It’s easy and fascinating to read and by looking back into the history of this great nation it gives an explanation about where Myanmar is standing today. This book is a riveting account of what Burma has been through over the period with its complex issues over race and identity. Power, Sister! Financial Times 'Thant Myint-U is the greatest living historian of Burma… Please try your request again later. My brother and sister visited Burma in 1984 and took some beautiful pictures of the temples of Pagan (?). I pray that this will not happen this year but history has not been kind to this place filled with wonderful and delightful people. Moreover I find that it’s a total love declaration to Burma, and that’s especially great for me to find out. It is a well relevant and well-timed book. A must read for anyone interested in the current events in Burma from the unique insider/outsider perspective of Thant Myint-U. A “must read” for everyone interested in the coherence of the Burmese situation today! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2020. Never knew anything about Burma before this. I very much enjoyed this, as I have other histories by Thant Myint-U. It has lots of colorful anecdotes and interesting insights, connecting Burma's often violent history to people and events around the world. The Hidden History of Burma introduces readers to the basics of Burmese history, focusing particularly on the way colonialism and migration contributed to a country riven by countless ethnic groups with separatist ambitions. Must-read book to better understand the whirlwind journey of Myanmar in the past decade, Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019. Being a historian as well as a former diplomat, and a presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U splendidly and most-humanely told a behind-the-scenes of how the political landscape of Burma has come to shape and its interweaving factors. … The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century, by Thant Myint-U, is an interesting and concise account of Burmese history from pre-colonial times to the present (2019). It is a story “Hidden” from the West, who had seen the country, and Aung San Su Kyi, as a darling for democracy, without also seeing the internal conflicts of power she has to balance- forced into a bureaucratic web gifted to her by her predecessor. Start by marking “The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Here you'll find a narrative in objective voice of tribal conflict, racial hatred, populist and nationalist resentment, as well as fear and loathing of immigrants and the resultant persecution of them. All my foreign friends, I invite all of you to read this book to have a better understanding of Burma. It's fast-paced and a very good read. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Definitely for those who are interested in the background of contemporary Burma. Financial Times'Thant Myint-U is the greatest living historian of Burma.' Picked this up as I know absolutely nothing about Burma, and it looked interesting. Financial Times 'Thant Myint-U is the greatest living historian of Burma… If you want a succinct, very readable introduction to Burma, I highly recommend this book. World leaders such as Barack Obama ushered in waves of international support. Who knew Burma had such a complex history? To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Helped me to understand, from what seemed to be an objective viewpoint, what has happened in a fascinating country over the last century and more, and why Aung San Suu Ki has had such a fall from grace in the eyes of the Western world. The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century, by Thant Myint-U, is an interesting and concise account of Burmese history from pre-colonial times to the present (2019). But this book, I completed it in two days. He doesn't spare the Western powers who convinced themselves that backing an apparently liberal dissident would solve all the problems. I'm not sure why you are reading this book, but for me personally I had just spent 2 weeks travelling around Yunnan Province China (October 2019) which bordered Burma and, culturally it was more like Burma than China. It was easy to portray it as all innocent people slumbering under the reign of tyrants, as the British did before they invaded and despoiled it. It often times felt like I was reading a 9th grade term paper. What happened when the 'local' (the generals, the activists, the academics, the businessmen) and the 'international' (the diplomats, the experts, the samaritans, and the global capitalists) suddenly came together to negotiate and deliver goals as elusive and intractable as democracy, development, modernity, and peace to a country like Myanmar whose history and complex realities have usually been, both domestically and aboard, reduced to narratives of 'good versus evil' and 'us versus them'? The Hidden History of Bur... The book is very easy to read and such a page turner. It is impossible for me to read a non-fiction book in one sit and to finish it within days is even far more unlikely. : The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy, In the Dragon's Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century, The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III, A World Safe for Democracy: Liberal Internationalism and the Crises of Global Order, Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe, Isolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself from the World. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Only time will tell which ultimately wins out but the book suggests that the writing is on the wall. William DalrymplePrecariously positioned between China and India, Burma's population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster and the dark legacies of colonial rule. It has lots of colorful anecdotes and interesting insights, connecting Burma's often violent history to people and events around the world. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. An incredibly insightful overview of the history of Burma that seeks to outline the country’s most pressing issues today, how all the pieces came into place, sometimes in the wrong times and places. Only time will tell which ultimately wins out but the book suggests that the writing is on the wall. It is a story “Hidden” from the West, who had seen the country, and Aung San Su Kyi, as a darling for democracy, without also seeing the internal conflicts of power she has to balance- forced into a bureaucratic web gifted to her by her predecessor. Consequently, the efforts were unsuccessful. This is a slipshod, loosely-told book about the recent history of Burma. The author is the grandson of former UN General Secretary U Thant, and his family have been a part of Burmese politics since that point - his grandfathers funeral being an important early moment in the Burma's fledgling democracy movement. Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma's population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster and the dark legacies of colonial rule. A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2020 How did one of the world’s "buzzy hotspots" (Fodor’s 2013) become one of the top ten places to avoid (Fodor’s 2018)? Yugoslavia of the east with ecological devastation added. Media attention has focused on the plight of the largely Muslim Rohingya people, but Thant Myint-U shows how Burma's unstable mix of ethnicities, ideologies and … by W. W. Norton Company. Author is an authoratitive figure on the politics concerning the region in the present-day. Highly readable, and recommended. But this book, I completed it in two days. I could not help but feel anxious for the book to be over. I was born and grew up there and was a political activist for the democracy movement for three decades but failed to understand the fundamentals of the Union and people who made it. Understanding the legacies of colonialism, the ethnic complexities and the fragility of democracy in nations like Burma is key - and this book does a fantastic. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. In stock. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. The author also looks at Burmese history through an even perspective, shying away from Western fetishization of Su Kyi, or Burma in general, as well as the Army's narrative, to give a relatively unbiased account of his countries recent history. It provides much little known historical context for the continued communal tensions in Burma and a perspective from an insider during the considerable upheavals and reforms of the last ten years. The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century | Thant Myint-U | download | Z-Library. I spent a great deal of time in Myanmar during this period and worked closely with many of the authors he mentioned, and his portraits are spot on, but he explores depths that will reveal new truths even to those who know the country well. has been added to your Cart. Are democracy and an economy that genuinely serves all its people possible in Burma? Otherwise, to me, Burma is a blank slate. As Thant Myint-U’s prescient new book about Burma tells us, there could never be a linear history of a triumph of either good or evil in a place so complex, a place with a history that so palpably bears the wounds of abject isolation from global currents as well as from predatory exploitation at the hands of dictators and their regional counterparts. It is missing details, incoherently skips around and doesn't give the reader enough historical insight about the people, tribes, races and religions of the Southeast Asian country. A modern tragedy, Thant Myint-U's beautifully written, insightful, and deeply sad narrative takes us through the failures, mistakes, and systemic challenges that have plagued Myanmar and its leaders as they try to remake their country into a modern, prosperous nation. In clear and urgent prose, Myint-U explores this question―a concern not just for the Burmese but for the rest of the world―warning of the possible collapse of this nation of 55 million while suggesting a fresh agenda for change. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Insightful. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2020. bought after hearing the author in the Talking Politics podcaxt. From the West, it is easy to romanticize Burma. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. This book is a must-read, by the grandson of former Secretary-General of the United Nations U Thant. From the West, it is easy to romanticize Burma. Precariously positioned between China and India, Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma's population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster and the dark legacies of colonial rule. Being a historian as well as a former diplomat, and a presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U splendidly and most-humanely told a behin. It is easy to romanticize it as a land of pagodas and rolling hills alone, as Rudyard Kipling did, and as Hollywood did, but in different ways. He has also served on three United Nations peacekeeping operations, in Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat in New York. It also sheds light on the other side of the Rohing. Even after advice a few years ago from Nobel economics laureate Joseph Stiglitz, (my impression from the book is that) much of the population still seems to accept neoliberalism as the order of the day. Please try again. What happened when the 'local' (the generals, the activists, the academics, the businessmen) and the 'international' (the diplomats, the experts, the samaritans, and the global capitalists) suddenly came together to negotiate and deliver goals as elusive and intractable as democracy, development, modernity, and peace to a country like Myanmar whose history and complex realities have usually been, both domestically and aboard, reduced to narratives of 'good versus evil' and 'us versus them'? Refresh and try again. It's fast-paced and a very good read. Thant Myint-U (author) Hardback. What is happening? The Hidden History of Burma selected one of Foreign Affairs magazine's Top Books of 2020 and as one of the New York Times Critics Top Books of 2019 “ At once absorbing, illuminating, and humane, Thant Myint-U’s work traces the complex gearings of race, identity, and money with the perspective of a scholar and the intimacy of an insider. “I missed my fourth-grade classes,” Myint-U writes in The Hidden History of Burma, and instead “experienced firsthand a dictatorship in action”. Quite an eye opener. Frankly, Burma is a mess: warring ethnic groups overlaid with colonial and post-colonial governments, and military junta, difficult neighbors (China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand) etc. Should we have some significant changes by now? Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. The book is mainly a history of Burma, starting back in ancient times but concentrating on the last hundred or so years. Great account on Burma's recent history and its problems. A Crisis of Race and Capitalism. Burma is today a fragile stage for nearly all the world’s problems. Thant Myint-U was educated at Harvard and Cambridge University and later taught history for several years as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Here you'll find a narrative in objective voice of tribal conflict, racial hatred, populist and nationalist resentment, as well as fear and loathing of immigrants and the resultant persecution of them. The book is mainly a history of Burma, starting back in ancient times but concentrating on the last hundred or so years. A must read if you want to understand the challenges and issues Burma faces today including Rohingya issue. A modern tragedy, Thant Myint-U's beautifully written, insightful, and deeply sad narrative takes us through the failures, mistakes, and systemic challenges that have plagued Myanmar and its leaders as they try to remake their country into a modern, prosperous nation. The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century. We’d love your help. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. There are uncanny analogs (in substance, not necessarily degree) between Burma/Myanmar and other countries, including the US. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Or get 4-5 business-day shipping on this item for $5.99 A highly readable history of modern Burma, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2020. The Hidden History of Burma should become a guiding reference work for how we view the new Myanmar." Well written, pithy and mostly unbiased, this was a brilliant introduction to the complexities of Burma’s 21st century messiness. One of the undisputedly good things about modern scholarship is that women’s history is finally getting its due.... Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma’s population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster, and the dark legacies of colonial rule. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. ‎ A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2020 A New York Times Critic's Pick 2019 ' A sobering account, told elegantly and eruditely.' As historian, former diplomat, and presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U saw the cracks forming. Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma’s population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster, and the dark legacies of colonial rule. -General Jim Mattis. Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer is a 2016 Doubleday publication.