Historical Dictionary of Indonesia

Audrey Kahin is theU.S. Executive Director of the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS). Her principal research interests focus on modern Indonesian history, particularly the country’s regional diversity and the problems of integration, and inter-religious and inter-ethnic relations.

• Editor’s Foreword (Jon Woronoff)AcknowledgementsPreface Acronyms and AbbreviationsMapsChronologyIntroductionTHE DICTIONARYAppendix ARulers of the Early StatesAppendix B.Governors-General of the Netherlands IndiesAppendix C.Netherlands Ministers of the ColoniesAppendix D. Cabinets of the Republic of IndonesiaAppendix ERepublic of Indonesia OfficeholdersAppendix FParliamentary Strengths and Electoral Performance of the Parties, 1945-2014BibliographyAbout the Author

As Kahin did in her coauthored second edition, she has again updated this very useful reference work, this time alone. The author's work builds on the first edition, compiled and written solo by Robert Cribb in 1992. The current release updates entries through Indonesia's elections in 2014 when Joko Widodo was elected president, and generally takes a more comprehensive look at the country. As the title makes clear, the dictionary focuses particularly on historical and political issues, and therefore is most useful for scholars working in these fields. On the other hand, the breadth and evenhandedness of the short descriptions help provide context and background to the country's complicated history, making the work helpful to students who are just learning about Indonesia, or journalists who follow the country and region. True mavens of Indonesian politics and history will appreciate the book's maps (more than a dozen), lengthy list of acronyms, and its appendixes covering post-1945 electoral results as well as the main actors in Indonesia's governments, from the Dutch colonial period to the post-independence cabinets of Sukarno, Suharto, and their successors. The concluding nearly 115-page classified bibliography is accompanied by a thoughtful introductory essay…. [The book is] an obligatory purchase for academic and large public libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.