This first general history of the magnificent city of Jakarta covers four centuries to show that Jakarta's existence has been a constant clash between dream and reality. It traces the rise of this city from its early origins as a company town, through the Japanese occupation to Sukarno's rule and … [Read more...]
Writing Indonesia
A History of Modern Indonesia
March 24, 2026 by
Although Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world, its history is still relatively unknown. Adrian Vickers takes the reader on a journey across the social and political landscape of modern Indonesia, starting with the country's origins under the Dutch in the early twentieth-century, … [Read more...]
The Year of Living Dangerously
March 17, 2026 by
The year is 1965. The fiercely nationalistic government of the god-king Sukarno has brought Indonesia to the brink of chaos. Engulfed in the violence are Guy Hamilton, a Western journalist; Billy Kwan, his Chinese-Australian cameraman; and the young British woman they both love. Kwan's … [Read more...]
Borneo
February 8, 2026 by
A fun and fascinating history of an island best known for tropical rainforests and captivating wildlife―but with a much bigger story to tell. The world’s third-largest island, and the only one administered by three different sovereign nations, Borneo is something of a mystery. Home to an … [Read more...]
The Wallace Line
January 24, 2026 by
While interrogating the tragedy of colonialism and the often fraught nature of exploration and discovery, The Wallace Line: A Poem honours co-existence, a world of merging borders, where the oud can resonate along with the bird of paradise, the blue pigment in a Titian painting with the sound of a … [Read more...]