A Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965, Coup in Indonesia (Prepared in Jan. 1966) [Paperback]

Benedict R. O'G. Anderson (Author), Ruth McVey (Author), Frederick P. Bunnell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0877630089 | ISBN-13: 978-0877630081 | Publication Date: June 1, 1971

The history behind the publication of this work is as fascinating as the questions this work raises about the abortive October 1965 coup, led by Lieutenant Colonel Untung and his associates, in Central Java. This paper, an informal 1971 account, presents both the problems and the excitement of such a field of study in which little primary material was available aside from the transcripts of many of the political trials conducted in the coup's aftermath. The authors' hypothesis presents many controversial views about the various configurations and possibilities of power and motive that led to the coup; yet it allows for many important insights about the complex role of the military in political life and the antagonism between city and provincial governments as well. 1971. 4th printing 1999. 174 pages.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Southeast Asia Program Publications (June 1, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877630089
• ISBN-13: 978-0877630081
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,645,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting case of the authors affecting the history they write of, April 23, 2010

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This review is from: A Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965, Coup in Indonesia (Prepared in Jan. 1966) (Paperback)

This is a book for people interested in the history of Indonesia during the changeover from the regime of its first president, founder and eventual dictator, Sukarno, and that of his successor General Suharto, also a dictator, who presided over some of the country's best and worst times. It was written, in the early days after the so-called coup attempt of 30 September 1965, by two supremely knowledgeable Indonesianists who did not wait for the facts to emerge before coming out with their conclusions. We may never know whether they were fundamentally correct or not in their conclusions, but this book damaged their reputations in the field they most cared about.