Intrigue, betrayal and war in Indonesia's greatest empire
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence stretched far and wide, throughout present-day Indonesia, parts of the Malay peninsula and the island of Tumasek, now Singapore.
Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta - home to over 10 million people with more than 30 million in its greater metropolitan area - stands as a testament to resilience, reinvention and the enduring spirit of its inhabitants.
Inspired by the vibrant mix of people who have settled here over the centuries and by the labyrinthine kampung that crisscross ......
The true story of the only Westerner ever to break out of Thailand's Bangkok Hilton
“This is one of the world’s most notorious—and remarkable—heroin traffickers: Melbourne man David McMillan. Despite still being on the run, McMillan has written a book, Escape, about … his amazing breakout in Bangkok” The Australian.
Pete, a young travel writer, wanders into a Bangkok bar and meets the love of his life. Joy is the girl of his dreams: young, stunningly pretty, and one of Zombie Bar’s top-earning pole dancers. What follows is a roller-coaster ride of sex, drugs, lies and deception, as Pete discovers that his very own private dancer is not all that she claims ......
Before Raffles, before Rajah Brooke, there was Francis Light, the 18th-century trailblazer in the Malay Archipelago. His subsequent adventures as a naval officer and merchant sea captain take him from India to Sumatra, the Straits of Malacca to Siam, through shipwreck, sea battles, pirate raids and tropical disease.
The family of Francis Light faces an uncertain future. As Penang heads inexorably towards colonial rule, Martinha struggles to claim her rightful inheritance, encountering corruption, prejudice and heartbreak in equal measure. Scattered across the world, her children are forced to negotiate the British establishment alone as best they can with ......
Considered one of the world's most popular holiday destinations, the tropical island of Bali in Indonesia has long been the site for Western fantasies about paradise. Millions of tourists visit the Island of the Gods every year, from families treating the kids to a beach holiday to single men looking for cheap booze and sex. And for many young ......
How Java's eccentric saints are challenging fundamentalist Islam in modern Indonesia
Bandit Saints of Java is a work of nonfiction that delves deep under the surface of modern Indonesia, exploring personalities and stories in the wacky world of local pilgrimage. It paints an astonishing portrait of Islam as it is practised today - largely invisible to journalists, scholars and tourists - by many of the 130 million people of Java.
Before Raffles, before Rajah Brooke, there was Francis Light, the 18th-century trailblazer in the Malay Archipelago. Not only did Francis light establish the British settlement of Penang but his son, William Light, would found the city of Adelaide.
