In this lively book, Benedict R. O'G. Anderson explores the cultural and


political contradictions that have arisen from two critical facts in


Indonesian history: that while the Indonesian nation is young, the


Indonesian nation is ancient originating in the early


seventeenth-century Dutch conquests; and that contemporary politics are


conducted in a new language. Bahasa Indonesia, by peoples (especially


the Javanese) whose cultures are rooted in medieval times. Analyzing a


spectrum of examples from classical poetry to public monuments and


cartoons, Anderson deepens our understanding of the interaction between


modern and traditional notions of power, the mediation of power by


language, and the development of national consciousness. 'Language and


Power' brings together eight of Anderson's most influential essays over


the past two decades and is essential reading for anyone studying the


Indonesian country, people or language.


Benedict Anderson is one of the world's leading authorities on


Southeast Asian nationalism and particularly on Indonesia. He is


Professor of International Studies and Director of the Modern Indonesia


Project at Cornell University, New York. His other works include


'Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of


Nationalism' and 'The Spectre of Comparisons: Nationalism, Southeast


Asia, and the World.'