Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia

This is without a doubt the best book on contemporary Indonesia I have read. Unlike other, terrorism-obsessed authors, Bertrand has a strong grasp of fact and critical interpretation. Virtually all of the major issues facing Indonesia during the late- and immediate post-Suharto period are covered in detail and without tiresome attempts to link them into a familiar or currently fashionable narrative, where Indonesia is characterized as a "crucible of terror" or other inaccurate characterization along similar lines... For students of nationalism as a phenomenon, this book also contains one of the most succinct and accurate definitions of what nationalism is you'll find anywhere...