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References (Bibliography) on Southeast Asia

OUTLINE

 

I.       REGIONAL REFERENCES

A.     Southeast Asia in General

II.    COUNTRY-SPECIFIC REFERENCES

A.     Brunei

B.     Burma (Myanmar)

C.     Cambodia

D.     East Timor

E.      Indonesia

F.      Laos

G.     Malaysia

H.     Philippines

I.        Singapore

J.       Thailand

K.    Vietnam

III. SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: SUBJECT RESOURCES

A.     Colonialism, Nationalism, and Ethnic/Racial Politics in Southeast Asia

B.     Confucianism and Southeast Asia

C.     Mekong: Life Along the Mekong

D.     Hmong Story Cloth and Impact of Globalization

E.      Trade and State Development

IV. VIDEOS AND FILMS

  1. Indochina
  2. Singapore
  3. Vietnam

V. SUGGESTED LITERARY SOURCES (Alphabetical Order by Title)

I. REGIONAL REFERENCES

 

A.      Southeast Asia in General

 

·        Coedes, George. Indianized States of Southeast Asia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1969.

English translation of classic French work by the doyen of Southeast Asian History.  His works still stand as one of the best on the early history of Southeast Asia up to the 13th century.  It covers the “Classical Period” of Southeast Asia.

 

·        Neher, Clark. In Southeast Asia: Crossroads of the World. DeKalb, IL: Southeast Asia Publications, Northern Illinois University, 2000.

 

·        Osborne, Milton.  Southeast Asia: An Introductory History. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1997 (and further reprintings)

It is an excellent overview of Southeast Asian history.  The first four chapters present the early history of Southeast Asia, but the remainder of the book is on the colonial experience, the nationalist struggles, and the modern states of Southeast Asia.

 

·        Reid, Anthony. Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450 – 1680. 2 vols. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988, 1993.

The first volume is an attempt to demonstrate the unity of the region through a discussion of the material culture, the social organizations, and the leisure culture of Southeast Asians.  The second volume focuses on thee economic developments in the region.

 

·        Stuart Fox, Martin.  A Short History of China and Southeast Asia, Tribute, Trade and Influence. (Due for publication by Allen and Unwin in November 2003).
     A concise history which will be useful for those seeking to link Southeast Asia to World History courses.

 

·        Tarling, Nicholas, ed. The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. 2 vols. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Paperback edition in four volumes was published in 1999.  Each of these volumes deals with a particular period in Southeast Asian History and can be purchased individually.  The history is organized chronologically, but the various articles are often thematic looking across Southeast Asia.

 

·        Tarling, Nicholas. A Sudden Rampage: The Japanese Occupation of Southeast Asia 1941 – 1945. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2001.

A description of Japan’s occupation of Southeast Asia during World War II.

 

 

II.  COUNTRY-SPECIFIC REFERENCES

 

 

  1. Brunei

 

·        Francis, Simon. Pictures of the Palace: Travelers’ Accounts of the Brunei of Sultan Abdul Momin and Sultan Hashim Between 1881 and 1906. United Kingdom: Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, University of Hull, 1993.

 

  1. Burma (MYANMAR)

 

·        Aung San Suu Kyi.  Letters from Burma.  New York: Penguin Books, 1997.    

Insightful reflections of Burma’s Nobel laureate and major opposition leader.

 

·        Anung-Thwin, Michael. Pagan: The Origins of Modern Burma. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1985.

A good study of the most important early kingdom of Burma.

 

·        Casino, Eric S. Burma and Burmese: A Historical Perspective. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1997.

A collection of reading and activities on the history and culture of Burma.

 

·        Thant, Myint U. The Making of Modern Burma. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

One of the few histories of the whole of Burma written in the modern period.

 

c.  Cambodia

 

·        Albanese, Marilia.  Angkor: Splendors of the Khmer Civilization.  New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2002 [translated from the Italian by A.B.A.-Milan].

Stunning tabletop book on Angkor and its civilization.  Text done by an Italian scholar noted for their work on Khmer civilization.

 

·        Becker, Elizabeth. When the War was Over: Cambodia’s Revolution and the Voice of its People. New YorkSimon & Schuster, Inc., 1986.

Depicts the intricacies of the Communist revolution in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge and its aftermath.

 

·        Chandler, David. A History of Cambodia.  2nd Edition. Boulder: Westview Press, 1992.

 A useful and interesting history written by one of the foremost historians on Cambodia

 

·        Chandler, David. Brother Number One:  A Political Biography of Pol Pot.  Boulder: Westview Press, 1992. 
      The best historian of Cambodia writes in elaborate detail about the complex life of the Khmer Rouge leader.

 

·        Rooney, Dawn F.  Angkor: Temples of Cambodia’s Kings. 4th ed.  New York: W.W. Norton, 2002.
      Photography by Michael Freeman.  A comprehensive and richly illustrated guide to the temples at Angkor and related historical background.  This new edition has just come out from Norton.

