Indonesia Then and Now

Horst H. Geerken lived in Indonesia from 1963 to 1981. As well as working for a major German industrial firm, he travelled widely in the enormous Indonesian archipelago. After 1981 he visited the country every year - after 1993 also accompanied by his partner Annette Bräker. Annette Bräker got to know South East Asia from a very early age: her father was an orientalist, and she accompanied him, and sometimes both parents, on a number of research trips, where she came to have a special affection for Indonesia. Her university courses on Malay Studies, Comparative Religion and Oriental Art History brought her into particularly close contact with South East Asia. Horst H. Geerken has published several non-fiction books dealing with Indonesian history and culture, such as Der Ruf des Geckos (A Gecko for Luck or The Magic Gecko). His most recent publication (Hitlers Griff nach Asien Hitler's Asian Adventure) is a study of the influence of the Third Reich on the independence movement in the Netherlands East Indies down to the final achievement of independence under President Soekarno. These books have confirmed Horst H. Geerken's reputation as an expert on the region, not only in Germany and Indonesia, but also elsewhere. They have all appeared in German, English and Bahasa Indonesia. The current volume is a captivating account of travels in the giant Indonesian archipelago from 1964 to the present. It can be highly recommended for its humour and human interest. (G. H. H.)