The Loner: President Yudhoyono's Decade of Trial and Indecision

by John McBeth

The Loner tells the story of President’s Yudhoyono’s decade in power, describing in detail the many challenges he faced and why Indonesia is still struggling with its past.

• The first comprehensive review of President Yudhoyono’s decade in power.
• Why a leader of Yudhoyono’s abilities failed to fulfill his undoubted promise.
• A description of Indonesia’s emergence from the 1997–98 financial crisis and the many missed opportunities that came with the 2004–2012 commodity boom.

The Loner is not only a warts-and-all assessment of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s legacy as Indonesia’s sixth and first directly-elected president, but also reflects on the many interesting issues of his decade in power which did not receive the sustained media attention they deserved. In this regard, it is as much a record of those years as it is of Yudhoyono’s leadership itself, covering everything from natural disasters and fuel subsidies to terrorism, corruption, resource nationalism and a bank scandal that, for many people, marked a significant turning point in the retired general’s once-promising presidency.

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kirk D'Souza]

For readers interested in the minute details of Indonesia's political dynamics, this book is a treasure trove of information and insightful (though often scathing) commentary. But for readers with a basic understanding of Indonesia's political scene, this account of SBY's presidency may be too dense and pedantic. I also think it often veers off topic, evaluating key issues and events in Indonesia between 2004 and 2014 without much focus on SBY's leadership.

[Steven S]

"The Loner adalah salah satu narasi sejarah bangsa yang patut menjadi perhatian."

Saya tidak tahu. Mungkin pernyataan diatas terasa berlebihan.

Namun apa yang membedakan buku ini dari jejalan berita-berita di media arus utama adalah John McBeth memberi konteks, analisa, dan gambaran besar dari isu-isu "panas" yang menerpa 10 tahun kepemimpinan Pak SBY.

Merentang dari awal perjalanan Pak SBY menjabat hingga warisan apa saja yang didapat dari kepresidenan beliau dibahas tuntas. Jurnalis asal Australia ini mengajak pembaca melihat lebih dalam bagaimana beratnya menjadi pemegang puncak kekuasaan. Di negara sebesar Indonesia.

Untuk saya sendiri. Meski subyektif. Saya merasakan Pak SBY diluar berbagai kritik dan lainnya, berhasil menghadirkan kestabilan negeri. Kita dapat beraktivitas dan mencari pendidikan, pekerjaan, dengan tenang.

The Loner direkomendasikan bagi Anda pemerhati sosial politik Indonesia. Meski (bagi saya) tidak memberikan terlalu banyak bahasan baru, untuk saya buku ini adalah pijakan baik bagi yang ingin tahu seperti apa perjalanan (kemajuan, perkembangan bangsa) kita selama 13 tahun terakhir.