FIVE JOURNEYS FROM JAKARTA

by Maslyn Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 15, 1965

Indonesia, sprawling home of 100 million people, is slipping behind a Bamboo Curtain of its own making as it increasingly aligns itself with Red China against the West. A young Australian writer visited Jakarta, the principal city, from where he Journeyed to other points within the 3,000-island nation and spoke to Indonesians in many walks of life. His story, told with respect and understanding for Indonesian traditions but from a Western viewpoint, gives a clear-cut picture of everyday life, from political cliches to the motorcycle rider in a traffic Jam who rides with his hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket. Author Williams shows the Indonesians carried along by the zeal of their revolutionary dynamism that brought about their independence from the Dutch. Yet he also shows them so woefully held back by their ignorance that some Indonesians refuse aid provided by relief organizations because they believe they must suffer punishment for their sins. Sukarno, the self-proclaimed Great Leader, rules flamboyantly, projecting an image of an all-wise Great Father to the primitive masses. Much hatemaking is revealed, and resentment against ""whites"" and the West, as Indonesians seek a national identity and newfound pride behind Sukarno and the drum-beating of Afro-Asian chauvinism. Well-written, well-told.

Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1965

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1965

Categories: NONFICTION