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John Curtis Perry

Singapore: Unlikely Power 1st Edition

by John Curtis Perry (Author)

4.3 107 ratings

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Singapore has gained a reputation for being one of the wealthiest and best-educated countries in the world and one of the brightest success stories for a colony-turned-sovereign state, but the country's path to success was anything but assured. Its strategic location and natural resources both allowed Singapore to profit from global commerce and also made the island an attractive conquest for the world's naval powers, resulting in centuries of stunting colonialization.

In Singapore: Unlikely Power, John Curtis Perry provides an evenhanded and authoritative history of the island nation that ranges from its Malay origins to the present day. Singapore development has been aided by its greatest natural blessing-a natural deepwater port, shielded by mountain ranges from oceanic storms and which sits along one of the most strategic straits in the world, cementing the island's place as a major shipping entrepot throughout modern history. Perry traces the succession of colonizers, beginning with China in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and followed by the island's most famous colonizer, Britain, which ruled Singapore until the 1960s excluding the Japanese occupation of World War II. After setting a historical context, Perry turns to the era of independence beginning in the 1960s. Plagued with corruption, inequality, lack of an educated population, Singapore improbably vaulted from essentially third-world status into a first world dynamo over the
course of three decades-with much credit due longtime leader Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister who led the country for over three decades, who embraced the colonial past, established close ties with former foe Japan, and adopted a resolutely pragmatist approach to economic development. His efforts were successful, and Singapore today is a model regime for other developing states.

Singapore's stunning transformation from a poor and corrupt colonial backwater into an economic powerhouse renowned for its wealth, order, and rectitude is one of the great-and most surprising-success stories of modern era. Singapore is an accessible, comprehensive, and indeed colorful overview of one of the most influential political-economic models in the world and is an enlightening read for anyone interested in how Singapore achieved the unachievable.

ISBN-10

0190469501
ISBN-13

978-0190469504
Edition

1st
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

February 6, 2017
Language

English
Dimensions

9.4 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
Print length

360 pages
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Editorial Reviews

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"John Perry, a maritime and diplomatic historian, provides a unique perspective on Singapore, a remarkable port city that, like Hong Kong and Bahrain, was a British colony and became the business, service, and intellectual headquarters for a region. He traces here how Singapore, a multi-racial, multi-cultural city, has developed unique social policies and officials who provide world-class leadership in the councils of the world." --Ezra Vogel, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences, emeritus, Harvard University; author of Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

"The story of Singapore is the story of the 21st century: asymmetric and creative approaches to foreign policy that provide opportunity, stability, and multicultural engagement. There is so much to learn from the City of Lions, and John Curtis Perry is the perfect guide. This is a profoundly important book for anyone studying international relations." --Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret), NATO Supreme Allied Commander 2009-2013, and Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

"For narrative, perfection of pace; for description, a lively eye; for scholarship, tenacity and depth; breadth for the delineation of context and comparisons; insight in character-depiction, and provocation in judgement: John Perry has the qualities to make enlightening work of his study of 'the Singapore grip': the city-state's stunning story of response to daunting challenges." --Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, William P. Reynolds Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

"John Perry's brisk and engaging Singapore: Unlikely Power situates the Southeast Asian city-state in its historical context, and shows convincingly how over the course of two centuries visionary leaders have fused political will and geographic advantage to create a globalized economic powerhouse." --Lincoln Paine, author of The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World

"Meticulously researched and holistic in approach, Perry's narrative seamlessly balances insights and perspectives on the past, present and future of the island and region. An ideal read for anyone who has wondered about the global forces that created the modern commercial city-state-and why it exists where it does." --Daniel Finamore, Russell W. Knight Curator of, Maritime Art and History, Peabody Essex Museum

About the Author

John Curtis Perry is Professor of Maritime History in the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (February 6, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190469501
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190469504
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #346,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #200 in Southeast Asia History
- #319 in Asian Politics
- #451 in Economic Conditions (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 107 ratings

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Rockford W.

Insightful book on Singapore, leadership, globalization, economics, and global maritime affairs

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 6, 2017

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Professor John Curtis Perry, a renowned maritime and diplomatic historian at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, offers a unique and insightful perspective on Singapore, the quintessential maritime city-state. With crisp and pithy prose, John Perry navigates the reader through the extraordinary history of Singapore, from its origins as a melting pot on the world's most important strategic waterway, the Malacca Straits, to its evolution as the wealthiest and most vibrant economy in the tropics.

Singapore's story offers lessons for modern cities -- from Boston to Shanghai to Dubai -- as mayors and city councilors seek to build vibrant economies and achieve a high quality of living. With no natural resources except its deep water port and geostrategic location, Singapore demonstrates that any city can overcome enormous challenges and provide a sustainable economic model for its citizens.

As with his previous books, John Perry launches readers on an exciting intellectual voyage, with deep historical knowledge of Singapore and its neighbors and an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the global context within which Singapore has grown and thrived since achieving independence in 1965. Professor Perry's extensive travels, particularly in Pacific Asia, enable him to put Singapore in context and a truly global perspective.

Singapore: Unlikely Power is also a story of leadership. How could a small city-state with a natural deepwater port as its only natural resource become more wealthy (per capita) that the United Kingdom, its former colonial master? What policy decisions enabled Singapore to become the most competitive economy within 100 miles of equator? These are important lessons for any political or business leader facing adversity.

