Suharto: A Political Biography

General Suharto is synonymous with modern Indonesia. He became President amidst extreme social upheaval and mass violence in 1966 and retained his position until 1998. In this book R.E. Elson provides insights into a man who exerted extraordinary power and influence, presented himself as an infallible father of the nation, yet remained mysterious. Suharto sought to transform Indonesia into a strong, united and economically prosperous nation-state, yet after half a century of influence, he is remembered as much for extensive human rights abuse and unprecedented corruption. As Indonesia emerges from the political numbness that characterized his era, its future seems precarious. R.E. Elson is Professor, School of Asian and International Studies at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia and Director of Griffith Asia Pacific Council. He is the author of The End of Peasantry in Southeast Asia (Palgrave, 1997) and The Politics of Colonial Expansion (Southeast Asia Program Publications, 1992).

Author: R. E. Elson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 11/13/2001
Pages: 412
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.83lbs
Size: 9.02h x 6.70w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9780521773263

Review Citation(s):
Choice 12/01/2002 pg. 701

About the Author
Elson, R. E.: - R. E. Elson is Professor in the School of Asian and International Studies at Griffith University.