The Great Hill Stations Of Asia [Paperback]

Barbara Crossette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

For the European and later the American colonial soldier, the civil administrator and his clerk, the merchant, the missionary, and the families who followed them east of Suez, daily life was less a matter of advancing the glory of God or empire than a battle for survival against sunstroke, dysentery, cholera, malaria, and a host of other unnamed deadly fevers as well as little-examined, vague indispositions that in hindsight would probably be diagnosed as clinical symptoms of depression. Later, medical scholars coined a phrase for it: “tropical fatigue.” Pity John Ouchterlony. By the time they brought him to the healing hills, it was too late. On April 29, 1863, Lieutenant Colonel Ouchterlony of the Royal Madras Engineers died of “jungle fever brought on by exposure while in the execution of his duty,” says a memorial plaque—one of many—at St. Stephens Church in Ootacumund, a British colonial town in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India. Others were luckier. They got to Ooty in time and survived the perilous East, at least for another season, by rising above its pestilential lower reaches. On litters, in chairs, on ponies, by foot if they were able, Europeans in Asia nearly two centuries ago began climbing into the hills in search health, relaxation, and sometimes their sanity.They called the refuges they created—little European towns carved from rocky mountainsides or nestled in the meadows of high plateaus—”hill stations.” Colonialism came and went, but the hill stations remain. They are no longer European, but most have not lost their unique appeal. After all, the plains still fry in the sun and the cities of Asia have only grown larger, noisier, and more polluted. New generations of Asians are rediscovering hill stations and turning them into tourist resorts with luxury hotels and golf courses. Hill stations still cling to their history, and the story they tell reveals a lot about how colonial life was lived. They also have a future, if environmental damage and overpopulation do not destroy the forested hills and mountains that gave them their spectacular settings and pleasant climates.Hill stations began to appear, albeit at different times in different places, when the era of initial exploration and conquest was waning, wives and families arrived in substantial numbers, and life had become a bit more routine. By then, colonial societies could take stock of their longer-term needs and, regrettably, look for ways to build walls around themselves to shut out native populations. Through the age of European mercantile empire building and colonialism that began with the turn of the sixteenth century, hill stations were largely a nineteenth-century phenomenon. Most were established between 1820 and 1885, though the Dutch were early with Bogor in Indonesia and the French came later with Dalat in Vietnam and the Americans with Baguio in the Philippines. The British themselves built a second generation of hill stations after World War I in southeast Asia.In early 1997, Barbara Crossette set off on a journey of several months to see Asia anew through its great hill stations, moving from mountain to mountain from Pakistan, across India, to Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. A year earlier, Crossette had made a trip to the highlands of Indonesian Sumatra, the land of the Minangkabau and Batak people, where the idea of this kind of journey came together.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Upon arriving in India, the first English settlers found the humid, unforgiving climate almost unbearable. Malaria, cholera, and dysentery ravaged their beleaguered ranks, making the average life span for both men and women no more than 30 years. To escape these epidemics, they found refuge in the temperate climate of the hills. Above the clouds, Europeans built numerous hill stations, not just in India, but also in Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia. From the luxury of these curious establishments, they ruled their colonies with imperial aplomb.

Colonialism lapsed and the foreigners were eventually expelled from these countries, yet the hill stations still remain. In early 1997, Barbara Crossette, the United Nations bureau chief for the New York Times, embarked upon an ambitious journey through Asia to visit the hill stations that still function as tourist attractions. Part travel narrative, part historical retrospective, Crossette's book eloquently depicts each region's history, politics, religion, and economics in a series of thoughtful reports. Crosette is also careful to demonstrate that these areas today are not exclusive to European tourists, but for the most part are frequented by the indigenous population. For example, 10,000 Indian tourists--mostly prosperous middle-class families--visit Kodaikanal daily, one of many hill stations that flourish today.