Professor Perry also puts Singapore in global context. Casual observers often ask why Singapore has such wide-ranging global interests. For example, why does Singapore have observer status at the Arctic Council and host conferences such as the Arctic Circle Assembly in Singapore? Perry teaches readers that Singapore is indeed a "northern" economy (lying about 100 miles north of the equator), and derives much wealth from the global shipping flows in the Malacca Straits, the key maritime waterway linking Pacific Asia with the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic economies.

Singapore: Unlikely Power is also worth the read by scholars and citizens interested in the South China Sea boundary disputes and, more generally, how Southeast Asia nations can engage a rising China in a peaceful and mutually beneficial way.

I recommend this fine book without reservation to students, scholars, policy-makers, business leaders, and the casual reader looking for a pithy history of one of the most interesting economic success stories of the post-WWII era -- the dynamic city-state of Singapore.

5 people found this helpful

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E. A. Capuano (Civil Engineer and Public Policy Specialist)

A Book all Politician and Public Servant must Read!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 30, 2020

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In another outstanding historical research work, Professor John Curtis Perry, in his nineties, gave us the book “Singapore: Unlikely Power”, that must be read by all politician and public servant in the world who is really compromised with the economic development in their countries. Besides a humanistic thinker, the author recognizes the extraordinary outcome of the “cruel and harsh process” of economic development implemented since 1965 in Singapore by national leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew, Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, and Goh Keng Swee. The social discipline (mainly related to hard work) and political focus, heritage of a predominant Confucianist culture, summed up to a western (British) culture of economic development based on industrialization and capitalism, made Singapore what the country is today. The history of Singapore told in the book is complete, beginning with the Sir (Thomas) Stamford Raffles’ dream presented soon after the military defeat of Napoleon Buonaparte in 1815, followed by the economic downfall of the British Empire after two world wars, a world stock exchange crisis (in 1929), two dramatic changes in ship propulsion technologies (from sail to steam in the 19th Century, then to oil engine in the early 20th Century), the traumatic Japanese occupation in the 2nd World War and, finally, the national independence conquered in 1965, and the political, social and economic challenges that came beyond until the present day. By the reading is easy to see that political leaders of Singapore in the present times are building safe roads to the future, thinking of new social values without forgetting the old ones, like the political discipline needed to build and maintain a free and wealthy world class society. Enjoy the reading, that may be fluent and also very funny with the known Professor Perry’s good mood!

2 people found this helpful

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Firewind Daedalus

Good introduction, a bit disjointed.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 10, 2021

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This is a good, compact introductory history of Singapore that manages to tread the narrow path between amplifying their domestic “manicured historical narrative” and counter-narrative from outsiders or primary sources. It is not especially enlightening on details of Singapore’s external relations, but has a few helpful anecdotes about things like outreach to Japan for industrial capacity knowledge or contrasting the sunset of British industry with the sunrise of Singapore’s. This would be great for a 101 course on SE Asian history (perhaps that was the author’s intent) or to establish the “big names” of Singaporean history in a reader’s mind, but it does jump around a bit thematically and chronologically, which can be jarring. I recommend it, but with a few minor reservations, for someone interested in a serious but wavetops history of Singapore.

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Bayard B.

Great! Tells the past and the economic rise of Singapore since independence in 1965.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 17, 2017

Verified Purchase

The book is a great overall history of Singzpore. It tells the early history of the area (the Malay Peninsula and Straits of Malacca) since around the 15th century and the especially focuses on the development of Singapore since that day in 1819 when Stamford Raffles "founded" Signapore as the prime British port in the region. The book also comments on the attributes (both positive and negative) of the authoritarian PAP government. It's quite amazing what a well educated and corruption - free government leadership can accomplish when It focuses almost solely on economic development. But that accomplishment has come at a price: political and social dissent isn't tolerated much.

A statement on page 248 pretty much describes the PAP opinion of potential opposition political parties taking power: "The government has had no confidence that the opposition is competent and fears that it would be, if in power, fiscally irresponsible..."

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Patrick Sullivan

The Modern City State

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on September 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

Perry starts off by outlining Singapore`s colonial and pre-colonial past. Singapore has a large natural deep water port. The location is in the heart of Asian shipping lines. There are few other natural resources in Singapore. Therefore, the ruling class to decide to make their port attractive to worldwide shipping.

This book is the story of how; Singapore succeeded in becoming a wealthy, successful, and a first world economic powerhouse. The model is based on low taxes, free trade, open immigration, and the rule of law. The combination of British political stability and Chinese business skills, results in massive economic growth. Lee Kwan Yew was Singapore`s political leader in the early 1960s. The book outlines Yew`s approach to politics. Economic growth takes priority over individual rights. Perry also outlines Singapore`s dilemma. Singapore is currently a wealthy society. However, the population must endure an extreme nanny state.

Singapore just might be; the success model for the 21st Century. The modern welfare democracies, provide an attractive opportunity for successfully managed political entities. The author provides some insights into the issue.

M Clark

A very readable history of Singapore and its place in the maritime industry

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on January 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

This very readable history of Singapore provides a comprehensive history of the development of the city-state as well as a nice overview of the maritime industry and the trade routes that Singapore depends upon. The depiction is overwhelming positive with critical comments reserved for the very end of the book.

xmentex

Large part of the book was about the British empire ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 5, 2017

Verified Purchase

Large part of the book was about the British empire, sea routes and it's relationship to Singapore. Not so much about modern Singaporean society and the principles it was build on, which was what I was interested in. Otherwise well written and engaging book.

Amazon Customer

Really good context and overview.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

Well written. Very interesting. Good if you want a1n long term overview.

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