This is an intensive study of Indonesian politics from the attainment of full independence in December 1949 to the proclamation of martial law in March 1957, and President Soekarno's subsequent establishment of "guided democracy." It is intended as a contribution to the ongoing discussion of democracy in the new states of Asia and Africa, of the ways in which Western political institutions are transformed when employed in non-Western social settings, and of the obstacles to be overcome if such institutions are to operate in consonance with the authority systems of new nations and with their solution of economic and administrative problems. Now brought back into print as a member of Equinox Publishing's Classic Indonesia series, The Decline of Constitutional Democracy is considered to be the definitive study of Indonesia in the 1950s and will be of great interest to the growing number of social scientists concerned with the pre-industrial nations and in particular with their efforts to use and adapt Western political institutions. This is a solid and scholarly account, but, writing on the basis of much personal observation, Dr. Feith manages to present his material in such a way that readers with no previous background in the subject will be able to follow the book almost as easily as will specialists. HERBERT FEITH (1930-2001) became familiar with Indonesia during 1951-53 and 1954-56 when he was an English Language Assistant with the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Indonesia. A citizen of Australia, he received an M.A. degree from the University of Melbourne in 1955 and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1961. He was a Research Fellow in the Department of Pacific History, Australian National University, from 1960 to 1962 and was Chair of Politics at Monash University from 1968 until 1974.

The Wilopo Cabinet was something of a watershed in post-revolutionary Indonesian politics. During its fourteen months of existence important changes developed in the constellation of political power among the major political parties, the President, and the army. And within one of the major parties there occurred a shift in the relative strength of leadership groups of such importance as to bring about significant changes in the party's political posture and in its relationship with several of the other parties. It was during this period that cabinet government was seriously undermined and parliament lost much of its prestige and power; and it was during these fourteen months that were set in train many of the developments which have dominated Indonesian political life in the last few years.

The key political events of this period are complex and confusing and have generally been but imperfectly understood outside of Indonesia. Yet failure to understand them can result in more than inability to understand the period itself. It will also make difficult any full and sound comprehension of the important developments of the past few years. Herbert Feith, in my judgment, has probed much further into the events of this period than any other non-Indonesian scholar. He has searched out a great deal of significant new data which he has analyzed with tools sharpened by long residence and research in Indonesia, interviews with many knowledgeable Indonesians and a full mastery of the Indonesian language. I believe he has presented as clear a picture of an important period of Indonesian history and of its shaping of subsequent events as is likely to emerge for some time. - George McT. Kahin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Herbert Feith (1930-2001) became familiar with Indonesia during 1951-53 and 1954-56 when he was an English Language Assistant with the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Indonesia. A citizen of Australia, he received an M.A. degree from the University of Melbourne in 1955 and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1961. He was a Research Fellow in the Department of Pacific History, Australian National University, from 1960 to 1962 and was Chair of Politics at Monash University from 1968 until 1974.

This collection of more than one hundred excerpts from speeches, lectures, articles, and pamphlets, most of the not previously available in English, is regarded as the principal source book on Indonesian politics for the post-revolution period of 1945-1965.Chosen to define and illuminate the country's complex issues, the selections provide a balanced, comprehensive, and well-ordered survey of Indonesian political thinking from just before independence to the fall of Sukarno. After an introduction by Herbert Feith in which he discusses the Indonesian intellectual and his place in politics, the major and minor Indonesian figures of the period express their political views and their responses to the events of the first twenty years of independence. A commentary at the beginning of each chapter supplies background material relating to the selections. Three appendixes offer brief biographies of the Indonesian authors, a glossary of unfamiliar terms, and a chronological chart. Indonesian Political Thinking, now brought back to life in Equinox Publishing's Classic Indonesia series, is a must-have resource for Indonesians and Indonesianists alike. HERBERT FEITH (year) was professor of Politics at Monash University, Victoria, Australia. He first became familiar with Indonesian problems when he was an English Language Assistant with the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Indonesia during the 1950s. He received the MA degree from the University of Melbourne, the PhD from Cornell University, and was a Research Fellow in the Department of Pacific History, Australian National University, 1960-62. Professor Feith is author of The Decline of Constitutional Democracy in Indonesia, also a memberof Equinox Publishing's Classic Indonesia series. LANCE CASTLES graduated from Melbourne University, Australia, received the MA degree from Monash University, and the PhD degree from Yale University. He is the author of Religion, Politics, and Economic Behavior in Java: The Kudus Cigarette Industry.