Free Ebook The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, by Paul M. Handley
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The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, by Paul M. Handley
Free Ebook The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, by Paul M. Handley
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Review
"Little wonder that before Paul Handley no one had really pried into the king’s sleeping habits, let alone the state of his marriage or political views. The story he uncovers is fascinating."—Economist"A new and comprehensive history of the Thai modern monarchy . . . [which] presents a direct counterpoint to years of methodical royal image-making."—Jane Perlez, The Sunday Telegraph"A significant contribution to the sparse literature on Bhumibol. . . . Highly recommended."―Choice"A critique of the world’s longest reigning monarch and his machinations for domination at the cost of scruples. It unveils the throne’s self-protecting alliances with army bosses, drug dealers, bankers, monopolists, and the C.I.A., and evaluates the long-term damage done to Thai politics by the king’s obsession for controlling state and society."―Sreeram Chaulia, Worldpress.org "Handley, an American journalist who reported from Bangkok for many years, has written one of the most important books on Thailand to appear in English."—Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books"This work is essential to understanding Thailand's modern political history and, particularly, the latest coup. Just as important, and perhaps more ominous, the book raises questions about how Thailand will adjust to its first real change in government in more than 60 years without the leadership of the 79-year-old king."―Major Dewayne Creamer, Proceedings/U.S. Naval Institute"The first serious biography of perhaps the most important figure in modern Thai history."—James Ockey, Pacific Affairs"Written by a journalist who resided in the Kingdom for thirteen years, it is exceptionally well written and reflects a deep knowledge of Thai politics and history. . . . The King Never Smiles is a daring, landmark work, clearly based on extensive research, which deserves much praise. It joins a small but growing body of proactive literature relating to kingship and politics in Thailand today and is certainly the most critical of anything previously published. As such it should compel future writers on Thailand to pay heed to the contemporary role of monarchy in Thai culture, society and politics."―P.W. Chambers, Contemporary Southeast Asia"Widely regarded as the definitive biography."—Michael Sullivan, Senior Asia Correspondent, National Public Radio
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Book Description
This is the first independent account of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-serving monarch. Paul Handley looks beyond the image of a virtuous and apolitical monarch, revealing instead a political and anti-democratic king.
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Product details
Paperback: 520 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press; Reprint edition (January 31, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300228309
ISBN-13: 978-0300228304
Product Dimensions:
6.1 x 1.7 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
3.8 out of 5 stars
85 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#310,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
This book was published in 2006 but is still a very useful history of King Bhumidol's reign. It runs over 450 pages with smallish font, but it reads like a mystery thriller.Please do not be put off by the first chapter which reads like a philosophy tract on Buddhism. It is absolutely necessary to understand this foundational aspect of the author's excellent explanation of the whys and whos of the King's decisions and strategy.Highly recommend this for anyone interested in Thailand's modern history and the crossroads this special country faces today.Doug ShinsatoTranslator of For That One Day: The Memoirs of Mitsuo Fuchida, the Commander of the Attack on Pearl HarborAuthor, 101 Lesser Known Facts Related to the Attack on Pearl Harbor
A very well researched look at the Thai monarchy, particularly the unprecedented reign of King Bhumibol. The book is banned in Thailand, certainly it a critical though I believe quite balanced.I would really like to see an update, given the turmoil in Thailand since it was published in 2006, to cover former Prime Minister Shinawatra's dismissal (and subsequent further controversy) plus coups and red shirt/yellow shirt protests, as well as further speculation of what will become of the monarchy and Thai politics after the king passes away.
Having lived in Thailand for two lengthy periods since 1965, I knew some of the basics. Mr. Handley has filled in details in highly credible fashion and produced as complete a picture of not only the monarchy but Thai politics as I have seen anywhere. The book is especially good on the ways that much of the belief system of ordinary Thais has been constructed for them by the palace and other royalist institutions and individuals. It's no wonder that North Korea's Kim Jong Il, himself no slouch as a propagandist, has pointed to the Thai system as one of the few foreign models he admires.-Bradley K. Martin, author of Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty
A great and necessary insight into a country that I love so much and yet that has its own dilemmas to resolve. A necessary effort at lifting the veil of secrecy that needs to be overcome if Thailand is to move forward in its progress to a truly democratic international and open community. Shameful that the book and its author have been banned in TH.
What a great effort. I was interested in getting some historical context so that I could understand the potential changes coming to Thailand in the near future when Rama IX dies. He has been a remarkable king and very likely the last of his kind in the world. This book provides valuable insights. In Thailand, as in Burma and other SE Asian countries, it is critical to learn the country's history to understand today's politics because, fundamentally, nothing has changed.I would really love to see a new edition that picks up where this one left off with the coup that forced Thaksin from power, some background on the Yellow shirts and Red shirts, the demographic evolution of Thailand and similar. Thailand has some of the most interesting politics of any country in the world and, like a good "soap opera" I can't stop watching!
It's bizarre that I, an American living in the United States, hesitate to post this review. That basically summarizes the current perverse situation created by the Thai monarchy. I fear my various connections to Thailand will be blocked if I state a simple opinion: That this is a great book. Fascinating. Even-handed. I highly recommend it. The picture of King Bhumipol (pronounced "Pumipon") presented here is both sympathetic and critical. From this biography, I conclude that King Bhumipol is the best-case-scenario king. He took his job seriously, is hard working and talented, empathetic, dedicated to the welfare of the people. However, he is a king, and monarchy is still a bad choice relative to democracy for all the reasons outlined by Thomas Paine 230 years ago in "Common Sense," which is freely available online. (I hope that book is not banned in Thailand; this one is.) Even the best king cannot magically know the will of the people. It seems that this king, in trying to be the best possible king, came to believe his own hype: that he can magically know the will of the people, so the people are represented through him. Therefore, democracy was/is not a big priority for him. As Handley explains, King Bhumipol ruled through the Cold War; because stability was his primary concern, he has downplayed the importance of democracy and delayed the transition to full democracy. Also, as pointed out in "Common Sense," good kings may be followed by horrible kings. `Nuff said on that point. OK, there it is. We have free speech in this country and I will use that freedom. Let the chips fall where they may.
A well researched book about a man revered by his people. Lese majeste laws would prevent this from being written within the Kingdom. If you're looking for an outside perspective, this is a good place to start.
I have traveled to Thailand many times as a tourist and have to admit falling victim to the image of the king that is projected within the country. This books gives a detailed analysis of how this image was built and how it is used to maintain modern day Thailand. There is a LOT of detail in this book...more than I needed to know. It seemed very thorough. There was some redundancy. I had problems remembering all of the long Thai names presented in this book. But, in the end, it didn't matter. The book seems to hold a lot of truths that were not accessible to me elsewhere. I will no longer travel to Thailand as the naive tourist but will now understand the machinations behind the facade. Thank you for a very good read.
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