Singapore
Title | Singapore PDF eBook |
Author | Michael D. Barr |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
Total Pages | 304 |
Release | 2018-12-13 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 178673527X |
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.
A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005
Title | A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 PDF eBook |
Author | C.M. Turnbull |
Publisher | NUS Press |
Total Pages | 490 |
Release | 2009-01-01 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9971694301 |
When C.M. Turnbull's A History of Singapore, 1819-1975 appeared in 1977, it quickly achieved recognition as the definitive history of Singapore. A second edition published in 1989 brought the story up to the elections held in 1988. In this fully revised edition, rewritten to take into account recent scholarship on Singapore, the author has added a chapter on Goh Chok Tong's premiership (1990-2004) and the transition to a government headed by Lee Hsien Loong. The book now ends in 2005, when the Republic of Singapore celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent nation. Major changes occurred in the 1990s as the generation of leaders that oversaw the transition from a colony to independence stepped aside in favour of a younger generation of leaders. Their task was to shape a course that sustained the economic growth and social stability achieved by their predecessors, and they would be tested towards the end of the decade when Southeast Asia experienced a severe financial crisis. Many modern studies on Singapore focus on current affairs or very recent events and pay a great deal of attention to Singapore's successful transition from the developing to the developed world. However, younger historians are increasingly interested in other aspects of the country's past, particularly social and cultural issues. A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 provides a solid foundation and an overarching framework for this research, surveying Singapore's trajectory from a small British port to a major trading and financial hub within the British Empire and finally to the modern city state that Singapore became after gaining independence in 1965.
The Scripting of A National History
Title | The Scripting of A National History PDF eBook |
Author | Lysa Hong |
Publisher | Hong Kong University Press |
Total Pages | 329 |
Release | 2008-04-01 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9622098835 |
Rather than presenting another narrative of Singapore history, The Scripting of a National History: Singapore and Its Pasts studies the constructed nature of the history endorsed by the state, which blurs the distinction between what happened in the past, and how the state intends that past to be understood. The People's Action Party (PAP) government's unbroken mandate to rule has come in no small part from the way it explains its lineage and record to Singaporeans. The power vested in various aspects of Singapore's history is thus examined through a consideration of past and present politics. The authors trace state discourses on Singapore history from the decision immediately after independence to recognize the nineteenth-century British acquisition of the island as its founding moment, to the 1980s and 1990s when an essentially Confucian heritage was recognized under the rubric of "Asian values", and finally to an emphasis on the history of racial fragility and harmony in response to the threat of terrorism in the twenty-first century. Embedded within these discourses is the story of the PAP as the heir of the economic dynamics of the pax Britannica, as an exponent of the morality and righteousness of the Chinese scholar-gentleman, and as the firm hand that balances the interests of the majority Chinese against those of the minority populations, particularly the Malays. The authors examine the underlying template of Singapore history, the negotiation with its immigrant past, and the popularization of history through conscription of national heroes. The chapters range from considering how political leaders claim to be historians by virtue of being the makers of history, to the vicissitudes undergone by two originally private homes turned into symbols of Singapore's Chinese modernity. The Scripting of a National History: Singapore and Its Pasts is highly relevant not only to academics but also for the Singapore general reader interested to see what are meant to be received wisdoms for the citizenry interrogated in a well-reasoned and engaging exercise, as well as for an international readership to whom Singapore has become a fascinating enigma. They may well be intrigued by the anxieties of being Singaporean.
Singapore in Global History
Title | Singapore in Global History PDF eBook |
Author | Derek Thiam Soon Heng |
Publisher | Amsterdam University Press |
Total Pages | 322 |
Release | 2011 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 9048514371 |
This important overview explores the connections between Singapore's past with historical developments worldwide until present day. The contributors analyse Singapore as a city-state seeking to provide an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of the global dimensions contributing to Singapore's growth. The book's global perspective demonstrates that many of the discussions of Singapore as a city-state have relevance and implications beyond Singapore to include Southeast Asia and the world. This vital volume should not be missed by economists, as well as those interested in imperial histor.
Seven Hundred Years
Title | Seven Hundred Years PDF eBook |
Author | Kwa Chong Guan |
Publisher | Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Limited |
Total Pages | 304 |
Release | 2019 |
Genre | Singapore |
ISBN | 9789814828109 |
- Unique new insights into Singapore's history based on the latest archaeological and archival research - Written in an accessible and engaging style by four of Singapore's most esteemed historians - Amply illustrated with more than 200 images, maps and ephemera
Singapore
Title | Singapore PDF eBook |
Author | Gretchen Liu |
Publisher | Psychology Press |
Total Pages | 415 |
Release | 2001 |
Genre | Singapore |
ISBN | 0700715843 |
This is the story of Singapore through the eyes of artists and photographers. Each image conveys a strong sense of place, and together they tell the story of a nation and the island they transformed from a fishing village to a global city state.
The History of Singapore
Title | The History of Singapore PDF eBook |
Author | Jean Abshire |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing USA |
Total Pages | 209 |
Release | 2011-03-21 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 031337743X |
This book overviews Singapore's fascinating history from the precolonial era to the present, examining this wealthy island nation from economic, political, cultural, and social perspectives. Singapore is a dominant player in the global economy, serving both as an essential business hub for international finance and home to some of the world's most important ports. It is also one of the world's smallest and most resource-poor countries. This book offers an engaging examination of Singapore using a theme of globalization to explain how the country's worldwide interactions across centuries have resulted in an ethnically diverse society and allowed it to ascend to a position of being an economic powerhouse. Every significant historic event and era—from its status as a meeting point for traders in the 600s to its colonization by the British in 1819, and from Japanese occupation during World War II to the 2002 arrest of a group of Islamic terrorists—is covered.