Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know [Paperback]

David I. Steinberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195390687 | ISBN-13: 978-0195390681 | Publication Date: November 5, 2009

In the past two decades, Burma/Myanmar has become a front-page topic in newspapers across the world. This former British colony has one of the most secretive, corrupt, and repressive regimes on the planet, yet it houses a Nobel Peace Prize winner who is and in and out of house arrest. It has an ancient civilization that is mostly unknown to Westerners, yet it was an important--and legendary--theater in World War II. A picturesque land with mountain jungles and monsoon plains, it is one of the world's largest producers of heroin. It has a restive Buddhist monk population that has captured the attention of the west when it faced off against the regime. And it recently experienced one of the worst natural disasters in modern times, one effect of which was to lay bare the manifold injustices and cruelties of the regime. Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know offers a concise synthesis of this forbidding yet fascinating country. David Steinberg, one of the world's eminent authorities on the region, explains the current situation in detail yet contextualizes it in a wide-ranging survey of Burmese history and culture. Authoritative and balanced, it will be standard work on Burma for the general reading public.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Steinberg (Asian studies, Sch. of Foreign Service, Georgetown Univ.) is well qualified to shed light in a balanced fashion on the complex issues that plague the country ... [The book's] extended question-and-answer format makes this a handy quick reference source for those wanting to cut straight to the main points. VERDICT This is a top choice for students and those with a probing interest in world affairs. Whatever we call it, we are certain to be hearing more about this country."--Library Journal

"[A] pointed briefing."--Foreign Affairs

About the Author

David I. Steinberg is Distinguished Professor of Asian Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195390687
• ISBN-13: 978-0195390681
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > History > Asia > Myanmar
  • #20 in Books > History > Asia > Southeast Asia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It really is everything you need to know, October 7, 2009

By 

Enjolras (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know (Paperback)

[Note: I commented on a draft of this book. The author is a friend of mine, but I have endeavored to keep this review objective.]

Burma has received a lot of attention in the news these past few years, but very few people know much about the country's history or problems. David Steinberg, one of the top experts on Burma, lays everything out clearly in this book. It covers everything from precolonial history to the country's future development challenges. Steinberg also tries to be evenhanded and unbiased (notice the cover, which features both the monks and the generals).

Admittedly, this is a drier, academic book than something along the lines of Thant Myint-U's The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma. This book might not be quite as useful if you've read a thorough book on Burma or follow the country closely, since this book doesn't break any theoretical ground or unveil any new discoveries. However, it is very comprehensive and includes the latest statistics and developments. The book is organized around a set of questions, which makes for easy reference.

I'd recommend it to policymakers interested in Burma or travelers who like to go beyond the headlines. As the title suggests, this book can serve as a one-stop shop on the country.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, November 30, 2009

By 

Peter Huston (Adrift in the sea of life) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know (Paperback)

I've been reading a lot lately on Burma (Myanmar) and found this book to be a good, highly readable introduction to that troubled nation and its conditions, history and culture. I found it quite good and was pleased that a book on this issue was able to make it into bookstores, not just on Amazon.com. I recommend it highly for people seeking such an introduction or with gaps in their knowledge.

Why, then, four stars instead of five? Although Steinberg is a respected scholar of this nation, and I assume therefore a reliable reporter, he doesn't footnote as much as I'd like. Instead he just supplies a list of recommended readings at the end. When reading about a nation with a government this strange, reliable facts, distinct from propaganda, are important. Therefore when Steinberg says, for instance, that the government moved the capital in part due to astrological considerations (page 18) I would like to see a source and he does not provide one. This was especially the case when reading about bizarre economic policies and the ruling junta's constant fears of a highly implausible US invasion. In other words, although Steinberg is respected and may not feel he needs to cite sources, at times when reading about this nation and its ruling junta I felt like I was reading about something so irrational and so out of the ordinary that I needed to know where I could confirm his statements, if for no other reason if someone were to ask me to do so. Although I have read slightly over a dozen books on this nation (many reviewed on this site) and talked to many people from this nation, making me more knowledgeable than most Americans, I am afraid I have a long way to go before I am able to take everything I read in context. Therefore I wish Steinberg had footnoted and cited sources more carefully.

Secondly, I wish he had covered the role of minorities in more depth. He most certainly clarified many things and he does touch on the subject, but the bulk of people I know from Burma are not Burmans but tend to be refugees from other groups. (Burma/ Myanmare has more than 100 languages spoken within its border.) In this context, at least I really enjoyed his brief section, "Why is learning about Burma/Myanmar so difficult?" (pages 8-10) I know the feeling and agree completely.

All in all, this book is a good introduction and a welcome all-round good book on Burma/ Myanmar today. I recommend it highly. On the other hand, it's not perfect and therefore we still await the perfect introductory work on this troubled nation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best learning book on Myanmar, January 21, 2011

By 

Paul S "Paul" (Portland OR area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know (Paperback)

I've read quite a few books on Myanmar, having traveled there for 2 months over 2 trips. I can't think of a one that taught me more than this one. Full of fascinating facts and policy arguments that are well put. The book is essentially poli sci academic, but very easy to read due to the approachable writing style. Fascinating, and I ended up highlighting most of the book!