 

·        Sanjeev, Sharma. Cambodia: An Historical Overview. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1994.

A collection of readings and activities that give an overview of Cambodian history and culture.

 

·        Shawcross, William. Sideshow. New York: Simon& Schuster, Inc., 1987.

A detailed look at the United States’ illegal bombing of Cambodia during the Nixon years.

 

D.    East Timor

 

 

E.     INDOnesia

     

·        Emmerson, Donald K., ed. Indonesia Beyond Suharto New York: M.E. Sharpe, in cooperation with Asia Society, 1999.

The best of the post-Suharto studies, the chapters are by recognized scholars, who provide useful historical background and context for understanding the events of 1997-98.  The three chapters on the economy are particularly good.

 

·        Friend, Theodore.  Indonesian Destinies.  Cambridge, Ma:  Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2003. 
     Just published overview of Indonesia and its complex politics and cultures. Good introduction to perhaps the most important country about which we know the least.

 

·        Gardner, Paul F. Shared Hopes, Separate Fears: Fifty Years of U.S. – Indonesian Relations Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1997.

A retired Foreign Service Officer gives a candid and informative account of U.S. – Indonesian relations.

 

·        Schelander, Bjorn. Exploring Indonesia: Past and Present. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1996.

A brief overview of some of the peoples and cultures of Indonesia.

 

·        Schwarz, Adam. A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia’s Search for Stability Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000

If you read only one book on Indonesia, make it this one.  Comprehensive, intelligent and very well-written, this is the single best introduction to contemporary Indonesia.

 

F.  Laos

 

·        Butler-Diaz, Jaqueline (ed.).  New Laos, New Challenges.   Tempe, Arizona: Program for Southeast Asian Studies Monograph Series, Arizona State University, 1998.
     Interdisciplinary anthology of articles and essays about contemporary Laos and recent changes there.  Chapter 9 looks at the future of Laos and its complex relations with Thailand.

 

·        Fass, Horst and Richard Pyle. Lost Over Laos. Massachusetts: Da Capo Press, 2003.

An account of the events surrounding the death of four top combat photographers in a 1971 helicopter crash during Lam Son 719 in Vietnam.

 

·        Fox, Martin-Stuart.  A History of Laos. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 
     The most comprehensive and balanced history of Laos written by a Westerner.  Martin-Stuart Fox is an Australian professor and scholar.

 

·        Kremmer, Christopher.  Stalking the Elephant Kings: In Search of Laos. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 1997.

Christopher Kremmer traveled around Laos searching for the deposed and lost royal family that was ended by the communist rebels in the 1970s.  The book is the story of the revolution and its consequences.  This is a great travel book, full of history, culture and the beautiful, if endangered, Laotian environment.

 

·        Rakow, Meg Regina. Laos and Laotians. Honolulu: Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1992.

An overview of the peoples, history and geography of Laos, activities for students are also included.

 

 

G.  Malaysia

 

·        Andaya, Barbara Watson and Leonard Y. Andaya. A History of Malaysia. 2nd Edition. Honolulu/London: University of Hawaii Press/Palgrave, 2000.

A revised version of the 1981 edition. It has attempted to highlight the current concerns with the environment, indigenous peoples, women’s issues, and development.  The last chapter was added to cover the long tenure of the current Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, who has just come to power when the first edition was released.

 

·        Gomez, Edward T. and Jomo K.S.  Malaysia’s Political Economy:  Politics, Patronage, and Profits.   Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 

Professor Jomo is a brilliant Malaysian economist with good insights on the political economy of Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations.

 

·        Jomo K.S.  Tigers in trouble:  Financial Governance, Liberalization and Crises in East Asia.   New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998.  
      Another important book by Jomo providing an Asian perspective on the recent economic crisis.

 

·        Niel, Eloise Smith Van. Malaysia. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1994.

An historical overview of Malaysia with a collection of activities and an answer key.

 

 

       H. Philippines

 

·        Agoncillo, Teodoro and Alfonso, Oscar, A Short History of the Filipino People. Quezon City: University of the Philippines, 1960.

The standard and perhaps most widely used textbook on Philippine history in the Philippines.  Reasonably accurate and unbiased (unlike older Phil. history textbooks), and encompassing the entire range from pre-Spanish times to modern day Philippines.

 

·        Corpuz, Onofre D., Roots of the Filipino Nation. Quezon City: Aklahi Foundation, 1989.

Perhaps the most scholarly, drawing heavily from primary sources, yet surprisingly readable account of Philippine history.  This two volume set is both a pleasure to read and a treasure of valuable insights and analysis.  Author is former President of the Unviersity of the Philippines, two-time Minister/Secretary of Education, and founding President of the Development Academy of the Philippines.

