A History of Southeast Asia is a sweeping as well as a wide-ranging narrative of Southeast Asia's historical development told through key individuals and events. It provides real insight into one of the world's most distinctive but complicated regions, at a time when Asian countries are beginning to set the pace in the global economy. The book is in fact essential reading for anyone interested in international affairs. Superbly supported by over 200 illustrations, photographs and maps, this authoritative yet engagingly written study relates the history of Southeast Asia from earliest recorded time until the present, covering Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines. 'Arthur Cotterell writes in a most entertaining way by putting a human face on the history of Asia, Far too often history books are dry and boring and it is refreshing to come across one which is so full of life.' Peter Church, editor of A Short History of South East Asia 'Here at last is an enjoyable survey of Southeast Asia's past. In this brilliantly illustrated and amazingly compact volume, Arthur Cotterell has covered an immense amount of history. The author's ability to relate events in an accessible and exciting way is bound to make A History of Southeast Asia an invaluable contribution to the on-going debate about the region's future. Students as well as general readers will take undoubted pleasure in the attention paid to cultural issues, a dimension of present-day Southeast Asia which simply cannot be ignored. Without an awareness of its cultural heritage, there is little chance of appreciating the political choices that are currently available in each nation state today. Above all, A History of Southeast Asia successfully weaves the different cultural traditions into a fascinating historical narrative. For Arthur Cotterell has written another masterly book.' Hugh Higgins, author of Vietnam
Arthur Cotterell was formerly principal of Kingston College, London. He has lived and travelled widely in Asia and Southeast Asia, and has devoted much of his life to writing on the region. In 1980, he published The First Emperor of China, whose account of Qin Shi Huangdi’s remarkable reign was translated into seven languages. Among his recent books are Western Power in Asia: Its Slow Rise and Swift Fall 1415-1999, and Asia: A Concise History, published in 2011.
