Description
Book SynopsisThan Shwe is one of the world’s most brutal dictators, presiding over a military regime that persists in repressing and brutalizing its own people. Until now, his story has not been told. Than Shwe: Unmasking Burma’s Tyrant provides the first-ever account of Than Shwe’s journey from postal clerk to dictator, analyzing his rise through the ranks of the army, his training in psychological warfare, his belief in astrology, his elimination of rivals, and his ruthless suppression of dissent. Drawing on the insights of Burma Army defectors, international diplomats, and others, Benedict Rogers provides a compelling account of the reclusive and xenophobic character of Than Shwe, and life in Burma under his rule.
Trade Review"The outlines of Than Shwe's life and rise from obscure origins as a rural postal clerk and later as a member of the military's Psychological Warfare Department to a deeply superstitious and reclusive head of state are reported as solidly as possible for such an elusive and undocumented subject by Benedict Rogers…."
* The New York Review of Books *
"The just published book about Senior General Than Shwe, Union of Myanmar's secretive leader of the military government, is timely and overdue."
-- Reinhard Hohler * Chiang Mai *
".. a timely account of the awfulness of the regime he heads, whose leaders seem sure to continue to hold real power even after a stage-managed election in November."
* The Economist *
"Rogers deserves credit for trying to illuminate a secretive life."
* Time *
Table of ContentsForeword by Vaclav Havel Acknowledgments; Author's note; Abbreviations From postman to tyrant; The land of green and orange; the democratic challenge; Than Shwe's crimes against humanity; The new emperor; The seat of kings; The monks and the storm; The rivals, the heirs, the cronies and the future Notes; Bibliography; Index
