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Indonesia's Reformasi era ushered in a new atmosphere of political openness under which groups long suppressed have resurfaced, including those that were deemed "extreme left" and "extreme right" by previous regimes. Among the ideas being discussed is the implementation of Islamic law or shariah. Pramono U. Tanthowi begins with the question, "Does Islam tolerate non-Muslim minorities?," considering it from historical, political, and religious perspectives within the Indonesian context. Although the central government has not instituted Islamic law nationally, the local government of Cianjur regency in Sunda (West Java) has implemented certain aspects of Islamic law on its own. Using Cianjur as a case study, Tanthowi surveys the views of non-Muslims on shariah as it has been applied over the last several years. ... Read more

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In this book, the first on the planning history of Jarkarta, able expert Christopher Silver describes how planning has shaped urban development in Southeast Asia, and in particular how its largest city, Jakarta, Indonesia, was transformed from a colonial capital of approximately 150,000 in 1900 to a megacity of 12–13 million inhabitants in 2000.

Placing the city's planning history within local, national and international contexts, exploring not only the formal planning actions, but how planning was shaped by broader political, economic, social and cultural factors in Indonesia’s development, this book is an excellent resource for academics, students and professionals involved in urban planning, history and geography as well as other interested parties.

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A keen critic of culture in modern Indonesia, Andrew N. Weintraub shows how a genre of Indonesian music called dangdut evolved from a denigrated form of urban popular music to a prominent role in Indonesian cultural politics and the commercial music industry. Dangdut--named onomatopoetically for the music's characteristic drum sounds "dang" and "dut"--is Indonesia's most popular music, heard in streets and homes, public parks and narrow alleyways, stores and restaurants, and all forms of public transportation. Despite dangdut's tremendous popularity in Indonesia and other parts of Asia, it has seldom received the serious critical attention it deserves.

Dangdut Stories is a social and musical history of dangdut within a range of broader narratives about class, gender, ethnicity, and nation in post-independence Indonesia (1945-present). Quoted material from interviews, detailed analysis of music and song texts, and ethnography of performance illuminate the stylistic nature of the music and its centrality in public debates about Islam, social class relations, and the role of women in postcolonial Indonesia.

Dangdut Stories is the first musicological study to examine the stylistic development of dangdut music itself, using vocal style, melody, rhythm, form, and song texts to articulate symbolic struggles over meaning. Throughout the book the voices and experiences of musicians take center stage in shaping the book's narrative. Dangdut was first developed during the early 1970s, and an historical treatment of the genre's musical style, performance practice, and social meanings is long overdue. ... Read more

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The rebellion of the Indonesian Communist Party in 1926-27 was a significant event which had a considerably greater impact on Indonesia's subsequent political development than the actual strength marshalled by the Communists might suggest. Very little has been written about the rebellion and its background, and the documents necessary for its study have been extremely difficult of access, even to those who read Dutch. We have felt that translation and publication of the three reports here presented would be useful to those seeking a fuller understanding of this period of Indonesia's modern history - one which has remained nearly as obscure as it is important. The Introduction should help the reader see these documents in their proper context and give him a fuller appreciation of the nature of the rebellion and the conditions which nurtured it.The two editors - Dr. Harry Benda, Associate Professor of History at Yale University, and Ruth T. McVey, Research Associate in the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project - have both done extensive research in modern Indonesian political and social history, Ruth McVey being currently engaged in completing a major study of Indonesian Communism during the period 1920 - 1927.The Cornell Modern Indonesia Project is indebted to Mrs. Elizabeth Maijer for translation of the Governor General's Note and the Bantam Report, and to Professor Harry Benda for translation of the political section of the West Coast of Sumatra Report. - George McT. Kahin, November 15, 1959 ... Read more

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This is an insightful and authoritative exploration of the history and development of Islam in Indonesia. With nearly 90 per cent of its inhabitants - over 200 million people - identifying themselves as Muslims, Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population, but most people outside the region know little about the nation, and much less about the practice of Islam among its diverse peoples or the religion's influence on the country's politics. Written by an expert on Islam, "Understanding Islam in Indonesia" provides readers with an insightful and authoritative explanation of the advent of Islam in the region, its developments, and its contemporary circumstances, as well as demystifying the broad spectrum of politically active Muslim groups in Indonesia today. ... Read more

