Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bandgt;Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of the World's Largest Archipelagoandlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indonesia is by far the largest nation in Southeast Asia and has the fourth largest population in the world after the United States. Indonesian history and culture are especially relevant today as the Island nation is an emerging power in the region with a dynamic new leader. It is a land of incredible diversity and unending paradoxes that has a long and rich history stretching back a thousand years and more.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indonesia is the fabled "Spice Islands" of every school child's dreamsand#8212;one of the most colorful and fascinating countries in history. These are the islands that Europeans set out on countless voyages of discovery to find and later fought bitterly over in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. This was the land that Christopher Columbus sought and Magellan actually reached and explored. One tiny Indonesian island was even exchanged for the island of Manhattan in 1667!andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;This fascinating book tells the story of Indonesia as a narrative of kings, traders, missionaries, soldiers and revolutionaries, featuring stormy sea crossings, fiery volcanoes, and the occasional tiger. It recounts the colorful visits of foreign travelers who have passed through these shores for many centuriesand#8212;from Chinese Buddhist pilgrims and Dutch adventurers to English sea captains and American movie stars. For readers who want an entertaining introduction to Asia's most fascinating country, this is delightful reading.
Review
"An amazing tale, enticingly told by a seasoned reporter and connoisseur of Indonesia. Tim Hannigan's narrative history brims with interest and comes strongly recommended for the traveler and general reader." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Andrew Beatty author of andlt;iandgt;A Shadow Fallsandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;After the Ancestors: An Anthropologist's Storyandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Hannigan brushes aside the tourist-guide stereotypes of paradise and pious, colonial pomp to the often threadbare human motives beneath the smiling face of this amazing country." and#8212; Nigel Barley, author of andlt;Iandgt;The Innocent Anthropologistmandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"A deliciously readable canter though the history of the archipelago." and#8212; Elizabeth Pisani, author of andlt;Iandgt;Indonesia, Etc.andlt;/Iandgt;
Synopsis
Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of the World's Largest Archipelago
Indonesia is by far the largest nation in Southeast Asia and has the fourth largest population in the world after the United States. Indonesian history and culture are especially relevant today as the Island nation is an emerging power in the region with a dynamic new leader. It is a land of incredible diversity and unending paradoxes that has a long and rich history stretching back a thousand years and more.
Indonesia is the fabled "Spice Islands" of every school child's dreams--one of the most colorful and fascinating countries in history. These are the islands that Europeans set out on countless voyages of discovery to find and later fought bitterly over in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. This was the land that Christopher Columbus sought and Magellan actually reached and explored. One tiny Indonesian island was even exchanged for the island of Manhattan in 1667
This fascinating history book tells the story of Indonesia as a narrative of kings, traders, missionaries, soldiers and revolutionaries, featuring stormy sea crossings, fiery volcanoes, and the occasional tiger. It recounts the colorful visits of foreign travelers who have passed through these shores for many centuries--from Chinese Buddhist pilgrims and Dutch adventurers to English sea captains and American movie stars. For readers who want an entertaining introduction to Asia's most fascinating country, this is delightful reading.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Tim Hannigan'sandlt;/bandgt; first book, andlt;iandgt;Murder in the Hindu Kushandlt;/iandgt; (The History Press, 2011) was shortlisted for the Boardman-Tasker Prize. His second book andlt;iandgt;Raffles and the British Invasion of Javaandlt;/iandgt; (Monsoon Books, 2012) won the 2013 John Brooks Award. His features and travel articles appear regularly in newspapers and magazines in Indonesia and beyond.