A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia: Multiculturalism and Prosperity: The Shared History of Two Southeast Asian Tigers (Brief History of Asia Series)
Product ID: 465817028
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The fascinating account of two former British colonies with a shared past but vastly different identities today! Singapore and Malaysia sit astride the sea lanes linking East with West—vital choke points in the world's commerce. Since ancient times, ports along the Silk Road of the Sea were populated by peoples from around the globe who came here to trade and live, carried by the steady flow of goods and the ever-present monsoon winds. Author Christopher Hale recounts many fascinating histories of this region, including: The ancient international trade in spices and the seven voyages to the southern seas of the Chinese eunuch Admiral Zheng He in the 15th century The rise of Islamic kingdoms along rivers bordering the Straits of Malacca and the conquest of Malacca, one of the world's largest cities, by a few hundred Portuguese marauders in 1511 The saga of Sir Stamford Raffles, credited with founding Singapore, and the development of tin mines and vast rubber and oil palm plantations on the Malay Peninsula The disastrous fall of "Fortress Singapore" to the Japanese in World War II after only three weeks of fighting, the worst British military defeat in history The wildly successful film Crazy Rich Asians , set in Singapore, the highest grossing romantic comedy of the decade A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia tells these and many other compelling stories about the people and events which have shaped these nations as they developed into modern powerhouses of international trade and tourism. Review: Fascinating and Well Written - I picked this book up for a quick read about a part of the world I will soon be visiting for the first time. What I got was much more. The book is thoughtful and thoroughly engrossing. It was anything but a quick read, but the rich detail made it a fascinating undertaking. I only wish I had read this book before I planned my trip: I would have planned to stay much longer. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that this excellent read will make my trip so much more rewarding. Review: Very informative - I was born in Malaysia & attended schools in Singapore. Our history classes did not go as far back as this author did. He also had more details on all the foreign occupiers & the politics that transpired, which I didn't learn in school
| Best Sellers Rank | #794,640 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #29 in Singapore Travel Guides #119 in Asian & Asian Descent Studies #193 in Southeast Asia History |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 17 Reviews |
M**J
Fascinating and Well Written
I picked this book up for a quick read about a part of the world I will soon be visiting for the first time. What I got was much more. The book is thoughtful and thoroughly engrossing. It was anything but a quick read, but the rich detail made it a fascinating undertaking. I only wish I had read this book before I planned my trip: I would have planned to stay much longer. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that this excellent read will make my trip so much more rewarding.
C**L
Very informative
I was born in Malaysia & attended schools in Singapore. Our history classes did not go as far back as this author did. He also had more details on all the foreign occupiers & the politics that transpired, which I didn't learn in school
T**S
Basic primer on region which may have been down by poor editing
For someone like me who is visiting Malaysia for the first time this seemed like a good introduction to the country’s history. It does however seem rather less detailed on the peninsula than on Singapore, seeming to skip over in particular more recent political developments which might have better explained the current situation of the modern state. Typos and repetitions in several parts of the Kindle version suggest poor checking and editing which can be irritating. So probably ok as an introduction but not necessarily one to rely on.
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