The River of Lost Footsteps: Histories of Burma - Hardcover

Thant Myint-U

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0571217559 ISBN 13: 9780571217557

Publisher: Faber and Faber, 2007

Synopsis

For nearly two decades Western governments and a growing activist community have been frustrated in their attempts to bring about a freer and more democratic Burma—through sanctions and tourist boycotts—only to see an apparent slide toward even harsher dictatorship. But what do we really know about Burma and its history? And what can Burma’s past tell us about the present and even its future? In The River of Lost Footsteps, Thant Myint-U tells the story of modern Burma, in part through a telling of his own family’s history, in an interwoven narrative that is by turns lyrical, dramatic, and appalling. His maternal grandfather, U Thant, rose from being the schoolmaster of a small town in the Irrawaddy Delta to become the UN secretary-general in the 1960s. And on his father’s side, the author is descended from a long line of courtiers who served at Burma’s Court of Ava for nearly two centuries. Through their stories and others, he portrays Burma’s rise and decline in the modern world, from the time of Portuguese pirates and renegade Mughal princes through the decades of British colonialism, the devastation of World War II, and a sixty-year civil war that continues today and is the longest-running war anywhere in the world. The River of Lost Footsteps is a work both personal and global, a distinctive contribution that makes Burma accessible and enthralling.

About this title

Review:

'A colourful history of Burma's past ... dramatic and
informative.'
-- Entertainment Weekly, 1 December 2006

'A fine memoir, vivid in detail, and unapologetically emotive.' -- Irish Times

'Brilliant . . . a balanced, thoughtful and serious history.' -- The New Yorker, 11 December 2006

'Eloquently and mournfully recites the dismal history of the last
half century.' -- New York Times, 13 December 2006

'Fascinating . . . gives us both the savory details and the
cruelties of colonialism, as well as a feel for palace intrigue.'
-- Time Magazine, 11 January 2007

'Greatly engaging ... eloquent, often vivid.'
-- Independent

'It is hard to imagine a more thought-provoking or eloquently
written elucidation of Burma's afflictions and their causes.' -- Sunday Times

'Splendid ... writes with both the passion and insight of an
insider and the erudition of a scholarly observer.' -- History Book Club

'Thant Myint-U's passionate and personal journey into Burma's
half-forgotten, neglected past is a delight to read.' -- Straits Times, 23 December 2006

'[A] brisk, vivid history of Burma.'
-- The Wall Street Journal, 7 December 2006

Book Description:

The River of Lost Footsteps is Thant Myint-U's engaging combination of contemporary travelogue, history and personal recollections that places Burma at the geopolitical heart of Asia.

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber and Faber
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0571217559
• ISBN 13: 9780571217557
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384