Reviews (1)

A well done book
A fine book, one that give a rich understanding of what happened and why. Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Contemporary Economic Situations And Conditions    6. Development - Economic Development    7. Economic Conditions    8. Economic Development    9. 20th century    10. Development economics    11. Economic history    12. History / Modern / 20th Century    13. Singapore    14. Singapore--Economic conditions   

Editorial Review

In this memoir, the man most responsible for Singapore's astonishing transformation from colonial backwater to economic powerhouse describes how he did it over the last four decades. It's a dramatic story, and Lee Kuan Yew has much to brag about. To take a single example: Singapore had a per-capita GDP of just $400 when he became prime minister in 1959. When he left office in 1990, it was $12,200 and rising. (At the time of this book's writing, it was $22,000.) Much of this was accomplished through a unique mix of economic freedom and social control. Lee encouraged entrepreneurship, but also cracked down on liberties that most people in the West take for granted--chewing gum, for instance. It's banned in Singapore because of "the problems caused by spent chewing gum inserted into keyholes and mailboxes and on elevator buttons." If American politicians were to propose such a thing, they'd undoubtedly be run out of office. Lee, however, defends this and similar moves, such as strong antismoking laws and antispitting campaigns: "We would have been a grosser, ruder, cruder society had we not made these efforts to persuade people to change their ways.... It has made Singapore a more pleasant place to live in. If this is a 'nanny state,' I am proud to have fostered one." Read more

Reviews (41)

Illuminating what can be achieved by a superior intellect coupled with honesty.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Lee Kuan Yew.Besides being a genious at governing the man is a gifted writer.The book is full of information for those, like me, that were curious about how this gentleman, along with his associates, pulled out the feat of transforming an underdeveloped society into a model society.He, almost singlehandedly, achieved what other countries and societies with far more resources only dream of.Pick this book if you wish to learn and, at the same time, be entertained.

Excellent insight!
Gives Excellent insight to see how singapore found it's own way in this competitive world.

Brilliant man, brilliant book
This book really shows you what's behind the man and how he thinks. A real insight into an important leader.
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Subjects:  1. 1965-1990    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Contemporary Politics - Asia    7. Economic Conditions    8. Economic Development    9. Economics - General    10. Exports & Imports    11. History    12. Singapore    13. Social conditions    14. ASIA    15. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    16. Biography & Autobiography / General    17. Biography: general   

Reviews (58)

Insightful!
Mr Lee Kuan Yew - or LKY - as he is fondly referred to by both admirers and critics, has been a controversial figure as easily discernible in the oxymoronic titles he is often given, such as "benevolent dictator" and "enlightened despot". But to call him such names without heavy qualification is to utter a painful half-truth.
Outstanding
This is simply the most amazing and interesting biography, i have ever read. What makes Lee's narrative interesting are his crisp observations supported by official British documents made public after 35 years.

Part One of Two Volumes
This volume is childhood up to Singapore's dumping by Malaysia. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1923-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. General    7. Lee, Kuan Yew,    8. Political    9. Political History    10. Politics and government    11. Prime ministers    12. Singapore    13. Southeast Asia - History    14. Biography: general    15. International economics   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Economic Conditions    3. History - General History    4. Political History    5. Politics and government    6. Singapore    7. Social Science    8. Social control    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. Political Science / Civics    12. Social theory    13. World history: from c 1900 -   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Middle East - General    4. Military    5. Military - General    6. Military - World War II    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: Second World War    8. Battles & campaigns    9. History / Military / World War II    10. SINGAPORE_HISTORY_SIEGE, 1942    11. Second World War, 1939-1945    12. Singapore    13. WORLD WAR, 1939-1945_CAMPAIGNS_SINGAPORE   

Reviews (4)

Entertaining but biased
Francis' book is an entertaining read with vivid accounts of how and why he was imprisoned. However, considering the circumstances of his time spent in detention, one wonders how he can remember such details about specific interrogation sessions. Some creative embellishment to spice up the narration was probably afoot. Where did fact end and literary fiction begin was a question I pondered constantly. His book is as biased as those favourable on the Singapore regime. Nevertheless, a must read for one interested in understanding Singapore's security apparatus and Lee Kuan Yew.
Important material obscured by opaque language
My wife and I are Americans who recently honeymooned in Singapore, and we were quite impressed by how clean, orderly, and efficient it was. Yet we knew there had to be a catch, and none of the locals we met were willing to talk about it. So, upon returning home, we bought this book and also "Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism," by Christopher Lingle, to find out. (To be fair, we bought Lee Kuan Yew's "The Singapore Story" as well, but haven't read it yet.) A Must Read to Understand Singapore
Francis Seow is a Singapore hero. By Singapore standards, however, he was flawed in that he was compassionate as he gave legal assistance to political detainees in Singapore. By so doing, Mr. Seow became a detainee, himself. Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. History: World    3. Political prisoners    4. Politics and government    5. Seow, Francis T    6. Singapore    7. Lee, Kuan Yew   

Reviews (4)