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This book is a comprehensive introductory text on the history of Indonesia since the arrival of Islam ca.1300 to the present day. An essential narrative of political history is provided together with details of social, cultural and economic affairs. Emphasis is given to the history of the Indonesian people themselves against the background of the formation of the Indonesian nation by an amalgamation of diverse but related ethnic communities. The whole period since the coming of Islam is surveyed with particular attention to major influences such as: the spread of Islam; cultural traditions; Dutch colonisation; Islamic revivalism; anti-colonialism and independence. This book will assist the serious study of the past and present of a state which is the most populous of Southeast Asia and of the Islamic world, a major oil producer and yet one of the poorest nations on earth. In this, the second edition, Professor Ricklefs includes further historiography and relevant facts since the book's first publication in 1981, bringing his history of Indonesia completely up-to-date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Oddly Under-critical of Modern Regime's Crimes
For a book that bills itself as a basic text I found this history oddly treading very lightly over the crimes of the modern state of Indonesia.Phrases like "there seem to have been some excesses" in connection with the massacres on East Timor begining in 1974 do not give the reader confidence - a newspaper will give your more news about the awful things the Indo. government got up to there.Other terrible stories like the repression in New Guinea and Northern Sumatra, as well as the massacres of '65 seem similarly played down. The author is appropriately critical about the distant past but loses all steam when he has to talk about the present. I ended up wondering if it is possible for a modern historian to speak frankly about Indonesia and still maintain access to the country and its archives - perhaps the author would not be allowed in if he said more?Perhaps that is the reason for the soft-pedalling.

Readers may wish to read John Pilger's articles on Indonesia, or try Norman Lewis's book "Empire of the East" as a start to a more realistic approach to this problematic and impoverished,yet alluringly beautiful country

Point of Entry for a Study of Indonesian History
This is the standard college text for advanced study of modern Indonesian history.It is an excellent introduction, sufficiently detailed for the appropriate events, such as the 1945-49 revolution, the days of civil war turmoil in the 50s, and the 30 September Movement ("G30S" for Indonesians) in 1965.It is impeccably researched and annotated, which makes this an excellent resource for further research into Indonesian and Southeast Asian history.The text itself is sometimes slow, but I am always struck by the density of facts, figures, quotations, and citations.An excellent resource.

Indonesia an important country
The book is a good college level introduction to Indonesian History.It gives a good explanation behind the gradual process of Dutch colonialism and a glimpse of the difficulties since attaining independance.The bookcan help the reader attain a better historical understanding of thecomplexities behind the ongoing political turmoil.In particular, thereader can learn how both Aceh and Javanese view their history diferentlyand why it is so important to the Java-based govenment to maintain controllover all of the provinces in Indonesia.The book also gives glimpses ofpossible solutions to today's turmoil.The only flaw to the book, is thatbeing a newer edition, the coverage from 1965 to the present is prettyskimpy and I would not recommend it for readers interested in that timeperiod.Sadly here in the United States there are very few good bookswritten about such an important area of the world. Most of the importantbooks in English are written by Australians.It is to bad we only seem tolearn about countries in times of crisis. ... Read more

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The armed conflict in Madiun, during the darkest and most violent year of the revolution, was a result of the escalating tension among various nationalist groups fighting for Indonesian independence and the frustration of the reinstitution of Dutch rule in certain areas. Swift documents the extraordinary impact of Musso, whose arrival presaged the creation of a new political force that aligned itself with Moscow (the PKI espoused a doctrine of international communism and little compromise). Yet after the renewed Dutch attack in December 1948, Indonesians of all ideologies were motivated to band together in the face of external threat, the PKI was rehabilitated, the supporters forgiven, and the top leaders executed. 1989. 120 pages. ... Read more

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This story is true, because I have born in Madiun.
The same author in INdonesia, His name is SOE HOK GIE so write this strory about Madiun city, his analysis is detail and very complete. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (11)

Clearing up Confusion
Among the reviews below there is a negative review by one Simon Richter (my father) and a response by Inez Hollander (the author) to that review in which she assumes that I (also Simon Richter, professor at the University of Pennsylvania) am the one who penned the original negative review. I did not. I have apologized to Inez for this confusion and would merely like to state that I do not make a habit of ripping the work of colleagues in public forums such as this.