 

·        Karnow, Stanley, In Our Image.  New York: Ballantine Books, 1990. (Reprint Edition)

A literate and very informed overview and analysis of the American influence over the Philippines, from the earliest ventures of the U.S at the turn of the last century, up to the fall of Marcos in 1986.

 

·        Mateo, Grace Estela C. The Philippines: Story of a Nation. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 2001.

An historical overview of the Philippines accompanied by activities related to the text.

 

I.  Singapore

 

·        Chew, Ernest C.T. and Edwin Lee, eds. A History of Singapore, 1819-1988. 2nd Edition. Singapore/New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.

A Collection of articles of various aspects of Singapore’s history written by Singaporean historians.

 

·        Lee Kuan Yew.  From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000.  New York:  HarperCollins, 2000. 
     Reflections on the remarkable economic success story of Singapore by its former long-term prime minister.

 

·        Turnbull, C.M. A History of Malaysia. Singapore and Brunei. Sydney: Allen & Uniw, 1989.

A look at the three countries and their place in Southeast Asia.

 

·        Turnbull, Mary.  A History of Singapore, 1819-1988. 2nd Edition. Singapore/New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Turnbull was a British civil servant in Malaysia and then became an academic.  This is a good political history of this island republic.

 

     J.  Thailand

 

·        Keyes, Charles F.  Thailand: Buddhist Kingdom and Modern Nation-State.  Boulder: Westview Press, 1987. 
     Now a bit dated, but an excellent interdisciplinary introduction to Thailand by one of the most distinguished scholars of the region and past president of the Association of Asian Studies.

 

·        Pira Sudham.  People of Esarn.  Bangkok: Siam Media International Books, 1987.
     Reflections on life in the rural Northeast by a resident of Buriram.

 

·        Suthiwan, Titima and Uri Tadmor Thailand: Land of Contrasts. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1997.

An overview of the peoples, history and geography of Thailand along with activities related to the text.

 

·        Wyatt, D.K. A Short History of Thailand. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1984.

Although it is called a “short history”, it is a comprehensive history of Thailand form the first appearance of Tai peoples in the region to 1982.  It has not been updated, but it is a very good coverage of Thai history.

 

  K.  Vietnam

 

·        Appy, Christian G. Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides.  New York: Viking Penguin, 2003.

 

·        Hodgkin, Thomas. Vietnam: A Revolutionary Path. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1981.

Hodgkin, a Marxist historian who specializes in African history, was asked by the Vietnamese government to write a history of Vietnam from their perspective.  The result is an interesting history using many Vietnamese documents, including poems, to give a sense of the Vietnamese people and their history.  If one ignores the blatant Marxist interpretations, one will discover a richly textured history of the country.

 

·        Shackford, Julie. Vietnam: An Historical Perspective. Honolulu: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, 1992.

An historical overview of Vietnam prior to United States presence in the region.

 

·        Jameson, Neil. Understanding Vietnam. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.

This is a more standard work on Vietnam and very readable.

 


III. SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: SUBJECT RESOURCES

 

A. AGRICULTURE: RICE

 

·        Hamilton, Roy W. The Art of Rice: Spirit and Sustenance in Asia. California: UCLA Fowler Museum Publication Department, 2003.

Highlights the importance of rice in Asian cultures and documents the artistic and functional wares and traditions related to this crop.

 

B. Colonialism, Nationalism, and Ethnic/Racial Politics

 

·        Anderson, Benedict.  Imagined Communities:  Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism.  Revised Edition.  New York:  Verso, 1991.

     This is a challenging book.  It looks at how diverse ethnolinguistic and cultural communities came to identify themselves as citizens of the postcolonial nation-states through shared interests in “national” projects.  It is wide-ranging but draws mainly from Southeast Asian examples.)

 

·        Osborne, Milton.  Southeast Asia:  An Introductory History.  Sixth Edition.  Sydney:  Allen & Unwin, 1995.

It is an excellent overview of Southeast Asian history.  The first four chapters present the early history of Southeast Asia, but the remainder of the book is on the colonial experience, the nationalist struggles, and the modern states of Southeast Asia.

 

·        Tarling, Nicholas.  Southeast Asia:  A Modern History. Victoria:  Oxford University Press, 2001.  Read the following sections in Part 1 “People and States”:

o       “Colonies and Dependencies”

o       “Puppets and Partners”

o       “Nation-States

     The book follows a chronological framework but is organized according to themes.  For this particular topic, the above sections are useful.  In addition to Part 1 on “People and the States”, the other topics are:  Part 2 “Environment and Economies”, Part 3 “Societies and Commitments”, Part 4 “Protest and Politics”, and Part 5 “Historiography”.  I would recommend this book because teachers can always just focus on one part or a section of a part for particular projects.

