Modern Asian leaders: No unity in diversity

Makers of Modern Asia. Edited by Ramachandra Guha. Belknap Press; 385 pages; $29.95 and £22.95. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.ukTHE cliché of the “Asian century” is usually presented as an economic argument: that the startling growth of a number of Asian countries is shifting the centre of gravity of the global economy to the continent where the bulk of its people live. But, argues an Indian historian, Ramachandra Guha, in the introduction to this entertaining and illuminating collection of essays, “the politics matters just as much as the economics.” Modern Asia is of course also the result of the anti-colonial movements, wars and revolutions of the previous century. The justifiable conceit behind the book Mr Guha has edited is that a good way to understand this is to look at the national leaders thrown up by the tumult.The strength of the idea lies in the 11 leaders it covers and the expertise of the writers...



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