Revolusi
Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World
David Van Reybrouck author David Colmer translator David McKay translator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:8th Feb '24
Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date
**Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024**
A story of staggering scope and drama, Revolusi is the masterful and definitive account of the epic revolution that sparked the decolonisation of the modern world.
'Astounding . . . history at its best' Yuval Noah Harari
'Utterly compelling . . . astonishing'Financial Times
'Superb' Guardian
On a sunny Friday morning in August 1945, a handful of tired people raised a homemade cotton flag and on behalf of 68 million compatriots announced the birth of a new nation: Indonesia.
Four million civilians had died during the Japanese wartime occupation that ousted its Dutch colonial regime. Another 200,000 people would lose their lives in the astonishingly brutal conflict that ensued - as the Dutch used savage violence to reassert their control, and as Britain and America became embroiled in pacifying Indonesia's guerrilla war of resistance: the 'Revolusi'. It was not until December 1949 that the newly created United Nations finally brought the conflict to an end - and with it, 350 years of colonial rule - setting a precedent that would reshape the world.
Drawing on hundreds of interviews and eye-witness testimonies, David Van Reybrouck turns this vast and complex story into an utterly gripping narrative that is alive with human detail at every turn. A landmark publication, Revolusi shows Indonesia's struggle for independence to be one of the defining dramas of the twentieth century.
'A magnificent fusion of oral history, sparkling analysis, and historical wisdom. Revolusi has it all: a masterpiece' Sebastain Mallaby
'A magisterial and gripping account of events of urgent importance to us now' Jason Burke
'A wonderful book' Peter Frankopan
'Masterly' J M Coetzee
**Shortlisted for the Cundill Prize**
A magnificent fusion of oral history, sparkling analysis, and historical wisdom. Revolusi has it all: a masterpiece -- Sebastian Mallaby
Utterly compelling . . . unfolds over a vast geopolitical canvas and yet never falters . . . propelled by the stories of its astonishing cast * Financial Times *
An astounding feat of both research and storytelling. History at its best -- Yuval Harari
Masterly . . . This compelling narrative . . . is wrapped around an extraordinary core of individuals . . . convincingly argues that Indonesia in itself represents a global crossroads, one of the most important in modern history -- Elizabeth Pisani * The Times *
A wonderful and important book -- Peter Frankopan
Superb * Guardian *
Revolusi briskly ushers Indonesia onto the centre stage of modern history -- Pankaj Mishra
Majestic and beautifully written * Times Literary Supplement *
A masterful account * Financial Times, *Summer Reads of 2024* *
Masterly -- J M Coetzee
A magisterial and gripping account of events of urgent importance to us now -- Jason Burke
With rare narrative brilliance, Revolusi gives us a history at once vast and intimate, a history in colour -- Laksmi Pamuntjak
History as it should be. Carried by a democracy of ordinary voices, meticulous research, an eye for decisive detail, vivid language and drama -- Antjie Krog
A towering achievement . . . one of the most unlikely and astonishing sagas -- Thomas Meaney
Surely . . . the most consequential ‘invisible revolution’ of the last hundred years . . . compelling * History Today *
Immensely readable -- Adam Hochschild * Atlantic *
The definitive account of a neglected epoch * Economist *
An electrifying narrative -- Tunku Varadarajan * Wall Street Journal *
An outstanding account of one nation's unsung fight for freedom . . . enthralling . . . magnificent -- Todd Kushner * Washington Independent Review of Books *
ISBN: 9781847927040
Dimensions: 240mm x 162mm x 54mm
Weight: 928g
656 pages