Great book, must read
I am impressed Inez Hollander's book. Born in Indonesia long before the war and lived there until long after the war, I'm a descendant, 7th. Generation, of an Indonesian great grand mother. My grand parents, their parents, my mother and her siblings, all born in different parts of this giant and beautiful archipelago.
I know what happened, before the war, the japanese concentration camps, the marshes and train transports, followed by the Bersiap period so well described in the book. I experienced it in detail with my brother, mother, father, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends.

I kow al lot about the time before I was born, because I asked my grand parents and my mother and aunts and uncles and my father.

So I can say that Inez Hollander created a fantastic piece of work.

It's well known that this period(s) is not part of Japanese, Dutch and Indonesian history books, so this book serves as a "backup" history book and off course there are many others that focus on different subjects.

The concentration camps and the Bersiap period were difficult to re-live for me, because it brought back memories and agony, and many old memories popped up by me, for example the moment that we heard about the atom bomb and the japanese surrender.

Initially we thought we were "free" again and we could leave the camp. My mother knew of two "aunts" who were never interned, because they had used the fact that they were partly Indonesian. We hadn't done that.

They lived a couple of hours by horse buggy (dokkar) from the camp and we all went there, including my mother's sister and three cousins.

After a while, the bersiap (the totally incomprehensible, violent, dangerous and murderous period, before Soekarna took control with his army the TNI) took full swing.

When we walked in the neighborhood sawah's (rice fields) we were suddenly surrounded by youngviolent men with klewangs (machete's). We could not escape and knew we were going to die. My mam and sister went on their knees and told us to do the same and started praying out loud. To our surprise they suddenly backed off. The next day similar men were in the front yard with guns, hiding behind the low garden wall. A convoy of trucks with women and children from Ambarawa, a concentration camp up the mountainside came by on there way to Semarang. They were shooting these women and children in the open trucks. Then my mam decided: "we go back to our old camp for protection this time by the jap soldiers"

The two aunts who were the custodians of a little church, organized two dokkars with two parishians who drove us all back over the mountain hill back to Semarang.
We were stopped by a checkpoint manned by these wild uncontrolled young pemuda's, heavely armed.
Again they were going to kill us. Again mam and sister end we prayed loudly. They let us through. Some time later when postal communications were possible, we heard from the two aunts that both Indonesian buggy drivers on their way back were murdered by these fellow Indonesians on this hill checkpoint.

This is just one of many stories that came back to me, reading this great book of Inez Hollander

In response to the Simon Richter review of Silenced Voices
This is a response to the Simon Richter review on this page; I (the author of this book) think the review is unfair and misses the point of the story.
Here is why:

Beste Simon, wat ben jij boos! Maar ik ben ook boos, hoor!
As an author one should never stoop to defend oneself against the gall of reviewers who have the divine powers to destroy a book with a single stroke of the pen, but it is a free country, so here I go.

Let me put upfront that your family history in Indonesia is obviously very different from mine and every family has its own stories and truths. I do acknowledge that there were many Dutch people in the Indies, working as teachers, doctors and missionaries who did a lot of good and noble work. Even the planters (my family), and I mention this in every lecture I have given on the book, invested in the infrastructure and the local economy, which is one side of the story we are not to forget either. When the Dutch left, I say this in my lecture too, they took with them three centuries of tropical agriculture knowledge, which was a brain drain for Indonesia.

What I find suspect, extremely suspect, is that the information you distill from my book (greed, white-native hatred,-- a Paul Johnson quote, not my words) seem to come from the three chapters that google books scanned: did you actually buy the book and read it as a whole? If you did, I apologize for surmising you did not...and by all means take the book back for a refund!

If you did not, you ought to realize that part of unearthing my family history was rooted in the question why my two aunts (girls of 15 and 13 at the time) were hacked to pieces by an Indonesian mob. Dear Simon, can you tell me where the excessive amount of violence during the bersiap and the revolution came from?

Your other critique that I have not been to Indonesia is true. In defense, I never received a research grant to write this book. I wrote it at night when my kids were in bed. During the day, I had a job, teaching. In the summers I worked to supplement my income and a trip to Indonesia was just not in the cards for me...It was not because I was lazy or negligent: it was because, dare I say it? I did not have the money and I still don't as long as I lie awake at night, wondering how I am going to get my kids through college.

