( 1 reviews )
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( 4 of 4 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 4 1999
There are plenty of books that describe the politics of rebellion in Asia, but none other that I know of that takes you inside the experience of being a rebel as an ordinary person. Falla's achievement is to take quite everyday events such as meals and show how every aspect of the lives of the Karen has been moulded and influenced by forty years of insurgency. Also, the grander rituals - weddings, funerals, national days - come to life. The details are colourful and bizarre: for example, meeting camouflage-dressed soldiers in bamboo huts in the rainforest who put their feet up on the back porch and sing propaganda lyrics to John Denver tunes. The book is both personally moving and very thought-provoking, and strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in Asian politics and/or anthropology.
