ASIAN STUDIES / BIOGRAPHY / POLITICS

THAILAND'S STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY

The Life and Times of M. R. Seni Promoj

This political biography portrays one of the world's most fascinating statesmen and depicts Thailand as a nation at war with itself. David Van Praagh traces the history of the country's often thwarted attempts to become increasingly democratic—from the 1930s until after the shocking clashes of May 1992 in the streets of Bangkok between the military and the middle class.

Van Praagh also incisively compares other Southeast Asian countries' experiences with democratization and analyzes the implications for Western foreign policy.

"Van Praagh is eminently credible, and succeeds in turning what we might have thought a marginal character in the modern Asian drama into a significant player."
—David K. Wyatt

"A veritable Rosetta Stone of Thailand, providing the reader with a road map and driver for safe passage through the tortuous terrain of Thai politics ... We are fortunate to have this moving and memorable account of modern Thailand and how one man helped to make possible the establishment of what is likely to be a lasting democracy in his own land."
—Stephen Solarz, from the Foreword

"I have just finished reading Thailand's Struggle for Democracy and it is the only book of the 50+ that I have read so far that has truly helped me understand what really happened in Thailand in the last half of the 20th century ... I learned more from [this] book than all the other available books on modern Thai history combined. And I now feel I can begin to understand the role and mystery of Pridi for the first time .... [Y]our work is continuing to make a real difference to many readers, including some who will play a role in U.S.-Thai relations in this decade.
—Eric Rubin

David Van Praagh is an American journalist who has covered Asia for more than three decades. Professor of journalism at Carleton University, he was South and Southeast Asia correspondent for Toronto Globe and Mail, conducted radio broadcasts for CBC, and has written for many periodicals, including Business Week, Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle.