A History of Malaysia [Hardcover]

Barbara Watson Andaya (Author), Leonard Y. Andaya (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2001

This second edition of a standard text first published twenty years ago incorporates the most recent research in the history of Malaysia from early times to the present day, giving special attention to the economic and cultural influences that have shaped Malaysian society. While a number of recent books deal with the impact of colonial rule and Malaysia's spectacular economic transition, this work is unique because it tracks developments from early times and identifies continuities as well as change. Combining the authors' specialist knowledge of pre-colonial sources with the most recent research, especially on post-independence Malaysia, this new edition will reinforce A History of Malaysia's position as the standard reference for all interested in the heritage of this culturally varied and economically dynamic country.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a second, revised edition of a general history which, since its first appearance in 1982, has become the leader in its field. The authors have retained much of the content of their first edition, but have made significant alterations and additions to bring in the data and analysis of many subjects found in the extensive research and writing of the past twenty years...Students and their teachers will find the new edition a recognizable but considerably revised successor to the original. They will share with the general reader food for thought about Malaysia, ancient and modern. The historical narrative is comprehensive, with very adequate coverage of East Malaysia, impeccable in its scholarship, and clear in its exposition. The annotation is rather sparse but this is supplemented by notes for further reading for each chapter which are historiographical essays. The index, glossary and maps are useful. It is altogether an excellent book.' - John Gullick, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 'In revising their earlier work, already widely acknowledged as a 'standard reference', the authors have rewritten parts of many chapters to incorporate new work on Malaysian history published since the 1980s...so that this new edition encompasses major political events and socio-economic developments from the earliest human settlements up to the present. No other work on Malaysian history covers such a long period...The general reader will find it interesting and students of Malaysian history will find it exceedingly useful. - Tan Liok Ee, The Star 'This second edition incoporates recent findings and amplifies by some 30 pages the period since the Japanese invasion in 1941. Authoritative, stimulating and up to date, this remains the first port of call for scholars, students and any traveller seeking to discover Malaysia's history.' - A.J. Stockwell, Times Higher Education Supplement 'This is the best general history of Malaysia to appear to date.' - A.J. Stockwell, History 'This ... book is ideal for introductory university use ... (The authors) write with impeccable objectivity without ducking the historical dimension of sensitive present-day issues like race relations.' - Dennis Duncanson, Asian Affairs

About the Author

BARBARA WATSON ANDAYA is Professor in the Asian Studies Department at the University of Hawai'i. LEONARD Y. ANDAYA is Professor of History at the University of Hawai'i.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 2nd edition (January 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0333945034
• ISBN-13: 978-0333945032
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Malaysian History To Take With a Grain of Salt, February 16, 2001

By 

Sir Charles Panther "Life is hard. It's hard... (Alexandria, Virginny, USandA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A History of Malaysia (MacMillan Asian Histories) (Paperback)

I read this work in Malaysia in 1998 as a student in a Universiti Malaya graduate program through the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College. This is a Malaysian government and academic favorite, as was very quickly made clear to me, but not for its academic depth or the purely sholarly tackling of contentioius historical issues. Quite the contrary, this book is a favorite due to its smooth, polished, there-are-never-nor-have-there-ever-been-problems approach to modern Malaysian history.

This is a popular book as it is a recently published history, which implies it is full of new research. Not so. A quick study of the source references shows precious little primary resources, and a great deal of secondary sources; the book is a collection of previous histories. This is not to say it is worthless. The book is indeed an adequate, up-to-date introduction to the basic issues and facts of Malaysian history, and as such is acceptable. But what you will not find is anything even remotely controversial or unflattering about Malaysia and Malaysians, especially the country under Mahathir. The thrust of this book is that all is well in Malaysia, all has been well, and the future is rosy indeed for all. Tragic and unfortunate events are not addressed. For example, the description of the politically-driven ethnic riots of the 60s is very poorly done, with the blame for the mob murders of hundreds of ethnic Chinese apparently being placed upon the Chinese for starting the trouble in the first place (an issue itself in doubt).

The glossing-over of controversy is fairly recognizable throughout the book, which soon enough becomes a pro-Malay bias. This eventually taints the book as a serious and balanced work of historical research, but keeps it on Malaysian bookshelves. If it were totally unbiased, direct, aggressive, and unflinching in examining and reporting Malaysian history, it would also be banned there.

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a Good History Book, June 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Malaysia (Hardcover)

This is a long boring tome on Malaysian history filled with a plethora of incomprehensible names of people and places. The minute details, instead of enlightening, cause one to find it hard not to fall asleep - much less make any sense out of what the authors are trying to relate. The 344 pages of text could have been easily reduced by 50%, thus making the book much easier to read & understand. The authors swamp the reader with so many useless insignificant details that it is almost impossible to glean any useful information from this tediously long book. Given the fact that this gobbledygook is a 2nd edition, the first having been written 20 years ago, it is hard to believe that there could have been much demand for a revised look at Malaysia's history. I had hoped to use this book in one of my university history courses on Southeast Asia. There is no way I would inflict such esoteric pedagogic claptrap on my students.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Contingent..., June 23, 2008

By 

Damon A. Mcghee "Snooze" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of Malaysia (Paperback)

Alot of information that you may not care for if you really want to know about the people of Malaysia per say. I do recommend it however, if you are interested in why another part of the world withdraws from Western culture, or why Western influence is so prominent in Malaysia.