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| Orchid Press Publishing has a wide collection of well illustrated books, appealing to both the layman and the scholar, and written by specialists. New releases are available in the libraries below. |
ORCHID BOOKS
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| The Language of Paper A History of 2000 Years by Therese Weber 2007. 224 pp., 178 colour and 26 b&w plates, 1 map, bibliography, index, 29 x 21 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-093-1 $50.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-093-3 Paper technology originated in China some two millennia ago, from where it spread east, to Korea and Japan, and west, along the Silk Road, to Central Asia, eventually reaching Europe in the 13th century. As the technology propagated, paper effected profound changes in each society it touched, becoming one of the most important of all cultural media, a status that it retains to the present. Paper accrues value as religious and symbolic markings are added to its surface; fortune papers transport messages to the gods, paper is given the value of money in the form of banknotes, and the dream of flying was first realised in hot-air balloons made of paper. Paper can even be employed as architectural elements, as textiles for garments, and as a medium for artistic expression. In one or many of these manifestations, paper effects the lives of all on earth today. In this cultural history of paper, acclaimed paper artist Therese Weber travels to the few remaining places where traditional methods of papermaking have been preserved. Commencing there Weber takes the reader on a fascinating and colourful journey of discovery of a commodity that many may take for granted, but few fully understand. |
| In Buddha's Land: Visions of Buddhist Burma Photography by Moe Min 2007. 128 pp., 92 col. pl., 22 x 23 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-072-9 $30.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-072-8 A spectacular panoramic view of the lives of the Buddhist faithful of Burma, as revealed by award-winning Burmese photographer Moe Min. Through images of Buddhist rituals, both moments of solitary worship and joyous festivals, as well as of temples, shrines and sacred images, the viewer is introduced to the lives of the lay practitioners and monks of this deeply religious land. With magnificent images of world-renowned sites such as Pagan and the Shwedagon, as well as of remote locations rarely reached by the foreign visitor, this book is essential both for those who are well acquanited with this ancient, picturesque land and for those who are not, but wish to be. [Read a review & excerpts from Bangkok Airways In-flight Magazine] |
| Vanishing Tradition: Architecture and Carpentry of the Dong Minority in China by Klaus Zwerger 2006. 224 pp., 239 duotone plates, 12 architectural plans and line drawings, map, 29 x 21 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-061-3 $50.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-061-2 An exploration of the unique wooden architectural tradition of the Dong minority peoples of the rugged mountainous regions of south-western China-a tradition most likely to disappear in decades to come, as it is overwhelmed by China's current rampant modernization. The author discusses the historic development of Dong architectural techniques as effected by Dong social and physical environment as well as agriculture and forestry practices of the Dong people. Both residential and public buildings are described and analyzed and all types of structures are illustrated in many striking black and white images. |
| Wild Orchids in Myanmar Vol. III Shangri-La of Wild Orchids by Dr Yoshitaka Tanaka, Nyan Htun & Tin Tin Yee 2007, 108 pp., 152 colour illustrations, references, hardbound, 27.5 x 26 cm. ISBN-10: 974-524-101-6 $48.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-101-5 The third volume of a planned series of six, the present book focuses on the wide variety of orchid species to be found at high altitudes on and in the vicinity of Victoria Mountain, in the Chin State, close to Burma's border with Bangladesh. While Dendrobium is perhaps the most frequently encountered family, a rich assortment of other species are illustrated and described, some of which still require further taxonometric research. Here, despite its extreme remoteness, road development and the encroachment of poachers is also beginning to take its toll on the rich diversity of orchids that occur naturally in this rugged terrain. Orchid lovers worldwide owe a dept of gratitude to Dr Tanaka's continued efforts to record and protect these fragile beauties. Bilingual English / Japanese text. |
