A History of Modern Indonesia Since C. 1200

Rating:
Summary: A well summarized history of Indonesia
Review: I just want to add that this book does contain several good maps of the nation in great details, so anyone should be able to follow the chain of events that were illustrated in the book.

Rating:
Summary: A good summary of indonesian history !
Review: I myself am a student from Indonesia studying in Carnegie Mellon University. In light of recent international events, I became attracted to learn more about the history of my own country from the perspective of Western authors. That is why I purchased this book at the first place.

I find this book very informative and covered a vast range of time, from the Indonesian first encounter with the Dutch until the independence and reformation of the nation in 2000. This book is definitely for the serious readers who want to get the big picture of what has been happening in the fourth most populous country in the world. Definitely a good buy for anyone who is researching the past of my country and a recommended reading for those students and scholars from Indonesia.

Overall, this book gave a brilliant summary of the whole Indonesian history; those events that have shaped Indonesia in the past and formed our own sense of national identity. I did however think that some parts of the book may be a bit too brief and inacessible for those who do not have prior knowledge of the Indonesian history.

Rating:
Summary: A well summarized history of Indonesia
Review: I myself am a student from Indonesia, currently studying in Carnegie Mellon University. In light of recent international events, I became attracted to learn the history of my own country from the prespective of Western authors. That is why I read this book at the first place.

I find this book very informative, it gives the reader a good sense of what has been going on in Indonesia from the time of the encounter with the Dutch (~1500), the Dutch colonial period (1600 - 1945), the nation's independence (1945), and the recent reformation of the nation (2000). However, I think some parts of the book are too brief and rather inaccessible for those who do not have prior knowledge of Indonesian history. But that shouldn't be a problem in understanding the overall picture.

I would say that this book is more for the serious readers who want to know more about Indonesia's past and understand its present. A recommended reading especially for students and scholars from Indonesia!