Bangladesh is a new name for an old land whose history is little known to the wider world. A country chiefly famous in the West for media images of poverty, underdevelopment, and natural disasters, Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel's history reveals the country's vibrant, colourful past and its diverse culture as it navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that have created modern Bangladesh. The story begins with the early geological history of the delta which has decisively shaped Bangladesh society. The narrative then moves chronologically through the era of colonial rule, the partition of Bengal, the war with Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent state. In so doing, it reveals the forces that have made Bangladesh what it is today. This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people.
| |||||||||||||||
 Sell Back Your Copy for $10.04
Whether you buy it used on Amazon for $10.26 or somewhere else, you can sell it back through our Book Trade-In Program at the current price of $10.04.
Used Price$10.26
Trade-in Price$10.04
Price after
Trade-in$0.22 |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Those looking for a brief, reliable introduction to the history of Bangladesh need look no further than this splendid book. In exceptionally clear prose, Schendel (Univ. of Amsterdam) takes readers through a complete history of what he stresses ought to be understood as the 'Bengal delta'.... Essential." - Choice
Book Description
Bangladesh did not exist as an independent state until 1971. Willem van Schendel's history navigates the extraordinary twists and turns that created modern Bangladesh through ecological disaster, colonialism, partition and a war of independence. This is an eloquent introduction to a fascinating country and its resilient and inventive people.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A nice and timely introduction to Bangladesh,
By
This review is from: A History of Bangladesh (Hardcover)
I was for a long time on the lookout for a handy book on Bangladesh to give as gifts to my non-bengali friends; so that they appreciate the richness of the bengali culture. Now that this book is on the market I can safely update my friends on my country.
However, it is something magical with the author's erudition to summarize 2000-plus years of history into a 370 page book. He had passed without doubt. He started with the prehistory and ended with the 21st century - a feat that will not be overlooked by any careful reader. For the sake of conciseness, there may be several important omissions. But I shall argue for the author's side that given the breadth and depth of the history, also given the short time a modern reader has to his expense - this is the best trade-off that one can make without loosing conformity. An additional benefit are the pictures which are quite uncommon among the books on Bangladesh. It seems that they are carefully chosen from various parts of the real contemporary Bangladesh gives the reader a sense of the place, time and people.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A solid introduction,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A History of Bangladesh (Paperback)
A very convincing case for further study of Bangladesh, this book is a spot-on summary of the various threads of current scholarship on this fascinating country. Solidly researched and impeccably argued, by only critique would be that the book is organized maybe too neatly and things seem more cut-and-dry than they really are. Nonetheless, a great building block-- a comprehensive introduction.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't buy the Lonely Planet, you'll need this before visiting.,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A History of Bangladesh (Hardcover)
It's a good read for a history of such a young country. The author does a great job of untangling the complex social and governmental structures in which Bangladesh arose from. He goes on to give a little bit more about the present day culture though more detail in this area would have been helpful. The book is peppered with interesting injections that coincide with the topic and spice up the linear plot. I had to read it since I'm going to live there, but I enjoyed it very much.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
