The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History

The modern states of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, and East Timor were once a tapestry of kingdoms, colonies, and smaller polities linked by sporadic trade and occasional war. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, the United States and several European powers had come to control almost the entire region—only to depart dramatically in the decades following World War II.

The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia offers a new and up-to-date perspective on this complex region. Although it does not neglect nation-building (the central theme of its popular and long-lived predecessor, In Search of Southeast Asia), the present work focuses on economic and social history, gender, and ecology. It describes the long-term impact of global forces on the region and traces the spread and interplay of capitalism, nationalism, and socialism. It acknowledges that modernization has produced substantial gains in such areas as life expectancy and education but has also spread dislocation and misery.

Organizationally, the book shifts between thematic chapters that describe social, economic, and cultural change, and “country” chapters emphasizing developments within specific areas. Enhanced by scores of illustrations, The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia will establish a new standard for the history of this dynamic and radically transformed region of the world.

Contributors: David Chandler, Norman G. Owen, William R. Roff, David Joel Steinberg, Jean Gelman Taylor, Robert H. Taylor, Alexander Woodside, David K. Wyatt.

• David P. Chandler, Author

• Norman G. Owen, Editor

  Norman G. Owen is professor of history at the University of Hong Kong.

• Norman G. Owen, Author

  Norman G. Owen is professor of history at the University of Hong Kong.

• William R. Roff, Author

• David Joel Steinberg, Author

• Jean Gelman Taylor, Author

• Robert H. Taylor, Author

• Alexander Woodside, Author

• David K. Wyatt, Author

• This is the best introductory text on Southeast Asian history that this reviewer had come across in many years. . . . The book itself is the embodiment of ‘unity in diversity’, the leitmotif of Southeast Asia.
  —Contemporary Southeast Asia
• By far the best survey of modern Southeast Asian history available. It is a work that should be on the shelf of every scholar and educated layperson interested in Southeast Asia, as its detail and readability make it an ideal reference work.
  —Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
• The single best guide to post-1800 Southeast Asian history.
  —The Historian
• This work represents a substantial step forward for a collaborative project now forty years in the making. . . . No other textbook on Southeast Asia comes even close to it for its detail and coverage of historical themes and events.
  —Itinerario
• An attractive, accessible, and authoritative modern history." —Royal Society for Asian Affairs,"A significant update to the eminently successful In Search of Southeast Asia of almost four decades ago. . . . Highly recommended. Useful as a textbook and for reading at all levels.
  —Choice
• A valuable study for exploring the region’s history. . . . The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia offers discomforting food for thought.
  —IIAS Newsletter