Search results for ""Author Dominic Faulder""

This in-depth biography starts with Anand's childhood in a bucolic Bangkok that was disrupted by World War 11 and the Japanese occupation. It describes his formative years in postwar England and his rise at a young age to the top of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the height of the Vietnam War. Anand's deep involvement in the ending of the US military presence in Thailand and his growing antagonism towards Thailand's military establishment led to the derailment of his stellar diplomatic career in the aftermath of a bloody right-wing coup in 1976. Having launched a second career in the private sector, Anand was unexpectedly invited to become prime minister in 1991. His cabinet of top technocrats, bureaucrats, and reformers is still considered one of the most progressive and productive Thailand has seen. Political violence a year later once again placed Anand in the middle of historic events. In recent decades, he was central to the drafting of the 'People's Constitution', and gave counsel to many, including future prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his neophyte political years. He was also called upon to lead a number of important commissions, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's 2004 high-level panel on threats to global peace. His long life story contains lessons that remain relevant to Thailand and the world today.

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This is a fascinating and insightful biography of one of the world's longest reigning and most revered monarchs. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand is the world's longest reigning living monarch - an achievement few would have predicted when the Thai king acceded the throne after the mysterious death of his brother in 1946. How did King Bhumibol revive the sinking fortunes of the Thai monarchy? Why has he become arguably the most revered king in Thai history? This illustrated biography tells that remarkable story. Beginning with an introduction explaining the unique history and traditions of the Thai monarchy, King Bhumibol Adulyadej offers a fresh and insightful account of his life, from his birth in America and education in Europe to his unexpected accession to the throne. Following him through the Cold War and Indochina War periods, the book shows how the king has used his position to help develop the country and its people while at the same time securing the status of the monarchy itself.

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