Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Little wonder that before Paul Handley no one had really pried into the king’s sleeping habits, let alone the state of his marriage or political views. The story he uncovers is fascinating."—
Economist"A new and comprehensive history of the Thai modern monarchy . . . [which] presents a direct counterpoint to years of methodical royal image-making."—Jane Perlez,
The Sunday Telegraph"Thailand’s reigning monarch has just celebrated his sixty-year jubilee and this is the first serious biography of him. . . . It is key to understanding the extraordinary events of the past year. . . . For too long, the issue of the monarchy has been the prone elephant that analysts of Thai history and politics have had to treat carefully around. That era should now pass. . . . In sum, this is the classic story of an exceptional man recrafting a monarchy against the grain of an era. But with a difference."—Chris Baker,
Asia Sentinel"[Handley’s] biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej succeeds in engrossing the reader with the complex personality of the Thai king and his long and eventful life. . . . The chapters on political turbulence in Thailand between 1974-76, and on the impact of the 1997 financial crisis, find Mr. Handley at his analytic best. . . . Mr. Handley also has some important remarks on the uses and abuses of the
lese majesté laws in Thailand."—Grant Evans,
Far Eastern Economic Review