Crime and Punishment in Ancient China Casebooks such as the Tang-Yin-Pi-Shih were thus essential tools of the appointees, providing guidance and precedence to which to refer, when the courts were confronted with challenging cases. Compiled in 1211 CE by Kuei Wan-jung, the author applies his prodigious linguistic skills to render the present translation both informative and highly entertaining. R. H. van Gulik was also the author of a popular series of detective novels, based in ancient China and featuring the semi-historical Judge Dee Gong-An. It will soon become evident to fans of Judge Dee that van Gulik drew much inspiration for his novels from the Tang-Yin-Pi-Shih. [Read more about the life of R. H. van Gulik] |
Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam: Since the dawn of human history, people have gathered and consumed wild plants, for both nutritional and curative purposes. Over the course of millennia, our knowledge of the benefits of these plants has steadily grown, passed down from generation to generation primarily by oral tradition. A vast, invaluable body of knowledge on the use of wild plants remains among many traditional communities to the present day. |
| A Guide to Colonial Sources on Burma: Ethnic & Minority Histories of Burma in the India Office Records, British Library by Mandy Sadan 2008, 580 pp., 4 maps, indices, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-106-7 $50.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-106-0 The India Office Records (IOR) of the British Library, in London, include perhaps the richest scholarly resources anywhere on conditions in Burma in late British colonial times. The purpose of this guide is to provide a general introduction to sources in the IOR for the study of minority histories of Burma. The guide contains extensive lists of references, but it also contains introductory comments on the structure of the India Office Records as a whole, to help researchers make the best use of this wonderful historical resource. The primary focus is on English language sources relating to the period 1824–1948, but there are also brief comments on sources outside this frame of reference. |
| Frontier Mosaic: Voices of Burma from the lands in between by Richard Humphries 2007. 200 pp., 80 colour images, 3 maps, bibliography, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-092-3 $29.95 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-092-6 To the long-suffering Burmese people and particularly for Burma's frontier minorities, the Thai border represents a potential escape from poverty and government repression, and a chance for a better life. Despite the natural hospitality of many Thai people and the efforts of individuals and NGOs involved in support programs, the reality of life in the frontier region rarely matches the dream. In Frontier Mosaic, author Humphries provides first-hand accounts and his own observations of the personalities he encounters, on both sides of the border, as he traverses the length of the Thai- Burma frontier. We are introduced enroute to the insurgent soldier, the mother, the migrant and the artist, among many other typical inhabitants. In tales of hope and dashed dreams, certainties and ambiguities, conflict, exploitation and coexistence, Humphries paints an informative and empathetic picture of life in the region, of interest to specialists and general readers alike. [Read a review from The Japan Times] [Read a review from Irrawaddy Magazine] [Read a review from Mizzima News] |
| A History of the Ho Chi Minh Trail: The Road to Freedom by Virginia Morris with Clive Hills 2006. 196 pp., 107 colour, 24 b&w illustrations, 11 maps, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-076-1 $29.95 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-076-6 The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a decisive factor in the defeat of American forces in the Vietnam War. At the peak of its 16 years' operation, the Trail ran through North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Despite an estimated 4 million tons of US bombs, efforts to stop the transport of essential goods to the North Vietnamese Army over the Trail failed, and by the end of the war over a million tons of supplies had been transported and 2 million troops had traversed the Trail. At its peak there were 120,000 people working on the Trail. Throughout the war around 20,000 died, some 30,000 were seriously injured; the numbers of people affected by chemical spraying and unexploded bombs are still unrecorded. The author and photographer, the first Westerners to traverse the entire length of the Trail, trace the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands who designed, built, used and fought along it. Interviewing villagers along the Trail, as well as key military and political figures on both sides of the conflict, including the mastermind of the trail, Vietnam's General Vo Nguyen Giap, A Road to Freedom presents a balanced and fascinating account of this most remarkable feat of engineering and tactical warfare of the Vietnam War era. Voted on its release as Travel Book of the Week by Frank Barrett of London's Mail on Sunday, August, 2006. [Read a review of this book] [Read the foreword by Gen. Sir John Reith] [Read praise for this book from prominent sources] |
