Being at the centre of the vital Asia–Pacific region, Thailand is important. But, despite its large population and powerful military forces performing significant roles in state and society, Thailand
One figure strides across modern Cambodian history—Norodom Sihanouk. From his accession to the throne of Cambodia in 1941 until his extravagant funeral ceremony in 2013, the prince turned ‘king father
Histories of the plantations sector in Malaysia have largely focused on the rubber industry and on the rise and fall of big British-owned colonial enterprises. But since independence, the sector has e
Women had a high status in premodern Southeast Asia; this is constantly stated, especially in relation to discussions on the status of women today in the region. Why, then, is it that the position of
This book explores the present circumstances of Burma’s financial malaise, but does not neglect how it got there. Opening its account at the dawn of the colonial era, Fiery Dragons tells the story of
European events are dominating global public discussions and reminiscences of World War II though no doubt Hiroshima will be remembered on 6 August as usual. Thereafter, the 70th anniversaries of Indo
Singapore has few natural resources, but, in a relatively short history, its economic and social development and transformation are nothing short of remarkable. Today Singapore is by far the most succ
From 2002 Cambodia underwent a dramatic economic transformation involving the disappearance of forests and the decline of logging, the inflow of Chinese investment and the rise of indigenous capital,
This intriguing volume explains why, after centuries of Western scholars studying Asia, Asian scholars are beginning to study Western societies in return. Responding to the rise of Nordic studies in C
Examining the powerful linkages between class, consumption, market relations, Islam and the state in contemporary Malaysia, this is the first book to explore how Malaysia's emerging Malay middle class
Why, Benedict Anderson once asked, did Javanese become Indonesian in 1945 whereas the Vietnamese balked at becoming Indochinese? In this classic study, Goscha shows that Vietnamese of all political co
With globalization helping those who assert incompatible differences between their respective faiths, clashes of faith are increasingly common in different parts of the world. As a result, the study o
This book explores the relationship between gender and power in Burmese history from pre-colonial times to the present day and aims to identify the sources, nature and limitations of women’s power. Th
While death, eschatology and exotic indigenous deathways have long held a privileged position in the ethnographic and popular literature on Borneo, ancestors have remained a strangely neglected topic.
This latest book by award-winning researcher Duncan McCargo, one of the world’s leading specialists on contemporary Thailand, builds on previous projects to elucidate new aspects of the intractable So
Asian Cities challenges Western paradigms of urban growth and questions the status accorded globalization in explaining contemporary Asian cities, arguing instead that they are being transformed by th
This book explores the "invention" of specific breeds of horse in the context of imperial design and colonial trade routes. Divided into two sections, it deals respectively with the introduction, inve
This volume brings together an impressive array of internationally recognized scholars from around the world to examine the many facets of gender politics in Asia. Its central concern is how women in
