Singapore
Subtitle: a modern history
By: Michael D. Barr
Publisher: I.B. Tauris
Published: 2019
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 257
ISBN-13: 9781780763057
Copyright date: 2019
Subjects: History; Singapore; Politics and government; Economic conditions; Social conditions; Geography
Description: "Singapore gained independence in 1965, a city-state in a world of nation-states. Yet its long and complex history reaches much farther back. Blending modernity and tradition, ideologies and ethnicities, a peculiar set of factors make Singapore what it is today. In this thematic study of the island nation, Michael D. Barr proposes a new approach to understand this development. From the pre-colonial period through to the modern day, he traces the idea, the politics, and the geography of Singapore over five centuries of rich history. In doing so, he rejects the official narrative of the so-called "Singapore Story." Drawing on in-depth archival work and oral histories, Singapore: a modern history is a work both for students of the country's history and politics, but also for any reader seeking to engage with this enigmatic and vastly successful nation."--Publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Let's talk about 1819: reorientating the national narrative; title: The idea of Singapore; title: Singapore central: the role of location in Singapore's history; title: Governance in premodern Singapore; title: Governace in modern Singapore, 1867-1965; title: Governance in independent Singapore; title: The economy: Singapore, still at the centre; title: Making modern Singaporeans: People, society and place.