Customer Reviews

A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia in the 1990s

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was written before Suharto was forced to step down as president in 1998. It predicted that an economic crisis would create an even greater income gap and dissatisfaction among the poorer native indonesians and the minority and richer Indonesians (the Chinese Indos)....and unfortunately , its predictions came true. Suharto was forced to step down and many Indo Chinese were slained for no sane reasons. I read this book during my summer holidays in 1997 out of interest in knowing the financial, social and political structures of my neighboring countries better......if u want to understand indonesia better, this is the book to read.

I started reading A Nation in Waiting while in Jakarta about the week before the Trisakti students were shot by special forces units. As a read the book then the newspapers, it became difficult to tell the difference. The similarities to the Suharto coup in '64 to what Prabowo was trying were incredible. If only more people read this incredible book before last year's bloody catharsis, I'm confident the event would not of been as violent, unpredicted and uncontrolled as it was. The personal insights into Habibi's relationship with Suharto (back to when Habibi was 14), bode well into understanding Habibi's government now and to come. Essential reading on Indonesia

An excellent explanation of Indonesian politics. I lived in Indonesia for 4 years. Indonesian politics are like the shadow puppets--the real actors are behind the curtain. This book explains the relationship of the various factions which Suharto has managed to hold together and the major issues Indonesia must face. A good resource for anyone trying to understand the current crisis.

The author shows a lot of insight and deep understanding of the current Indonesian's political climate. As an Indonesian myself, there are information in this book that clarifies years of misinformation from our official government's information. The book is written around 1993. There are some minor discrepancies of the current climate with the one when this book was written

Adam Schwarz has put together a very carefully researched book covering Indonesia's modern political history and current status. The book is fully footnoted and sources indicated, but is easily read by the layman with some knowledge of Indonesian politics. Absolutely required for anyone interested in understanding what goes on behind the closed doors of Indonesian policy-making