The Acehnese; a Muslim people of Sumatra; fought Dutch attempts to colonize them for forty years. After its "pacification;" Acehnese society evolved peacefully; yet nonetheless the Acehnese participated fully in the Indonesian revolution and in a rebellion against the Indonesian central government not long after. Based on field work done in the early 1960s; James Siegel's The Rope of God; traces the evolution in Islam; in the economy; and in the structure of the family to show how it was that Aceh mobilized itself as a society from the time of the colonial war to the emergence of the republic. At a time when this Indonesian society is once again in movement; this influential study has gained a certain new relevance.
#134632 in Books Wiley 2001-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.94 x .95 x 6.08l; .91 #File Name: 0471078646352 pagesGreat product!
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Beautiful love in a time of horror; but......By jdThis excellent book tells the love story of a Jewish couple at the onset and during The Holocaust. In it; however; deeper questions of how this couple and those musicians and associates around them would continue to try to establish "normality" in such hell. The result of their well-intended efforts could reasonably be argued that many who might have otherwise fled to potential safety remained and thus were ultimately slaughtered because they attempted to put blinders on. It can also be reasonably argued that they unintentionally contributed to legitimizing Hitler's Reich.Thus; while there is great beauty in the love; there is great sadness in seeing humans blind themselves to ugly truth.5 stars out of 5.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A beautiful story on wings of proseBy Michelle B. BravermanThis is a moving and personal account of the Holocaust written by a son whose desire to understand many mysteries in his upbringing set him on a course of amazing research and discovery. Although his parents were able to emigrate; and among the last to do so; the other relatives were not. All their stories have been meticulously researched and brought to vivid life in this book. I've also learned for the first time about the Kulturbund; the "official" Nazi organization of the performing arts for German Jews (after they were evicted from all others). Martin Goldsmith is very good at putting forth arguments and "what ifs?". The Kulturbund may have both prolonged Jewish life and inhibited emigrating to safety. In particular the author's chapters on the ship Saint Louis and Kristallnacht are illuminating.My only quibble with The Inextinguishable Symphony is not the musical detail; but the details describing situations and conversations of which the author had no real source. I cut him some slack describing his parents' first date; first kiss; etc. in the interest of breathing life into the narrative.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nice!By John PoppAm truly enjoying this little novel. Its often poignant content; especially with regard to music; revives precious memories collected since childhood. The author seems like an old friend - which; I'd guess; we could be. As a Gentile; any parts of any reportage regarding The Holocaust make my blood boil - this is no exception. We must NEVER allow memory of its horrors to fade; lest we again countenance such barbarity. The book contributes to that resolve.
