Indonesian Destinies

how Can Such A Gentle People As We Are Be So Murderous? A Prominent Indonesian Asks. That Question—and The Mysteries Of The Archipelago's Vast Contradictions—haunt Theodore Friend's Remarkable Work, A Narrative Of Indonesia During The Last Half Century, From The Postwar Revolution Against Dutch Imperialism To The Unrest Of Today. Part History, Part Meditation On A Place And A Past Observed Firsthand, indonesian Destinies Penetrates Events That Gave Birth To The World's Fourth Largest Nation And Assesses The Continuing Dangers That Threaten To Tear It Apart. friend Reveals Sukarno's Character Through Wartime Collaboration With Japan, And Suharto's Through The Mass Murder Of Communists That Brought Him To Power For Thirty-two Years. He Guides Our Understanding Of The Tolerant Forms Of Islam Prevailing Among The Largest Muslim Population In The World, And Shows Growing Tensions Generated By International Terrorism. Drawing On A Deep Knowledge Of The Country's Cultures, Its Leaders, And Its Ordinary People, Friend Gives A Human Face And A Sense Of Immediacy To The Self-inflicted Failures And Immeasurable Tragedies That Cast A Shadow Over Indonesia's Past And Future. A Clear And Compelling Passion Shines Through This Richly Illustrated Work. Rarely Have Narrative History And Personal Historical Witness Been So Seamlessly Joined. mohammad Sadli - Jakarta Post for Foreigners And Indonesians Alike, Theodore Friend's Book Is A Rich Informative Source To Better Understand The Country's Post-colonial History. This Scholarly Work Has An Engaging, Often Reflective Narrative Style That Is Always Full Of Details From Numerous Interviews Conducted Since The Writer First Started Visiting The Country, Sometime In 1967-1968. "How can such a gentle people as we are be so murderous?" a prominent Indonesian asks. That question--and the mysteries of the archipelago's vast contradictions--haunt Theodore Friend's remarkable work, a narrative of Indonesia during the last half century, from the postwar revolution against Dutch imperialism to the unrest of today. Part history, part meditation on a place and a past observed firsthand, Indonesian Destinies penetrates events that gave birth to the world's fourth largest nation and assesses the continuing dangers that threaten to tear it apart. Friend reveals Sukarno's character through wartime collaboration with Japan, and Suharto's through the mass murder of communists that brought him to power for thirty-two years. He guides our understanding of the tolerant forms of Islam prevailing among the largest Muslim population in the world, and shows growing tensions generated by international terrorism. Drawing on a deep knowledge of the country's cultures, its leaders, and its ordinary people, Friend gives a human face and a sense of immediacy to the self-inflicted failures and immeasurable tragedies that cast a shadow over Indonesia's past and future. A clear and compelling passion shines through this richly illustrated work. Rarely have narrative history and personal historical witness been so seamlessly joined. Theodore Friend's Remarkable Work Is A Narrative Of Indonesia During The Last Half Century, From The Post-war Revolution Against Dutch Imperialism To The Unrest Of Today. Part History, Part Meditation On A Place And A Past Observed Firsthand, Indonesian Destinies Penetrates Events That Gave Birth To The World's Fourth Largest Nation And Assesses The Continuing Dangers That Threaten To Tear It Apart.--jacket. Prologue: The Largest Muslim Nation -- Sukarno: Indonesia, The Devouring Nurturer -- Guided Chaos -- Ego, Voice, Vertigo -- Mass Murder -- Suharto: The Smile Of Progress -- The New Majapahit Empire -- The Sound Of Silence -- The Last Years Of Living Securely -- Behind, Beyond, Beneath The Power Structure -- Indonesia Burning -- Succession: Forcing Out Suharto -- Smoke -- New Leaders, New Islam -- Election 1999: Reds, Greens, Blues, Yellows -- East Timor -- Anarcho-democracy -- Epilogue: Sukarno's Daughter In The Palace -- Chronology -- Glossary. Theodore Friend. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 539-598) And Index. CONTENTS ......Page 12 Prologue: The Largest Muslim Nation ......Page 14 SUKARNO ......Page 28 1. Indonesia, the Devouring Nurturer ......Page 30 2. Guided Chaos ......Page 60 3. Ego, Voice, Vertigo ......Page 84 4. Mass Murder ......Page 113 SUHARTO ......Page 140 5. The Smile of Progress ......Page 142 6. The New Majapahit Empire......Page 173 7. The Sound of Silence ......Page 201 8. The Last Years of Living Securely ......Page 232 9. Behind, Beyond, Beneath the Power Structure ......Page 267 10. Indonesia Burning ......Page 298 SUCCESSION ......Page 322 11. Forcing out Suharto ......Page 324 12. Stroke ......Page 360 13. New Leaders, New Islam ......Page 393 14. Election 1999: Reds, Greens, Blues, Yellows ......Page 418 15. East Timor ......Page 444 16. Anarcho-Democracy ......Page 473 Epilogue: Sukarno's Daughter in the Palace ......Page 512 Chronology ......Page 541 Sources ......Page 547 Notes ......Page 552 Glossary ......Page 612 Index ......Page 619