{"product_id":"blood-and-silk-9781474602037","title":"Blood and Silk","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''A lively and learned guide to the politics, personalities and conflicts that are shaping a dynamic group of countries'' \u003ci\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''A fascinating and many-layered portrait of Southeast Asia'' THANT MYINT-U\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy are the region''s richest countries such as Malaysia riddled with corruption? Why do Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines harbour unresolved violent insurgencies? How do deepening religious divisions in Indonesia and Malaysia and China''s growing influence affect the region and the rest of the world? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThought-provoking and eye-opening, \u003ci\u003eBlood and Silk\u003c\/i\u003e is an accessible, personal look at modern Southeast Asia, written by one of the region''s most experienced outside observers. This is a first-hand account of what it''s like to sit at the table with deadly Thai Muslim insurgents, mediate between warring clans in the Southern Philippines and console the victims of political violence in Indonesia - all in an effort to negotiate p\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBooks on the rise of Asia tend to concentrate on China and India. Vatikiotis fills a gap by providing \u003cb\u003ea lively and learned guide to the politics, personalities and conflicts that are shaping a dynamic group of countries\u003c\/b\u003e, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma -- Gideon Rachman * FINANCIAL TIMES  Summer Reads\u003ci\u003e *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlood and Silk \u003c\/i\u003eis not a dry socio-political analysis. \u003cb\u003eVatikiotis has an eye for quirky detail\u003c\/b\u003e, whether it be the Thai crown prince's pet poodle commissioned as an air force officer and dressed in uniform, or the self-important Muslim separatist from southern Thailand who prayed with Osama bin Laden in Khartoum but found the terrorist mastermind uninspiring and unimpressive. In the end, though, the outlook is menacing. Indonesia risks \"the kind of ethnic and religious sectarian strife we see in the Middle East today\". Malaysians are dismayed by \"the slow disintegration of the multiracial compact\". In Thailand, there is \"little prospect of the military willingly giving up power\". The Philippines remains \"a prisoner of oligarchy\". Even Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar has disappointed her liberal supporters. We can hope that Vatikiotis is wrong, but I fear he is not -- VICTOR MALLET * FINANCIAL TIMES *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVatikiotis's arguments are fluent and convincing\u003c\/b\u003e, and his writing is \u003cb\u003esuffused with a deep knowledge of and affection for Southeast Asia and its peoples\u003c\/b\u003e -- Richard Cockett * LITERARY REVIEW *\u003cbr\u003e[An] \u003cb\u003eambitious and timely \u003c\/b\u003ebook * THE ECONOMIST *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003efascinating and many-layered portrait of Southeast Asia\u003c\/b\u003e, brimming with colourful characters, insights and anecdotes, \u003ci\u003eBlood and Silk\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003ea rich palimpsest as can only be written by a longstanding student and scholar of the region\u003c\/b\u003e like Michael Vatikiotis -- Thant Myint-U, author of \u003ci\u003eTHE RIVER OF LOST FOOTSTEPS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVatikiotis offers \u003cb\u003ea lucid portrait of this fascinating region\u003c\/b\u003e by bringing together a student's sense of wonder and curiosity, a journalist's scepticism and diligence in making sense of reality, and a peacemaker's compassion for the vulnerable -- Salil Tripathi * SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST *\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Orion Publishing Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48739599515991,"sku":"9781474602037","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781474602037.jpg?v=1720052700","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/blood-and-silk-9781474602037","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}