The Indonesian Economy in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries - (Modern Economic History of Southeast Asia) by A Booth (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Indonesia is now the fourth largest country in the world, but many aspects of its economic history remain poorly understood. This book is the first comprehensive survey of Indonesian economic history in the 19th and 20th centuries, examining both the Dutch colonial era, and the post-independence period. Extensive use is made of recent work by Dutch, Indonesian and Australian scholars to develop a number of key themes relating to economic growth and structural transformation of the Indonesian economy from the early 19th century to the present.

Review Quotes

'This is an important book that meets a widely felt need for an overview of Indonesia's modern economic history...it challenges economists and historians alike to take note of its arguments. The book deserves to be read widely.' - Pierre van der Eng, Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies

'Accessible to a wide readership, this book is a useful addition to public, academic, and professional libraries.' - S.J. Gabriel, Choice

'Ann Booth's volume is the first really comprehensive and integrated economic history of modern Indonesia...analytically sound and draws fully on the relevant economic history and economic development literatures...written with great authority, reflecting the author's immersion in the subject for more than a quarter of a century. And it is empirically rich, with an extremely useful presentation of long-run economic statistics complied from a diverse (and sometimes conflicting) set of primary data...this is a major volume...there is no doubt that it will become the standard reference on the subject. It serves the immediate purpose of providing country specialists with the best volume yet on the subject. Perhaps even more important, it projects the Indonesian experience on to the centre stage of major debates about third world economic history and development.' - Hal Hill, Journal of Development Studies

'...Booth's careful analysis presents many parallels and interconnections between the pre- and post-independence periods.Her predictions for the future, made just before the situation came to a head in spring 1998, are interesting too: she foresaw violent reactions by workers demanding better conditions and by entrepreneurs insisting on fair play for businesses outside the crony network.' - Steven Wedema, The Economic History Review