The Tragedy of Force Z
The sinking by Japanese aircraft of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in December 1941, and the subsequent loss of Singapore, was a grievous blow to British morale. But have historians misunderstood what really happened?
Southeast Asia
Vietnam Before The War
Vietnamese identity has been forged in opposition to imperialism. But the country has long been the conqueror as well as the conquered.
The Opium King
South-East Asia’s ‘Golden Triangle’ dominated the world’s opium production during the 1980s. David Hutt reveals how a young soldier from north Burma took on the United States government to become the region’s most notorious drug lord.
The Eruption of Mount Tambora
Possibly the most destructive volcanic eruption of all time occurred on 10 April 1815.
Robert Hunter in Siam
When Siam emerged from isolation, writes W.S. Bristowe, a fiery Scottish sea captain settled for twenty years in Bangkok.
Artists in the Dutch East Indies
Elka Schrijver tells the story of the artists who followed the Dutch East India Company to modern day Indonesia.
Portuguese Timor: A Rough Island Story: 1515-1960
The easternmost and largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands has been the scene of Portuguese influence in Asia for more than 450 years.
The Discovery of Angkor
For nearly a hundred years, travellers and archaeologists have been investigating the mysterious ruins of Angkor. Today, writes Michael Sullivan, much of the mystery has been dispelled; but these relics of a vanished civilization still preserve their beauty and dignity.
Victory in Arakan
Geoffrey Evans describes how British and Indian forces recovered Burma from the Japanese during the Second World War.
The British in Malaya
British Malaya since 1786 has become the home of many different races, whose harmonious union, writes C. Northcote Parkinson, would offer an example from which the rest of the world might profit.