Blood and Silk, Michael Vatikiotis
Blood and Silk, Michael Vatikiotis
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Blood and Silk
Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia

Author: Michael Vatikiotis

Narrator: Matt Bates

Unabridged: 12 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/08/2017

Synopsis

Thought-provoking and eye-opening, BLOOD AND SILK is an accessible, personal look at modern Southeast Asia, written by one of the region's most experienced outside observers.

This is a first-hand account of what it's like to sit at the table with deadly Thai Muslim insurgents, mediate between warring clans in the Southern Philippines and console the victims of political violence in Indonesia - all in an effort to negotiate peace, and understand the reasons behind endemic violence.

Peering beyond brand new shopping malls and shiny glass towers in Bangkok and Jakarta, Michael Vatikiotis probes the heart of modern Southeast Asia. Why are the region's richest countries such as Malaysia riddled with corruption? Why do Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines harbour unresolved violent insurgencies? How do deepening religious divisions in Indonesia and Malaysia and China's growing influence affect the region and the rest of the world?

Vatikiotis tells the story of modern Southeast Asia using vivid portraits of the personalities who pull the strings, mixed with revealing analysis that is underpinned by decades of experience in the countries involved, from their silk-sheathed salons to blood-spattered streets. The result is a fascinating study of the dynamics of power and conflict in one of the world's fastest growing regions.

Read by Matt Bates
(p) Orion Publishing Group with Audible Ltd 2017

About Michael Vatikiotis

Michael Vatikiotis is a graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and gained his doctorate from the University of Oxford. He is a member of the Asia Society's International Council and has a decade of experience working as a private diplomat and conflict mediator for the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Prior to that he worked as a journalist in Asia for thirty years, living in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. He is the author of two previous books on the politics of Southeast Asia and is based in Singapore.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kate on October 16, 2017

This could have used a better editor. I found the organisation a bit strange, there was lots of repetition, strange use of adjectives, and even spelling mistakes (Samuel Huntingdon, anyone?). The author also seemed to be a bit confused about whether he wanted to write a non-fiction book or a memoir......more

Goodreads review by Wei on January 05, 2018

The struggle between memoir, historical fiction, and cultural analysis finds itself in knots in Blood and Silk, leaving the reader with a dissatisfied sense that Vatikiotis' own vast personal knowledge of the region has not been best communicated through the chapter organization and writing style. S......more

Goodreads review by Edith on August 03, 2020

This book appears to be portrayed as an interesting account for a typical bookshop goer (accessible, no background knowledge required). Yet this book in reality tackled some of the most complex issues surrounding South-East Asia, and I would argue is therefore more suited to experienced members of t......more

Goodreads review by Patricia on November 22, 2017

Ditto Kate Walton's review. She said it all -- needed tighter editing, less ego, and a decision whether its style was to be travelogue or political commentary. That explains the three stars. On the other hand, that said (and I've lived in the region for 22 years), definitely worth reading if you wan......more

Goodreads review by Lachlan on June 23, 2024

first part: took what was an interesting topic and wrote about it a rather shallow, self-righteous, and dare i say, orientalist, manner. i also found the stress on culture/norms as an explanation frustrating, as it felt that this negated the effects of colonialism and the cold war on current conditi......more

Quotes

Books on the rise of Asia tend to concentrate on China and India. Vatikiotis fills a gap by providing a lively and learned guide to the politics, personalities and conflicts that are shaping a dynamic group of countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma FINANCIAL TIMES Summer Reads

Blood and Silk is not a dry socio-political analysis. Vatikiotis has an eye for quirky detail, whether it be the Thai crown prince's pet poodle commissioned as an air force officer and dressed in uniform, or the self-important Muslim separatist from southern Thailand who prayed with Osama bin Laden in Khartoum but found the terrorist mastermind uninspiring and unimpressive. In the end, though, the outlook is menacing. Indonesia risks "the kind of ethnic and religious sectarian strife we see in the Middle East today". Malaysians are dismayed by "the slow disintegration of the multiracial compact". In Thailand, there is "little prospect of the military willingly giving up power". The Philippines remains "a prisoner of oligarchy". Even Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar has disappointed her liberal supporters. We can hope that Vatikiotis is wrong, but I fear he is not FINANCIAL TIMES

Vatikiotis's arguments are fluent and convincing, and his writing is suffused with a deep knowledge of and affection for Southeast Asia and its peoples LITERARY REVIEW

[An] ambitious and timely book THE ECONOMIST

A fascinating and many-layered portrait of Southeast Asia, brimming with colourful characters, insights and anecdotes, Blood and Silk is a rich palimpsest as can only be written by a longstanding student and scholar of the region like Michael Vatikiotis

Vatikiotis offers a lucid portrait of this fascinating region by bringing together a student's sense of wonder and curiosity, a journalist's scepticism and diligence in making sense of reality, and a peacemaker's compassion for the vulnerable SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

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