| Introduction to Thai Reading: by Rungrat Luanwarawat 2007. 214 pp., 21 x 16.5 cm., includes an audio CD, softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-103-2 $25.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-103-9 Learning to read Thai is the path to a more profound grasp of the language. This book is based on years of experience teaching foreigners to speak and read Thai, and builds on the author's observations in the classroom about which rules of grammar, spelling and pronunciation most commonly impede their progress. Introduction to Thai Reading, designed to be a comprehensive foundation of 24 progressive lessons, will pave the way towards a solid and advanced knowledge of the Thai language. Those who complete the book will have acquired not only essential Thai reading skills, but also the vocabulary and grammar needed for basic Thai speaking. Download an MP3 file of the first CD track (4 MBytes) |
| Mandarin: A novel of Viet Nam by John Havan 2007. 332 pp., 21.5 x 15.2 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-100-8 $17.95 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-100-8 Young Bach seemed to have it all-the first born son of the wealthiest and most powerful mandarin at the Hue court, he grew to be a robust and handsome young man, irresistible to the women in his life, brilliant at his studies and with a natural gift for the martial arts. Bach was a true 'diamond son'. But Bach's was a case of the right birth at the wrong time. The feudal system that had dominated Viet Nam for more than a thousand years was locked in a death struggle with the forces of French colonial exploitation, Japanese imperialist lust and Ho Chi Minh's communist fanatics. The odds were stacked against Bach from the beginning and the mandarin's way of life was doomed in the cataclysmic birth throes of the modern socialist state. An epic tale of love and war, struggle, loss and rebirth, Bach's journey utterly captivates, from its first pages to its climactic finale. [Visit John Havan's Website] |
Mara in the Land of Smiles: Mara in the Land of Smiles is a delightful fable set in a mythical country that vaguely resembles Thailand, hundreds of years ago. It recounts the tale of the epic struggle between Mara, the Lord of Delusion, and the followers of The Great Teacher, for the hearts and minds of the populace. Mara's weapons are fear, jealousy, hatred and greed, spread and stoked by his four wicked agents on earth. As the story commences, only four souls have resisted Mara's siren call the king of the land, an ageing monk, a poor peasant and a wealthy merchant. Mara plots the seduction of these last four virtuous citizens to secure his final victory. |
| Mi Fu on Ink-stones Translated with commentary by R. H. van Gulik Second imprint 2006 (first edition Peking, 1938). xii, 71 pp., 2 colour, 11 b&w illustrations, map, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. The original Chinese text of Mi Fu's Yen Shih is also reproduced, alongside the English translation. ISBN-10: 974-524-083-4 $35.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-083-4 The great Song Dynasty poet and artist, Mi Fu (1051-1107), wrote treatises on painting and calligraphy, in addition to the present work on ink-stones, translated here by the eminent Dutch diplomat and Sinologist, Dr. R H van Gulik. In the case of the first two works, the subjects of Mi Fu's deliberations have long since disappeared. There remain, however, numerous surviving examples of ink-stones from the Song and earlier dynasties, enabling us to compare Mi Fu's words with the actual objects he describes. The importance of the ink-stone as an essential tool of the Chinese literati and thus the importance of our understanding its nature to our overall comprehension of Chinese brushwork, is but one aspect of the present work. The ink-stone is, in addition to a tool, a work of art in its own right, combining the skill and wit of the sculptor with the ancient Chinese tradition of appreciation of beautiful stones. In Mi Fu on Ink-stones, Dr van Gulik provides not only a guide to the connoisseurship of this essential treasure of the scholar's studio, but also an illuminating glimpse into the mind of this brilliant eleventh century artist. [Read more about the life of R. H. van Gulik] |
| The Naga's Journey: A Novel by Tew Bunnag 2007. 258 pp., 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-102-4 $16.95 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-102-2 Set in modern-day Bangkok, The Naga's Journey chronicles the unlikely friendship of three people from disparate backgrounds, thrown together by a dramatic event at the cremation of a notorious public figure. The consequence of their response sets in motion their relationship and reveals a past, connected to the dead man, which each of them has tried to avoid confronting. Throughout the novel lurks the dark presence of the Naga, the unpredictable and powerful element of water, potentially both nurturing and destructive. The tale reaches its climax when Bangkok, a city degenerating morally as well as physically, is threatened by a massive flood, an event that ends in tragedy and catharsis for the three friends. The tale's ultimate message of hope and reconciliation will be an inspiration for all who embark on The Naga's Journey. The Naga's Journey is the first novel by Tew Bunnag, author of several books on meditation and the martial arts, and most recently of Fragile Days-Tales from Bangkok, a critically acclaimed collection of short stories and After the Wave, another collection of stories which deals with the post Tsunami situation in South Thailand. 