South East Asia

LIFE World Library

by Stanley Karnow

Binding loose. No dust jacket.Hardback, ex-library, with usual stamps and markings, in fair all round condition, suitable as a reading copy.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Stanley Karnow was a well-respected American journalist and historian whose book In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines won him the coveted Pulitzer Prize for History. Karnow was a World War II veteran who graduated from Harvard and began his journalism career in the early 1950s. He is probably best known for his coverage of the Vietnam War.

Stanley Karnow died of congestive heart failure at the age of 87.

Reviews

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book of its time, by Stanley Kurnow of Washington Post, which analyzes the rise of nation-states in South-East Asia post WWII, with excellent photographs. Published in the late 1960s, this book details the complications leading into the Vietnam War, the rise of Malaysia as a successful state, offers insight into Thailand’s autonomy, Burma’s military takeovers, and problems besetting Indonesia’s politics and economy, leading to the horrific massacre of hundreds of thousands- millions of Communists in 1965 (this latter event is covered sparingly, maybe because it was very recent at the time of publication- or because Suharto’s regime was very important to America and the world economy?) Also explained in detail is the role of the hua chiao, or non-naturalized ethnic Chinese migrants, in shaping the character of the greater region of South-East Asia.

[Indian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 1960's old published book with some great pictures of that era.
It was a eye opening account of that time of the South-East Asia nations (Burma, Thailand, Malayasia, Indonesia,Laos,Cambodia, Vietnam & Phillipines)
The book written from an American perspective, minced no words on the state of affairs of these places post colonial rule & post Japanses occupation.
The stories of Ramon Magsaaaye of Philipines & the ethnic-Chinese in these areas (whom the Thai King once described as the Jews of the Orient) - the animist basis of the religions in these areas - all very fascinating accounts.
A must read refresher to quickly catch upon the differences between these countries and their peoples.

[Adrian · Rating 1 out of 5]

My ancestors and my soul can’t continue reading this racist and colonial as book.