A History of Modern Indonesia Since c. 1200: Third Edition (Paperback)

~ M. Ricklefs (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Covering an enormous span of eight centuries, this history is systematic, balanced, sympathetic to its subjects, authoritative for every period under review, and deeply intelligent. It is, in my view, the finest historical survey of Indonesia ever written and one of the most accessible and comprehensive of any Asian realm.' - Victor Lieberman, University of Michigan, USA 'Successfully weaves together political, intellectual, religious and economic developments into an engaging and detailed narrative.' - Michael Charney, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK 'Like the previous edition, this fourth edition is a fine, balanced and clearly written work. It is unique in the field as a detailed, reliable and readable text.' - Robert Cribb, Australian National University --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

This standard work on the history of Indonesia has been thoroughly revised to incorporate the findings of recent research, and four new chapters have been added to bring the story up to date. This edition is the first to be illustrated, with the addition of 22 drawings and photographs.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 3 edition (April 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804744807
• ISBN-13: 978-0804744805
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,227,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well summarized history of Indonesia, March 30, 2003

By	Arsa Oemar (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews

I myself am a student from Indonesia, currently studying in Carnegie Mellon University. In light of recent international events, I became attracted to learn the history of my own country from the prespective of Western authors. That is why I read this book at the first place.

I find this book very informative, it gives the reader a good sense of what has been going on in Indonesia from the time of the encounter with the Dutch (~1500), the Dutch colonial period (1600 - 1945), the nation's independence (1945), and the recent reformation of the nation (2000). However, I think some parts of the book are too brief and rather inaccessible for those who do not have prior knowledge of Indonesian history. But that shouldn't be a problem in understanding the overall picture.

I would say that this book is more for the serious readers who want to know more about Indonesia's past and understand its present. A recommended reading especially for students and scholars from Indonesia!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best general history of Indonesia in English, September 20, 2005

By	G. Brown "Perpetual Student" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Readable and fairly comprehensive, this is a great resource for students and those who want to know the history of one of the world's largest, most fascinating, and least understood (by Westerners) countries.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What a surprise a history of Muslim Indonesia, December 20, 2007

By	Seth J. Frantzman (Jerusalem, Israel) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Why does this 'history' begin in 1200? Becuase that is when Islam came to Indonesia and therefore, according to the author, there was no history of the country before that time. The Indonesian Hindu and Buddhist temples that pre-date the coming of Islam might be a suprise to anyone reading this book. The fact that before the 1965 anti-Chinese genocide there used to be a large number of Chinese in Indonesia might come as a suprise. it might come as a surprise that there are Christians in Indonesia or that in the 19th century women still used to walk around without having to cover their hair in public.

This is a one sided biased book that views Indonesia only through the glasses of Islamic Indonesia and ignores minorities and all the diverse people that inhabit the archipelego.

Seth J. Frantzman