But the argument is somewhat lame: I wrote about the Indies, a society that no longer exists, except in books, letters etc. Can a biographer of Multatuli, no let's take Joseph Conrad, write a biography of Conrad even though he can never meet him in person because he is dead? Can we write about the Middle Ages even though we live in the 21st century? Are you an expert on colonial society because you have been so fortunate as to travel there so often? It is a philosophical argument for sure and one that has been raised by historians many times. No, I have not been in Indonesia but many readers who were there at the time as the children of teachers, doctors, missionaries and planters have told me the book tells it how it was. It is an authentic book they say and that was my mission: to write a true story from the perspective of one family against the larger backdrop of colonial society and times as a whole. You alas think the book biased and under-researched: I don't know how those labels correlate with all the comments of the people who feel the book is real.

However, for the sake of a complete record I do encourage you to write and publish your own family history that is unbiased and, since you condemn my book as liberal and politically correct, conservative (?) and politically incorrect? Good luck finding a publisher, and a university press at that.

In Dutch we say: Maak van je hart geen moordkuil (Don't turn your heart into executioner's pit); you obviously have a "clean" heart and conscience after writing that review and belittling four years of hard work...I thought I would do the same and tell my readers that I give you one star for taking the time at least to write that generous review,

Yours truly,

Inez Hollander Lake

Biased and insufficient research
Books about Indonesia always interest me because of my close relationship to that country and my many dear friends there.However, I find most books rather disappointing.Inez Hollander's Silenced Voices is no exception.I found it interesting how she has attempted to fill in the gaps in the stories she had received through relatives.Some of it was based on what others had written and the remaining was mainly conjecture.Nobody will ever know what really happened.But for this effort I will give Hollander one star.

I was surprised to read all the glowing reviews until I realized that probably all reviewers have never been to Indonesia.The book shows a solid liberal bias and as such is politically correct.Colonialism is a dirty word and should only be used with negative connotations.I don't generalize too much when I say that Hollander could not find anything good done in Indonesia in the roughly 350 years it was a Dutch colony.Quoting Joseph Conrad she states that "the fire in the belly of the average Dutch burgher in the seventeenth century was greed.How does she know; how does Joseph Conrad know?Hollander reserves the epitaph "Calvinist" for the worst offenders in the colonial period.She mentions that as a child, when looking at the wealth portrayed in paintings of the Dutch masters, she had never asked herself from whom this wealth had been extracted.Is it only possible to get wealthy by extracting it from others?

I totally reject Hollander's notion that people generally went to Indonesia because of greed.My grandmother taught at an elementary school in Sukabumi some hundred years ago.My father was an educator as were many of my parents friends.A close friend was a medical doctor who was involved in public health for the nation.I can guarantee that none of them were in it for the money.A number of leaders in the early years of the Republic were students of my father.I was born and raised in Indonesia and never experienced the "pattern of white-native hatred" Hollander mentioned in her book.Even now I visit Indonesia regularly; only last March I visited Jakarta, Bandung and Malang.

In a number of reviews Hollander was praised for her extensive research.To a considerable extent the book is made up of quotations.Hollander indeed has an extensive bibliography.I personally have a number of books about Indonesia, mostly in Dutch.None of them made Hollanders list.One of them in particular should be on any researcher's list: Daar werd wat groots verricht...,Nederlandsch-Indie in de XXste eeuw, published by the prestigious publisher "Elsevier" in 1941.Roughly translated, the title is" Something major was accomplished there, the Dutch Indies in the 20th century.It was written by more than 40 prominent people and most of them were university professors.It is an authoritative work, but it gives quite a different view of the colonial period.Did Hollander not have access to this book?

How could Hollander write about a country and not visit it and see everything first hand.I am sure her book would have been quite different.

