Synopses & Reviews
The Sri Lanka Reader is a sweeping introduction to the epic history of the island nation located just off the southern tip of India. The islandandrsquo;s recorded history of more than two and a half millennia encompasses waves of immigration from the South Asian subcontinent, the formation of Sinhala Buddhist and Tamil Hindu civilizations, the arrival of Arab Muslim traders, and European colonization by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and finally the British. Selected texts depict perceptions of the countryandrsquo;s multiple linguistic and religious communities, as well as its political travails after independence in 1948, especially the ethnic violence that recurred from the 1950s until 2009, when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were defeated by the Sri Lankan governmentandrsquo;s armed forces. This wide-ranging anthology covers the aboriginal Veddhas, the earliest known inhabitants of the island; the Kings of Kandy, Sri Lankaandrsquo;s last indigenous dynasty; twenty-first-century women who leave the island to work as housemaids in the Middle East; the forty thousand Sri Lankans killed by the tsunami in December 2004; and, through cutting-edge journalism and heart-wrenching poetry, the protracted violence that has scarred the countryandrsquo;s contemporary political history. Along with fifty-four images of paintings, sculptures, and architecture, The Sri Lanka Reader includes more than ninety classic and contemporary texts written by Sri Lankans and foreigners.
Review
andldquo;. . . the ideal source book for analytical study of Sri Lankaandrsquo;s history enlightening the reader as to what caused the present ills.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo; [A] superb anthology edited by that most perceptive and shrewd observer of Sri Lanka and its complex social, economic and political history, John Clifford Holt. . . . John Holtandrsquo;s Reader is a stellar collection of wide-ranging essays both scholarly and popular, folklore, poetry and reportage that run into a mammoth 700 plus pages. Nor is this all. The Reader contains 54 images of paintings, sculptures and architecture together with its editorandrsquo;s suggestions for further reading and, a comprehensive index.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;The Sri Lanka Reader will make a valued gift to those Sri Lankans and others whose interest in the Island is intelligent and thoughtful; going deeper than beautiful tropical pictures (see the bookandrsquo;s cover); description of delicious dishes, and friendly inhabitants. It will be the standard andlsquo;Readerandrsquo; on Sri Lanka for many years to come; a work not to be read once and put aside but to be kept, referred to, reflected upon, and used as a starting point for further reading according to oneandrsquo;s (different) interest.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;The Sri Lanka Reader is an ambitious volume compiled with dexterity. Holt communicates with captivating force the islandandrsquo;s geopolitical, strategic and historical significance, offering the reader a nuanced introduction to the intrigue and diverse scholarship of this tiny island.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;The Sri Lanka Reader helps one in coming to terms with the countryandrsquo;s present, given that its past has, in a very large way, continually cast a shadow on the social and political trails it has followed. Reading the work makes for a clearer comprehension of Sri Lanka, warts and all.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;The Sri Lanka Reader is unprecedented. Never before has there been a book so synoptic in its treatment of Sri Lankan history, politics, and culture. The overall organization, the selections chosen for inclusion, and the introductions to the individual pieces are all of the highest order. This book will be welcomed by specialists in Sri Lankan studies, as well as the more general, educated reader.andrdquo;andmdash;Roger R. Jackson, John W. Nason Professor of Asian Studies and Religion, Carleton College
Review
andldquo;John Holtandrsquo;s The Sri Lanka Reader gives many insights into contemporary Sri Lanka while providing an in-depth picture of its rich history. Holt effectively weaves together documents, analytical accounts, photographs, and poetic works to produce a balanced work that is consistent in quality and readability despite accommodating many viewpoints. It is a book that you will return to time and again. It will undoubtedly become the standard collection of documents on Sri Lanka and its history.andrdquo;andmdash;Chandra R. de Silva, author of Sri Lanka: A History
Review
“[This is a must-have book for all Sri Lankan scholars.” Charles Ponnuthurai Sarvan - Sunday Leader (Columbo)
Review
andldquo;[This is a must-have book for all Sri Lankan scholars.andrdquo;
Synopsis
An interdisciplinary anthology that includes many primary materials never before published in English.
Synopsis
Fifty-four images and more than ninety classic and contemporary texts introduce Sri Lanka s recorded history of more than two and a half millennia.
About the Author
“The Sri Lanka Reader is unprecedented. Never before has there been a book so synoptic in its treatment of Sri Lankan history, politics, and culture. The overall organization, the selections chosen for inclusion, and the introductions to the individual pieces are all of the highest order. This book will be welcomed by specialists in Sri Lankan studies, as well as the more general, educated reader.”—Roger R. Jackson, John W. Nason Professor of Asian Studies and Religion, Carleton College“John Holt’s The Sri Lanka Reader gives many insights into contemporary Sri Lanka while providing an in-depth picture of its rich history. Holt effectively weaves together documents, analytical accounts, photographs, and poetic works to produce a balanced work that is consistent in quality and readability despite accommodating many viewpoints. It is a book that you will return to time and again. It will undoubtedly become the standard collection of documents on Sri Lanka and its history.”—Chandra R. de Silva, author of Sri Lanka: A History