A History of Brunei [Hardcover]

Graham Saunders (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 9676530492 | ISBN-13: 978-9676530493 | Publication Date: February 23, 1995

A History of Brunei is the first full-length study of the Brunei Sultanate from earliest times to the present. It addresses long-standing controversies over the antecedents of the Brunei state, the date of the conversion to Islam, the reigns of the early Sultans, the Spanish attack of 1578, and the troubled decades of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and treats more recent events including the Japanese Occupation and the crises associated with the Brunei Revolt and the creation of Malaysia. The story ends with the atttainment of full independence in 1984 and a survey of the reign since then of Sultan Sir Hassanal Bolkiah.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Dr. Saunders...provides many insights and, as an introduction to the state-of-the-art, it would be very difficult to improve upon A History of Brunei.' - Asian Affairs

'He (Dr. Saunders) provides a fine exposition of Brunei's early history and the source materials upon which it is based. He makes clear what he regards as factual, but does not neglect alternative interpretations. He demonstrates why certain myths have come to be believed in the sultanate and gives reasons for rejecting the historicity of those beliefs.' -   A.V.M Horton, Asian Affairs

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Graham Saunders taught history in Sarawak and Brunei for twenty years. He is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Hull, a member of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and of the Borneo Research Council. He is an Associate Lecturer in Pacific Studies with the Open University. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9676530492
• ISBN-13: 978-9676530493
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,242,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > History > Asia > Brunei

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars prosperous and content society, January 21, 2007

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W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of Brunei (Hardcover)

Brunei is a tiny country that is one of the richest per capita in the world. Due to its vast reserves of oil and gas. Located on the island of Kalimantan, it bears closer resemblance to Kuwait and the Emirates of the Middle East, than to anywhere in south east Asia. Saunders gives us an indepth look at its history. How its royal family managed to keep the country independent. A notable achievement, considering that Malaysia and Indonesia are its neighbours. Malaysia managed to absorb its sultanates prior and during its independence from Britain. But even under British rule, Brunei was considered somewhat different from Malaya.

Saunders also describes the society that has emerged under the mostly benevolent rule of the Sultan of Brunei. Again, like the Emirates, the Sultan delivered a broad prosperity that garnered continuing consent to his rule. Certainly, the contrast between the average income in Brunei and that of Indonesia or Malaysia is vast. Of course, the small population and area of Brunei greatly aided the efficient dissemination of wealth.

The escapades of Prince Jefri are outlined. Some details are murky, due to veils of financial secrecy. But there was a period of heavy free spending that has now been sharply curtailed.