Good read for anyone interested in Singapore politics
While some facts/evidence used by the author are outdated or have become irrelevant, the key insights and analyses wihin are plausible. Lily Zubaidah Rahim's Dilemma
The book, "The Singapore Dilemma", written by Malay academic Lily Zubaidah Rahim can be summed up in three sentences: Malicious marginalisation by Lee Kuan Yew's political thugs
I bought this book several weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by the concise and accurate manner by which Rahim exposed the Lee Kuan Yew and his political mafia.The present political regime in Singapore is blatantlyracist and in too many cases unashamedly so. And despite this, many peopleunwittingly accept Singapore as a good example of meritoracy at work. Thisbook proves that it is not. The PAP government manipulates and isolatespeople to help fragment public opinion. By racialising all socio, polticaland especially economic issues, Lee Kuan Yew and his PAP lap dogs isolatepublic opinion for their own political ends.Rahim should be commended fora much needed expose on a little studied area. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. Contemporary Politics - Asia    4. Economic conditions    5. Education    6. History    7. History & Theory - General    8. Malays (Asian people)    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Public Policy - Social Policy    12. Singapore    13. Social conditions    14. Sociology    15. Southeast Asia - History    16. Macroeconomics    17. Political Science / Social Policy    18. Political economy    19. Politics | Comparative Politics | Southeast Asia    20. Racism & racial discrimination   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture and history    3. City planning    4. Globalization    5. History - General    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    8. Singapore    9. Architectural structure & design    10. Architecture / History    11. Urban & municipal planning   

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Human Sexuality    7. Social History   

Reviews (2)

Confuciunism works!?
Some questions we cannot explain by "Confucian Traditions" Review
A good book dealing with the question of to what extent the Confucian cultural traditions of the societies of the East Asian developmental states affected their growth paths. The economic successes of East Asia can no longer be attributed merely to neoliberal economic policies, and there is a growing recognition to acknowldge the part played by the cultural background from which growth emerged. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Civilization    3. Confucian influences    4. Confucianism    5. East Asia    6. East Asia - History    7. Far East    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. Cultural studies    12. History / Asia    13. Hong Kong    14. Japan    15. Oriental & Indian philosophy    16. Singapore    17. South Korea    18. Taiwan   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - World War II    7. World War II - East Asia    8. Battles & campaigns    9. History / General    10. Second World War, 1939-1945    11. Singapore    12. World history: Second World War   

Subjects:  1. History    2. Malaysia    3. Singapore   

Reviews (2)

Best Book of its kind
The book details the initial air operations over SE Asia at the beginning of the war. There is a good chapter on the initial encounters over the Philippines, but the emphasis is on the far vaster involvement of the Dutch and British Commonwealth against the initial Japanese onslaught.
Details Tell the Story
Bloody Shambles is an extraordinarily detailed study of the utter futility of the first months of the war in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. While providing little overview or narrative, the detail of the experiences speak for themselves. Inadequate equipment, both, quality and quantitative, flying procedures designed more for regimental show than for effect, and a complete lack of cooperation between services, were the hallmarks of the impending disaster.Read more

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. History: World    3. Military - World War II    4. Military Aircraft - World War II    5. Military Operations    6. Air forces & warfare    7. Aircraft: general interest    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history: Second World War    9. Europe    10. European history: Second World War    11. History / Military / Aviation    12. History of engineering & technology    13. Malaysia    14. Myanmar (Burma)    15. Philippines    16. Second World War, 1939-1945    17. Singapore    18. Sri Lanka   

Reviews (1)

Probably the best book on the campaign
Among contemporary accounts, this is probably the best book on the campaign. Its analysis of the individual actions down the peninsular is fair and judicious. There is a pernicious tendency in writing about the Malayan campaign to either define the heroes and the villains, and then build the story around that; or to tilt in favour of either the Australians or the British. This book does neither: it unpacks the facts and lets the reader decide. In that way it does justice to all the protagonists, including the Indian army and the Japanese.
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Subjects:  1. History: World    2. Asian / Middle Eastern history: Second World War    3. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Military - World War II    6. Modern - 20th Century    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: Second World War    8. Malaysia    9. Second World War, 1939-1945    10. Singapore   

Reviews (1)

You won't believe this is Singapore (or how fast it changed)
Its simply amazing going through Singapore's history through this book.Its almost unbelievable how much change has occured in Singapore, especially when you look at pictures of Orchard Road in the book and it looks literally like an orchard, unlike the ultra-modern shopping district it is now.Or the pictures of Bugis as an old Malay village with it just next to the shoreline, and thinking about the amount of land that has been reclaimed.You'll encounter feelings and thoughts like this over and over as you go over this book.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Asia   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. History - General    3. International Architecture - Asian    4. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    5. Singapore   

Reviews (2)

Lessons Learned - A Sad but True Tale of What Can Go Wrong in a One-Party State
Chris Lydgate, a long-time journalist from Portland, Oregon,has written a harrowing and frustrating tale on the life of an opposition party politician in a country that permits no such dissent - Singapore.When I first picked up this book, I knew little to nothing about Singapore and didn't really think the subject would keep my interest.But Mr. Lydgate's biographical sketch on the life of opposition party politician J.B. Jeyaretnam quickly swept me in.His writing style is concise, clear and engaging, and the book concludes with a powerful warning for those who still harbor naive illusions about the nature of democracy.
A sobering report on how power corrupts good intentions
Like most Americans, I knew a few odd things about Singapore and nothing much about its history, politics, or the manner of life of its citizens.This terrific reporting done by Chris Lydgate reveals a lot to me that the strange episode of the kid getting caned for vandalism did not.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. History & Theory - General    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Political Science / History & Theory   

Subjects:  1. History / Asia    2. Japan,expedition,Japanese Empire,Madeira,St. Helena,Cape of Good Hope,Mauritius,Ceylon,Singapore,China,Loo-Choo,Spalding   

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Human Geography    3. Multiculturalism    4. Nationalism    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics and government    7. Singapore    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Geopolitics    11. Social & cultural anthropology    12. Social history