'Flawless in both style and structure. Distinctive prose. Rich in imagination. An enchanting journey for everyone thanks to Tew Bunnag's masterful storytelling. He writes with a magic touch, revealing a glimpse of “unseen” Bangkok that readers will find unforgettable.' Jane Vejjajiva, Thai author and winner of 2006 SEA Write award. 'The Naga's Journey is not an ordinary novel. Tew Bunnag has skilfully recreated the complexity of contemporary Thai society. He enables the reader an understanding of its delicate interdependence by creating his own intricately woven setting of high society, police mafia, prostitution, slum dwelling and ecological devastation.' Sulak Sivaraksa, Thai Buddhist social activist. [Read a review from BK Magazine] [Visit the Author's Website] |
| Progressive Thai by Rungrat Luanwarawat 2007. 187 pp., 21 x 16.5 cm., includes two audio CDs, softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-098-2 $25.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-098-8 Progressive Thai, the first of a planned new series of language learning tools, is the product of thousands of classroom hours of instruction to foreign students of the Thai language. Comprised of sixteen progressive lessons, the beginning student will gradually develop the ability to communicate in Thai in many practical, day-to-day situations, as well as build a sound foundation upon which to progress to more advanced studies. Each lesson is explained in simple and clear terms, and is accompanied by practical dialogue, providing the student both with the tools for daily conversation and with fascinating insights into Thai culture. With explanations of grammatical points, exercises with answer keys at the end of the book, and including two audio CD ROMs on which each lesson is enunciated, Progressive Thai is ideal both as a classroom learning tool and for self study. Download an MP3 file of the first CD track (2.5 MBytes) |
| Samsara by David Adams 2007. 420 pp., 21 x 13 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 988-97764-0-5 $12.95 ISBN-13: 978-988-97764-0-4 Exchanging Western values for far-off Thailand, Gunnar Ray plans to teach in the countryside and absorb the country's ancient wisdom. When monsoon rains rip into logged-over lands above his adopted village, catastrophe strikes. Gunnar's innocence is swept downstream along with hundreds of Thai lives. Spiritually adrift, he washes up in the offices of the Bangkok Times, a crusading reporter hell bent on derailing corrupt officials at war with the Thai environment. He is not alone. a summons from an enigmatic Buddhist monk with rumored mystical powers and a near militant love for the jungle is just the sort of lead that Gunnar thrives on. In a forgotten province, he will test whether his pen is indeed mightier than the military's sword. When the forest-protecting monk of the Northeast is arrested, Gunnar sets off on a cross-country journey to summon support. With the monk's beautiful niece as his guide, he navigates the currents and eddies of remote provinces that few Westerners have penetrated. Gunnar's articles aimed at freeing the first-ever imprisoned Thai monk transform him into a high profile activist-and target. Ultimately he must choose: his growing love for the monk's niece and commitment to the cause, versus the now daily threat of an assassin's bullet. Ecological thriller, love story, spiritual journey-Samsara scratches the bloody underbelly of a nation in conflict. |
| Scrapbook for Chinese Collectors Translated with commentary by R. H. van Gulik Second imprint 2006 (first edition privately printed, Beirut 1958). 100 pp., incl. 84 pp. translation and notes and 16 pp. reproducing the original Chinese text; 3 b&w illustrations; 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-081-8 $26.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-081-0 The Shu Hua Shuo Ling-a treatise on painting and forgery-was written in the eighteenth century by the relatively obscure Chinese scholar, Lu Shih-hua. It might have vanished from the landscape of Asian art history, had the eminent Sinologue, RH van Gulik, not recognized its essential value to our modern understanding of Chinese connoisseurship. Its worth lies in the intellectual honesty of the author in his description of the artist in traditional China, the artist's motivations and the means by which his work was evaluated. Of particular interest, with the emphasis, at times bordering on the paranoiac, that persists today on the issue of authenticity, is Lu's observations on this matter among connoisseurs of his time. One wonders what chance we have to determine the authenticity of a work now, when even those with profound knowledge of the artists, their styles and work in the eighteenth century were challenged to do likewise. One also leaves Lu's treatise wondering if authenticity, as we define it, matters as much as we might lead ourselves to believe. An important, provocative work of interest to all who wish to acquire a deeper understanding of Chinese painting. ". a collection of memoirs and advice to be relished." Joseph P. Love, Monumenta Nipponica [Read more about the life of R. H. van Gulik] |
