Southeast Asia: Past and Present offers a balanced and readable account of the region from ancient to modern times, covering traditional history as well as current events. D. R. SarDesai achieves a delicate balance exploring the importance of the period of European colonial rule in Southeast Asia without overemphasis as he introduces students to the regions and peoples of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Readers will find insightful introductions at the beginning of each part to aid in understanding the global and political implications of the events discussed. The seventh edition is thoroughly updated to offer coverage of current events, including the historic 2012 elections in Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi's successful bid for election to the Parliament, the rise of Yingluck Shinawatra to the position of prime minister of neighboring Thailand, and the consolidation of the ASEAN and its consideration of China's claim to the South China Sea. Combining thematic and chronological approaches with the study of colonialism, nationalism, historical and cultural heritage, and current events, Southeast Asia manages to convey an Asian point of view throughout. The second edition of Southeast Asian History: Essential Readings (978-0-8133-4857-5) is also available from D. R. SarDesai and Westview Press as a complementary or a standalone text.

About the Author
D. R. SarDesai is professor emeritus of history and the former chair of South and Southeast Asian Studies at UCLA. He was also Chair of the Department of History, UCLA, and Director of the University of California's Education Abroad Program in New Delhi

Reviews
"Quite frankly, there is no textbook on the market today that compares in depth, acumen, currency, and readability" --Arnold P. Kaminsky, California State University, Long Beach "The seventh edition of D.R. SarDesai's Southeast Asia ... is an ambitious and updated study that gives the reader a sweeping and informative view of the history of the region... For students of Southeast Asian history, this text offers a solid introduction to the region while providing an ample base from which to leap into more specific issues using the book's considerable bibliography." --Education About Asia Praise for Previous Editions: "SarDesai's Southeast Asia provides what most books on the region's history do not--a concise, comprehensive, and up-to-date study of the major historical developments in Southeast Asia from ancient times to 2008. It is also different in that it traces the history of all eleven Southeast Asian nations, conveys the region's complexity and diversity, and includes chronological charts. With its contents succinctly divided into four main parts, to cover Cultural Heritage, Colonial Interlude, Nationalist Response, and Fruits of Freedom, the book is especially useful for survey courses on Southeast Asian history." --Pamela Sodhy, Georgetown University "SarDesai provides the most comprehensive and complete, yet organized and accessible, single volume history for students of Southeast Asia. Tackling both Southeast Asia's fascinating diversity and its deep cultural and material coherence, the author skillfully places the various national narratives into a clear regional analysis. This excellent work covers the region from the pre-historic origins of complex society and early state formation to the current threat of international terrorism and other challenges of the early 21st century. SarDesai excels in balancing his focus between Southeast Asia's indigenous historical development and the waves of foreign cultural, economic, colonial, military, and ideological interventions that have shaped the region over the centuries." --Michael G. Vann, California State University, Sacramento



Book Information
ISBN 9780813348377
Author D R SarDesai
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint Westview Press Inc
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 657g