The King Never Smiles by Paul M Handley
Presents the story of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej's life and 60-year rule: how a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha; and how a king seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political, autocratic, and even brutal. This book also provides an account of the king's youth and personal development.
"Little wonder that before Paul Handley no one had really pried into the king’s sleeping habits, let alone the state of his marriage or political viewsThe story he uncovers is fascinating."—Economist
"A new and comprehensive history of the Thai modern monarchy . . . [which] presents a direct counterpoint to years of methodical royal image-making."—Jane Perlez, The Sunday Telegraph
"Thailand’s reigning monarch has just celebrated his sixty-year jubilee and this is the first serious biography of him. . . . It is key to understanding the extraordinary events of the past year. . . . For too long, the issue of the monarchy has been the prone elephant that analysts of Thai history and politics have had to treat carefully around. That era should now pass. . . . In sum, this is the classic story of an exceptional man recrafting a monarchy against the grain of an era. But with a difference."—Chris Baker, Asia Sentinel
"[Handley’s] biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej succeeds in engrossing the reader with the complex personality of the Thai king and his long and eventful life. . . . The chapters on political turbulence in Thailand between 1974-76, and on the impact of the 1997 financial crisis, find Mr. Handley at his analytic best. . . . Mr. Handley also has some important remarks on the uses and abuses of the lese majesté laws in Thailand."—Grant Evans, Far Eastern Economic Review
"A new and comprehensive history of the Thai modern monarchy . . . [which] presents a direct counterpoint to years of methodical royal image-making."—Jane Perlez, The Sunday Telegraph
"Thailand’s reigning monarch has just celebrated his sixty-year jubilee and this is the first serious biography of him. . . . It is key to understanding the extraordinary events of the past year. . . . For too long, the issue of the monarchy has been the prone elephant that analysts of Thai history and politics have had to treat carefully around. That era should now pass. . . . In sum, this is the classic story of an exceptional man recrafting a monarchy against the grain of an era. But with a difference."—Chris Baker, Asia Sentinel
"[Handley’s] biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej succeeds in engrossing the reader with the complex personality of the Thai king and his long and eventful life. . . . The chapters on political turbulence in Thailand between 1974-76, and on the impact of the 1997 financial crisis, find Mr. Handley at his analytic best. . . . Mr. Handley also has some important remarks on the uses and abuses of the lese majesté laws in Thailand."—Grant Evans, Far Eastern Economic Review
Paul M. Handley is a freelance journalist who lived and worked as a foreign correspondent in Asia for more than twenty years, including thirteen in Thailand.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780300106824 |
| ISBN 10 | 0300106823 |
| Title | The King Never Smiles |
| Author | Paul M Handley |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| Year published | 2006-07-01 |
| Number of pages | 512 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |