Challenge to Terror

by Raymond Westerling

Raymond Pierre Paul Westerling, nicknamed the Turk, was a Dutch military officer of the KNIL (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army). He is famous for leading the massacre Westerling (1946-1947) in South Sulawesi and experiment APRA coup in Bandung , West Java . The original French version 'Mes aventures en Indonesie' has been translated here into English by Waverley root to produce 'Challenge to Terror'.

Genres: History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Raymond Pierre Paul "The Turk" Westerling was a Dutch military officer of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army.

He orchestrated a counter-guerrilla operation in Sulawesi during the Indonesian National Revolution after World War II and participated in a coup attempt against the Government of Indonesia in January 1950, a month after the official transfer of sovereignty. Both actions were denounced as war crimes by the Indonesian authorities.

Born in the Ottoman Empire, despite his nickname, "The Turk", Westerling was of mixed Dutch and Greek descent.

Reviews

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was going to be about terrorism but turned out being about Dutch- backed resistance to Sukarno. Interesting stuff.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zelden zo'n fake pleidooi pro domo gelezen.
De man heeft enkele duizenden Indonesiërs vermoord of laten vermoorden, maar meet zichzelf de allures van de redder van het land aan. Indien zijn coup was gelukt, volgens hem, dan zou er werkelijke democratie in Indonesië hebben geheerst. Hij is een ordinaire oorlogsmisdadiger.
Je reinste geschiedvervalsing uit eerste mond. Meer hoeft daarover niet gezegd.
(Maar wel een goed verteller, maar het kan ook van een ghost writer zijn - heb de Engelse versie gelezen)

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoirs of captain Westerling who tried to launch a coup againt Indonesia, to place a federalist regime in its plays, the more he give a big role in his military activities before the coup, the more he downplays the coup himself. The writing sometimes reminds me of Richard Klinkhamer's work where he describes his military experiences.