| Sutasoma: The ancient tale of a Buddha-Prince from a 14th century Javanese kakawin Translated with commentary by Kate O'Brien 2008, 294 pp., 22 col. plates & 9 figures, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-107-5 $45.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-107-7 The 14th century epic poem, Sutasoma, relates the life of a prince, born an incarnation of the Jina-Buddha Wairocana. It follows his spiritual journey to enlightenment, and his temporal journey through marriage, kingship and eventual victory over the mighty, world-threatening demon, Porußåda. Kate O'Brien's new translation delivers to the reader a highly approachable and lively rendition of this Buddhist epic, comparable in both complexity and scale to that of the Råmåyana, yet significantly less known or understood. O'Brien's accompanying analysis reveals a fascinating aspect of the poem, until now not fully comprehended. Aside from its function to elucidate the compatibility of Buddhahood and kingship, it also reveals within its verses what amounts to a literary mandala, as complex and philosophically rich as the beautiful mandala images of Tibetan Buddhism, yet firmly rooted in the Javanese milieu of the Majapahit polity which spawned this version of a very ancient tale. It is this literary mandala that is the path to Sutasoma's enlightenment, and this in turn the key to his success as a World Protector and Universal Monarch. This entertaining and attractively illustrated edition will appeal to readers with interest in the literary traditions of southeast Asia and of tantric Buddhism, and also to a wider audience who wish to understand the foundations, both mystical and practical, underpinning much of Javanese and Balinese society today. |
| Thai Signs and other Writings by Rungrat Luanwarawat and Lucius Heijstee 2008. 138 pp., 17.5 x 10.5 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-104-0 $16.95 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-104-6 This book is intended primarily for non-Thai readers who have encountered language barriers when traveling around Thailand given that many signs, labels and forms are presented in Thai script only. Lots of words and signs are listed per topic, for example signs on doors, at markets, temples, on the toilet, etc. In addition, the book also includes the names of all provinces in the country, most common food orders, useful information shown on labels, as well as general document and form wordings. A must for all visitors as well as foreign residents of Thailand! |
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BIBLIOTHECA ASIATICA |
| Angkor and Cambodia in the Sixteenth Century: According to Portuguese and Spanish Sources by B-P Groslier. Translated from French by Michael Smithies First English edition Orchid Press 2006 (French edition PUF 1958). 208 pp., 8 b & w line drawings and maps, 245 x 17.5 cm., hardbound. ISBN-10: 974-524-053-2 $35.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-053-7 First English translation of an important study of the records of early Spanish and Portuguese missionaries and adventurers, detailing their interactions with the Khmers. These comprise most of the very few surviving early first-hand accounts of the Khmers and Angkor-and the sole records of Western visitors-four hundred years prior to the arrival of the French in Indochina. Includes detailed observations on Khmer architecture, royalty, religion, society and economy of the period just prior to Angkor's final decline. Groslier concludes with a summary of observations of later visitors to Angkor, including Dutch, Japanese and finally French. [Read a review from the Journal of the Siam Society] |
| The Armies of Angkor Military Structure and Weaponry of the Khmers by Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h, translated from the French by Michael Smithies First English edition, 2007. 200 pp., 4 plans and 154 line drawings, bibliography, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-096-6 $40.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-096-4 The Khmers of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are best remembered by the magnificent monuments that they left the world-the ruins of Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Banteay Chmar and other relics at Siem Reap now attract over a million visitors annually. |
