Ben Waber reviewed Revolusi by David Van Reybrouck
An Amazing Examination of the Unique Birth of Indonesia
5 stars
Replicating the successful formula he used in Congo, Van Reybrouck combines historical analysis with interviews of representative people from across the different players in the period before and during Indonesia's drive to independence. The importance of the Japanese occupation was enlightening for me, as was how this struggle played a critical role in defining the role and reach of the UN. The close relationship of the major revolutionaries, while shared with other independence struggles, was also fascinating, as was the unfortunate role of Western powers in driving these forces apart. Much of this strikes me as a potential alternate history of Vietnam's more challenging march towards independence, and I would love to see that contrast followed up in future work. Highly recommend
Replicating the successful formula he used in Congo, Van Reybrouck combines historical analysis with interviews of representative people from across the different players in the period before and during Indonesia's drive to independence. The importance of the Japanese occupation was enlightening for me, as was how this struggle played a critical role in defining the role and reach of the UN. The close relationship of the major revolutionaries, while shared with other independence struggles, was also fascinating, as was the unfortunate role of Western powers in driving these forces apart. Much of this strikes me as a potential alternate history of Vietnam's more challenging march towards independence, and I would love to see that contrast followed up in future work. Highly recommend