Crosette points out that far from being derided as symbols of imperialism, the hill stations have come to embody, for middle-class Asians, the same obsession with social standing that occupied their former colonizers. This entertaining and informative book should be regarded as essential reading for anyone planning a journey into Asia. --Jeremy Storey --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Created nearly two centuries ago by Europeans in Southeast Asia as refuges for their health, relaxation, and even sanity, the "hill stations" have become today's popular hotels and golf courses for international tourists. Travel writer Crossette (New York Times UN bureau chief; So Close to Heaven, Knopf, 1995) has faithfully recorded the significant changes after revisiting the former colonies of Asia, where she had lived for a decade. She begins her book with the fascinating chapter "How It All Began," then takes us on her several-months' journey to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The absence of any conclusion makes this writing more a work of travel reporting than a traditional book. Photos of the hill stations complement the vivid description. Highly recommended for larger public libraries, East Asia collections in academic libraries, and armchair travelers.?Steven Lin, American Samoa Community Coll., Pago
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465014887
• ISBN-13: 978-0465014880
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,416,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging and informative narrative of S and SE Asia, December 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Hill Stations Of Asia (Hardcover)

Crossette's narrative of her journey to a selection of Asian hill stations is much more than just a personal travel journal. She provides an entertaining mix of history, politics, religion, and native lore. The stories in the book are not limited to the hill stations alone, but concern the entire regions South and Southeast Asia. Her descriptions of the unpleasant lowland cities and some distinctly Asian traditions are particularly engrossing. This is a great book for someone who would like an introduction to the area delivered in an easy-to-read format. Those who are already familiar with hill stations and the history of the region may find the book dull. The book is written from an Anglo-Western perspective, with a chapter of rather surprising American flag-waving at the end. Americans will be delighted and surprised by accounts of historical figures' visits to the area, such as Mark Twain's trip. Brits, I assume, will already have some knowledge of the area, its history, and famous characters. The average American will get a thorough introduction to Asia's culture and history and most will be surprised by how interesting it is. On the negative side, I found the meandering writing style a bit disruptive. Crossette jumps from travel journal to political commentary to regional descriptions without smooth segues. While the material is compelling (to someone interested in the region), the inconsistent style gives the book a choppy feel which detracted from my enjoyment. Overall, I recommend The Great Hill Stations of Asia for anyone interested in learning about South and Southeast Asia from an unusual and insightful perspective.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting book offering history and comtemporary news, October 27, 2003

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Great Hill Stations Of Asia (Paperback)

Ever since I learned about this book on Booknotes I have wanted to read it, but never had the time until now. I enjoyed the book a great deal. I had no idea what Hill Stations were, was pretty vague on the colonial history of India, nor have I been able to clearly understand the cultural transitions since independence and partition. My sense of the British and American exploits in southeast Asia prior to the Second World War are even more slight.

The Hill Stations were places the colonists (particularly the British) built up in the mountains to get away from the heat and disease of the tropical lowlands. They tended to live lavishly and in the case of Simla, built the summer capital there. This book is a wonderful introduction to that history in Pakistan, India, Sri Lank, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Since the end of the colonial period these stations have been taken over by the governments in some cases and in others by private enterprise. The author visited all of the stations she talks about in the book and gives us very interesting observations on what has been kept intact (if decayed) from the former times (including bad cuisine and slow service in one station) and what has been modernized and to what effect. In almost all cases the vastly increased domestic populations have led to more building at the expense of the local flora and especially the fauna.

I think the saddest visit she describes is the military ruination of Burma (now Myanmar) by its removal of history, education, and learning from its population. Just hideous, but unfortunately, far from unique. The detail and personal experiences of this tragedy add to the value of the really marvelous little book.

If you know about these places from your own experience you may or may not like what the author has to say. I came to this book completely ignorant of these places and may still be. However, I enjoyed the tour this book gave me and I think it taught me a great deal. The author provides a nice bibliography for further reading and an index

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Many Informations about a forgotten world, December 14, 2001

By 

Eric Vertommen (Brussels Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Hill Stations Of Asia (Paperback)

Barbara Crossette makes us discover the Hill Stations of Asia, from Pakistan to the Philippines and Indonesia, built by British, French, Dutch and Americans to escape the tropical climate when air conditionning did not make it bearable yet.

She does it with a richness of detail about the place, how it was built, who were the people and the atmosphere, the ecological challenge posed by the the buildings in high altitude, the evolution of the stations after independance and the return of Asian people with the Asian boom.

Book is revealing because in some instances Westerners spent 6 months in those places including the Vice-Roy of India and his court, ruling their vast dominions in Asia from above the clouds.