| Burma's Icy Mountains by Frank Kingdon-Ward Second edition 2006 (first edition London, 1949). 296 pp., 16 b&w plates, 2 maps, index, 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-084-2 $26.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-084-1 Burma's Icy Mountains describes two expeditions to Burma-one on his own and a second, with a larger American party close to the Burma-China border-completed by the intrepid explorer and plant hunter, Kingdon-Ward, prior to the outbreak of WWII. Not published until the post war period some ten years later, the book is of particular interest in light of the more recent traumatic history of this region, and has become one of the author's most sought-after titles. Aside from its relevance to those interested in Kingdon-Ward's own focus on the rich botanical diversity of this still inaccessible region, his vivid descriptions of the terrain, the fauna and the peoples-including Tibetans, Lisu, Lashi, Kachin and Nung-encountered enroute make this true chronicle of hardship and perseverance come alive. [Read more about the life of Frank Kingdon-Ward] |
| A Plant Hunter in Tibet by Frank Kingdon-Ward Second imprint 2006 (first edition London, 1934). 317 pp., 19 b&w plates, 2 maps, notes, index, 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-087-7 $26.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-087-2 This account of plant-hunter and explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward's 1933 expedition to the southeastern corner of Tibet was as significant for his geographic revelations as it was for the wealth of plant species with which he returned. On this journey Kingdon-Ward reached as far as the Salween River, a particularly remote area of Tibet not previously known or mapped in the West. His lively descriptions of the grand mountain ranges he traversed, the hardships overcome and the plants, fauna and people he encountered are complemented by spectacular photographs. The recollection of such adventures as his sojourn in a remote Buddhist gompa, the frontier justice meted out to a suspected murderer and many other tales enroute make this a gripping and informative read for the Tibetologist, botanist and armchair explorer alike. [Read more about the life of Frank Kingdon-Ward] |
Return to the Irrawaddy Rich in description of the unique flora, fauna and tribal customs of this still little-known region, Kingdon-Ward's account covers not only the magnificent rhododendrons and other tropical floral rarities that were the object of his travels, but also the customs of the various tribal groups encountered, the use of plants in local medical practice, the natural occurrence of tea varieties in the region and much more. A last look at a spectacular, then unspoiled, corner of Burma which since then has been inaccessible and largely devastated by protracted civil war. [Read more about the life of Frank Kingdon-Ward] |
| The Badi of West Nepal Prostitution as a Social Norm Among an Untouchable Caste by Thomas Cox 2nd edition 2006, 50 pp., table of Badi argot, appendix on Badi religion and origin myths, bibliography, 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN 988-977-646-4 $18.00 ISBN-13: 978-988-977-646-6 This pioneering monograph on the anthropology of the Badi, an untouchable caste in West Nepal whose livelihood depends on the proceeds of prostitution, served to raise awareness of the risks of their way of life, and to facilitate empowerment of new leaders within their communities. While the initial focus of aid organizations was on prevention of the spread of the HIV virus, the ensuing resources, training and encouragement provided by these various agencies have changed the Badi’s culture of fatalism and have facilitated the development of effective new Badi women leaders. |
The Homecoming |
| The Kinwun Min-Gyi's London Diary: The First Mission of a Burmese Minister to Britain, 1872 by L.E. Bagshawe 2006. 412 pp., 26 b&w ill., 1 table, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-021-4 $45.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-021-6 In the years following the Second Burmese War, British colonial authorities occupied approximately half of the Kingdom of Burma, as far east as the Irrawadi Valley, effectively controlling the entire Kingdom’s access to the sea, and thus its ability to engage freely in international trade. Yet the British neither formally annexed nor declared free the remaining portion of the Burmese kingdom. Min-don, the newly crowned king of what remained of Burma, walked a fine line with his uninvited and powerful foreign ‘guests’, attempting to balance cordiality toward the intruders with at least the appearance of independent authority over the remaining, unoccupied, part of the kingdom. An uneasy balance between co-operation and antagonism thus characterized the attitudes of both the Burmese and British authorities toward one another, a balance that became increasingly strained following the bitter experiences of the British in India in 1857, and Calcutta’s new determination that British Burma, at least, should be fully assimilated into their system. |
Memories from Afar |
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