Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
David I. Steinberg
Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know.
A perceptive intro-
duction to the history and politics of Myanmar, covering all the major issues affecting the
country today in handy, bite-sized chapters.
Thant Myint-U
Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia
. Wide-
ranginganalysisofMyanmar'spossiblefutureroleasthegeographicalandeconomicconduit
between the two great Asian superpowers. Mixing history, travelogue and reportage, it has
thought-provoking nuggets of information and insight on virtually every page.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI
AungSanSuuKyi
Freedom from Fear and Other Writings
.Thisvariedcollectionofessays,
speeches and open letters serves as a useful introduction to Aung San Suu Kyi's political
credo,andincludesherNobelPrizeacceptance speechandherfamousaddressattheShwed-
agon Pagoda in 1988.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Letters from Burma
. Rather less interesting than
Freedom from Fear
,
this second collection of essays on assorted aspects of Burmese politics and culture gives the
distinct sensation of a barrel being rather thoroughly scraped.
Aung Zaw
The Face of Resistance: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Fight for Freedom
. In-
teresting short book by former political prisoner Aung Zaw, founder and editor of the excel-
lent
Irrawaddy
magazine. It focuses not just on Aung San Suu Kyi herself but also on the
rainbow tapestry of other organizations and individuals working towards a free Myanmar.
Bertil Lintner
Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Struggle for Democracy
. Concise, up to date
(published in 2012) and balanced survey of Aung San Suu Kyi's life and politics - and re-
freshingly free of the sycophantic hagiography which colours most writing about The Lady.
Peter Popham
The Lady And The Peacock: The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma
. The
blockbuster biography is more up to date (2012) than
Wintle's book
but not its equal in other
respects, leaning towards biopic cliché in places and haphazardly organized in others - al-
though worth a look if you want to read up on events of recent years.
JustinWintle
Perfect Hostage: Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma and the Generals
. The first major
study of Aung San Suu Kyi (originally published in 2007) and still the best of the English-
language biographies currently available, combining heaps of detail with a well-structured
and very readable narrative. Wintle's also not afraid to ask some hard questions about the
effectiveness (or otherwise) of Gandhian-style non-violent protest against a brutal military
regime.
HISTORY
Michael Aung-Thwin and Maitrii Aung-Thwin
A History of Myanmar Since Ancient
Times
. The only complete scholarly history of Myanmar in English currently available - al-
though it's far from your average academic tome. A strong polemic element runs through