 

C.  Confucianism and Southeast Asia

·        Devos, George A. and Walter H. Slote.  Confucianism and the Family.  New York: State University of New York Press, July 1999.

 

·        Elman, Benjamin, John B. Duncan, and Herman Ooms. Rethinking Confucianism: Past and Present in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Los Angeles: UCLA Asian Pacific Monograph Series, March 2002.

 

·        Freeman, Russell.  Confucious: The Golden Rule.  New York: Arthur A. Levine, 2002.

 

D.  Hmong Story Cloth and Impact of Globalization

 

·        Cha, Dia, Dia's Story Cloth:  The Hmong People's Journey of Freedom.  San Francisco: Lee & Low Books, Inc., March 1998.

·        Chan, Sucheng, Hmong Means Free : Life in Laos and America.  Pennsylvania: Temple University Press, 1994.

 

·        Murphy, Nora, Hmong Family. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1997.

 

F.      Mekong: Life along the Mekong

 

·        Chanrithy Him.  When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up under the Khmer Rouge.   New York:  W.W. Norton, 2000.   
      A moving personal account of growing up as a young child under the Khmer Rouge.  Perhaps most impressive about the book is Chanrithy’s presentation of enduring elements of rich traditional Cambodian culture which persisted despite the Khmer Rouge.

 

·        Osborne, Milton. The Mekong: Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2000.

This book is a political and social history focused on the river and its people.  In-depth interdisciplinary and historical perspectives on the key countries of the Mekong region, namely, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. 

 

·        Rooney, Dawn F.  Angkor: An Introduction to the Temples. Hong Kong ; Odyssey, 1999 (3rd edition).

Dawn Rooney is an art historian who has specialized in Southeast Asia and especially Cambodia.  The book is a sophisticated travel guide to the monuments of the Angkor region.  When one visits Angkor, carry at least this book, well studied beforehand.  This, plus Osborne’s book, will ensure a successful journey.

 

·        Gargan, Edward A. The Rivers’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.

Gargan traveled from the Delta upriver nearly 3000 miles through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China and Tibet.  He discusses the destruction of Tibetan culture, post-Pol Pot Cambodia, and isolated Laos.  This is not a “personal” travel account, but a journalistic and a factual, if at time slanted, description of peoples and places met.

 

 

F.  TRADE AND STATE DEVELOPMENT

 

·        Chaudhiri, K.N., Trade and Civilisation in the Indian Ocean: An Economic History from the Rise of Islam to 1750. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
       This text is specialized, but remains a standard reference.

·        Hall, Kenneth.  Economic History of Early Southeast Asia, pp. 185-274.
       This is an abbreviated version of his book, Maritime Trade and State Development in Early Southeast Asia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1985.

 

·        Reid, Anthony. Economic and Social Change, c. 1400-1800, pp. 460-507.

 Reid has done more than any other scholar to bring Southeast Asia as a region to non-specialists through his two-volume work, Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988-93). Volume I in particular is enjoyable reading.

 

·        Tarling, Nicholas ed. The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia. Sydney:  University of Cambridge Press, 1992.
       Two chapters are particularly helpful.  Vol 1. address the relationship between trade and statebuilding. NB Vol.1 has also been published in paperback in two separate books, one dealing with early history and one dealing with the period from about 1400 to 1800. You may find the other chapters helpful, although it is advisable to read a general history of Southeast Asia first.

 

IV. VIDEOS AND FILMS

 

A.     BURMA

·        Burma: In the Garden of the Crying Buddha. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Princeton, NJ, 2003.

 

B.     CAMBODIA

·        Kampuchea: its people, land and culture. Prod. Asia Resource Center, Washington, D.C., 1990.

·        Cambodia’s killing fields. Prod. Electric Pictures and Wildfilm Australia, Princeton, NJ. 2002.

·        Hidden Temples: Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.  Prod. Discovery Communications, Princeton, NJ. 2001.

·        Cambodia’s Killing Fields.  Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Princeton, NJ, 2003.

 

C.     INDONESIA

·        Indo-chine
       An award-winning French film which provides dramatic images of the nature of French colonialism in “Indochina.” 

·        Max Havelaar. Prod. Dir. Fons Rademakers, Netherlands/Indonesia, 1976.

·        Freedom or Death. Prod. Olsen Levy, Australia, 1992.

 

D. LAOS

·        Laos: In the Shadow of the Giants. Prod. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Princenton, NJ, 2004.

 

E. SINGAPORE

·        Global firms in the industrializing East: a BBC production for the Open University in association with the Annenberg/CPB Project at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. So. Burlington, VT: Annenberg/CPB Collection, 1996.

      This videotape, made in 1996, shows the reasons why Singapore moved to Export-Oriented Industrialization in the late 1960s, and what has attracted foreign firms to invest here. 

 

 

F. THAILAND

·        Thailand: King, Combat and Ad Karabo