Books

Review: Lontar’s Modern Library of Indonesian Literature

Translations of Indonesian literature offer insights into both the universality and particularity of Indonesian culture and society

Review: Democracy, corruption and the politics of spirits in contemporary Indonesia

Nils Bubandt brings an exciting new approach to the study of Indonesia's politics

Review: Exploring the musical pasts of the Toba Batak

Julia Byl’s ethnographic study reveals a musical tradition formed by its interactions with other cultures and musical influences

Book Review: Tiger Stone

Deryn Mansell’s novel opens a window into Indonesia for younger readers

Review: Seeking peace without justice

The memoir of a former human rights commission official gives insights into handling of human rights in Indonesia in the late New Order and early reformasi period

Review: Coming to terms with 1965

Can the descendants of both sides of 1965 come together to help the nation achieve reconciliation?

Review: Money, power and ideology in Indonesia’s political party system

Marcus Mietzner argues that when seen in the context of other new democracies, Indonesia’s political parties are not so bad

Review: Jokowi: From Solo to Jakarta and beyond?

Bob Lowry reviews the memoir of the current Jakarta governor and likely frontrunner for the 2014 presidential elections

Review: Voices from the unheard

Leila S. Chudori’s novel Pulang is an important addition to a growing literature examining the events of 1965-66 and its aftermath

Review: Julia’s jihad

The provocative Julia Suryakusuma on the rampage

Review: A tale of survival and resilience in modern Surabaya

Robbie Peters' new book brings the poor urban kampungs of Surabaya to life

Review: Justice, victimhood and remembering the violence in East Timor

Lia Kent’s study of East Timor’s attempts at transitional justice is an important contribution

Review: Taking a musical journey in Sumatra

Margaret Kartomi’s life-long devotion to bringing Sumatran music to the world is revealed in her major contribution to analysing and preserving this musical heritage

Review: Suharto’s guardians and reluctant reformers

A new publication tells the story of the first graduates of the joint Indonesian Armed Forces Military Academy

Review: Lieutenant General Djaja Suparman tells his story

Editor’s note: For Indonesia-watchers the activities of the military and its leaders remain largely opaque and perhaps even menacing. In recent years the steady stream of memoirs and biographies by and about military leaders has, in some cases, assuaged some of this mystery and in others, added to the intrigue. As the public and judicial gaze has increasingly turned to the actions of military leaders with connections to the New Order, the memoir has been engaged by some as a form of testimony in an effort to ‘clear their name’. Whatever the motivation, with each new addition to this genre, we are offered new insights into the fractious and often treacherous ‘interior’ world of the Indonesian Armed Forces. Suparman holds the line but reveals some new insights into the transition of power after the fall of the New Order