This extensive collection provides a comprehensive study of 20th century Southeast Asia from the beginning of the century to the present. It concentrates particularly on the formation and development of the 20th century nationalist movements in the region, examining their early organization during the height of European imperial control and their evolution during the formative period of anti-colonial activity. It traces the intense period of revolutionary upheaval after the Second World War, the anti-colonial wars and the prolonged period of bargaining over the creation of independent states. At the height of the Vietnam War, many of the internal and regional conflicts in Southeast Asia were resolved and political structures and economic agendas were established that remain intact today. Clive Christie's reader includes a detailed bibliography and is based on contemporary records from the region that illustrate the ideas and motivations of the major historical actors and recount the histories of defining events.