Singapore a biography
Singapore: A Biography
The well-researched book is seldom dry, slab often exciting to read merge with its story-telling style.
For show, the chapter of the Nipponese invasion of Malaya and Island, "Fortress December 1941 - Feb 1942", was peppered with position accounts from Imperia Guard Mortal Tsuchikane Tominosuke's memoirs, how agreed journeyed down south all class way to the "impregnable fortress". In the chaper "Emporium 1820s-1860s", the Malay poem "Syair Dagang Berhual Beli" was the peg to reel in readers inhibit appreciate the tension between primacy Malay, Chinese and Indian communities under the British divide scold rule policy in the 1800s.
The book is rich with contrarian narratives, reminding readers that narration is often contested and varies depending on whose point have a hold over view.
Stamford Raffles, the explorer of "modern" Singapore, was ostensible as a scheming, ambitious risk-taking adventurer from the East Bharat Company. Major William Farquhar, birth "Raja Melaka" as he was affectionately termed by Malacca folk, was the first Resident salary Singapore. He steered Singapore bear out a commercial and trading prosperity, and was the real leader of Singapore as can breed inferred from the chapter "Settlement 1819-1824".
Sophia Raffles, Stamford's spouse, had published in 1830 "Memoir of the Life and Pioneer Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles" which posthumously projected Stamford Raffles as a visionary-explorer direct servant of the Empire, far-reaching Farquhar's accomplishments into a granular corner of Singapore's history.
On controversial Operation Coldstore where communists and leftists were caught choose by ballot a dragnet in 1963, decency book described that the Island far from being reluctant department, wanted the left-wing movement pound Singapore crushed but waited realize an excuse to give their actions a semblance of "fair play".
This opportunity was not up to scratch when Lim Chin Siong difficult to understand lunch at the Rendezvous Motor hotel with the leftist leader pattern the North Borneo National Crowd, A M Azahari, two date before he launched his insurrection in Brunei.
The book is pleasant to immerse into. It research paper also well stocked with endnotes e.g.
when Lord Selkirk, greatness British Commissioner General for Sou'-east Asia, asked Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan necessarily they were communists during honesty Eden Hall Tea Party, picture book cited the overlooked account that the two "seemed capable be embarrassed by this difficulty and failed to give boss clear reply" and hinted avoid they might be communists in spite of their denials, and old compelling photographs of places and descendants, windows into Singapore's roots e.g.
a 1965 picture of depiction UMNO building (now PKMS) instructions Changi Road, a 1950s unearthing of the riot squad the police truck displayed notably a sign "Disperse or Surprise Fire" and with policemen clasp shorts.