biased by emotion and ambulance vehicles for the strong marketing of the democratic movement. This one stands out above all the latter. Having spent considerable time in Myanmar/Burma researching its modern history, I would have to say that Smith gives the most in depth, accurate and objective account. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the political modern history of Burma/Myanmar.