Breaking the taboo!
Inez Hollander's painstaking detective work and perseverance come to fruition in this moving account of her family's rise to riches as plantation owners in colonial Indonesia, their later reversal of fortune, and the tragic consequences thereof during the aftermath of WW2.Despite the reticence of her fellow countrymen on this subject and the reluctance of the Dutch authorities to provide documentation, Ms. Hollander does a fantastic job of piecing together a poignant account of what happened to one family during a very dark time.It is to be hoped that this work will initiate a scholarly dialogue on this topic in her homeland, where it is evidently way overdue. ... Read more

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In the United States, precious little is known about the active role Muslim women have played for nearly a century in the religious culture of Indonesia, the largest majority-Muslim country in the world. While much of the Muslim world excludes women from the domain of religious authority, the country's two leading Muslim organizations - Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) - have created enormous networks led by women who interpret sacred texts and exercise powerful religious influence. In "Women Shaping Islam", Pieternella van Doorn-Harder explores the work of these contemporary women leaders, examining their attitudes toward the rise of radical Islamists; the actions of the authoritarian Soeharto regime; women's education and employment; birth control and family planning; and sexual morality. Ultimately, van Doorn-Harder reveals the many ways in which Muslim women leaders understand and utilize Islam as a significant force for societal change; one that ultimately improves the economic, social, and psychological condition of women in Indonesian society. ... Read more

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A "must-read" for all students and scholars examining Islam and the Muslim world.
Written by Pieternella Van Doorn-Harder (associate professor of Islam and World Religions, Valparaiso University), Women Shaping Islam: Reading the Qur'an in Indonesia is an exploration of the active role Muslim women have played in the religious culture of Indonesia, the largest majority-Muslim country in the world. Though a large amount of the Muslim world excludes women from religious authority, Indonesia's two leading Muslim organizations have crafted networks led by women who interpret sacred texts and wield notable religious influence. Women Shaping Islam discusses the history, current standing, and future of women in both these organizations (the Muhammadiyah and the Nahdlatul Ulama) with a scholarly eye toward accuracy, meticulous detail, and cultural context. An invaluable insight into the great sphere of influence of female Indonesian religious leaders, and a "must-read" for all students and scholars examining Islam and the Muslim world. ... Read more

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This collection examines the genesis and evolution of the modern Indonesian nation-state. Essays range from a study of the nation's imaginative conception to a study of the Suharto government's political and financial infrastructure. Contributing authors include Ruth McVey, Takashi Shiraishi, Fred Bunnell, and Benedict R. O'G Anderson (whose fascinatingly original contribution is entitled Language, Fantasy, Revolution: Java 1900-1950). The works study such varied topics as the independence leader Sjahrir, Indonesian Communism, nationalist movements and the Indonesian revolution, theories and constructions of statehood, law and justice, and questions of violence and reform. Dedicated to the memory and scholarship of George McT. Kahin, this work focuses on Indonesia's development as a state and its conception of itself as a nation. Essays contributed to honor George McT. Kahin. ... Read more

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Professor Kahin's classic 1952 study, reprinted for a contemporary audience. An immediate, vibrant portrait of a nation in the age of revolution, featuring interviews with many of the chief players. With new illustrations and a new introduction by Benedict R. O'G. Anderson. ... Read more

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Unexpectedly exciting
The Indonesian struggle for independence and survival in the tricky geopolitics of Cold War Asia is an extremely important historical topic, and one could do a lot worse than start with this book, which originallycame out in 1952. George McTurnan Kahin spent a couple of years in the late1940s in Indonesia doing research, fortuitously during the most tumultousyears of the Netherlands Indies' struggle to become Indonesia.Incorporating not only secondary and primary sources, but also his ownexperiences, Kahin analyzes the colonial history of Indonesia and recountsthe exciting story of its independence movement. Leaders like thefascinating Sjahrir (oddly, Soekarno does not nearly get as much airplay assome might think appropriate) come alive and frequently provide a personalcontext for the road to freedom for one of Asia's most important countries.While Kahin's book is obviously dated, it's still a useful and interestingtext with which to begin a study of Indonesia, Southeast Asia, or postwarnationalist movements in general. ... Read more

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Pack your bags! We're headed to Indonesia! On this whirl-wind tour, you'll learn all about the country's landscape, culture, people, and more. We'll explore Indonesia's volcanic islands and ancient temples, taste a steaming bowl of bakso noodle soup, and watch a late-night shadow puppet show. A special section introduces Indonesia's capital, language, population, and flag. Hop on board and take a fun-filled look at your world. ... Read more

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Borobudur in Central Java is the world's largest Buddhist temple. This book seeks to solve the mysteries surrounding the temple: who built it, why and for what purpose? How was this amazing structure of two million blocks of stone actually constructed? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

the best book I've read this year
A real surprise - a fantastic account of the infamous Raffles and his discovery of a cool temple in Java. Great pics - well written. Could have done with bit more on Raffles. ... Read more