A History of Bangladesh by Willem Van Schendel

A History of Bangladesh Reviews

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  Jennings Peeler

  
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  The history of South Asia involves more than just Pakistan and India. This very accessible history of Bangladesh revealed to me a world about which I was very ignorant. My appetite whetted, I am eager to learn more.
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  Awendt06

  I read this while I was on a long trip to Bangladesh and it helped me understand some of the historical context for what was happening around me in Dhaka and the villages. A great read to get a broad slice of Bangladesh history and a great starting point for those seeking to learn more about this vibrant and complex country.
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  Sarah

  Willem van Schendel, apnake onek dhonnobad! This book is a holistic and concise presentation of the important factors shaping Bangladesh today, which one will encounter if one goes there: every paragraph, almost every sentence really, gives me the means to more deeply understand the background behind the stories, articles, posters, and films I read and saw, and of course the conversations I had, during my two years' time there, without going to specialized sources. My only complaint is that it wasn't around long enough for me to find before I went to Bangladesh for the first time in 2009.
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  Jake S

  This book is pretty basic, but it sets out to be an introductory history so basic is good. It's breadth is useful in getting ones head around Bangladesh, and the proceeding iterations of Bengal, which is quite a task as the Delta's history is complex and diverse.
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  Anders

  A very convincing case for further study of Bangladesh, this book is a spot-on summary of the various threads of current scholarship on this fascinating country. Solidly researched and impeccably argued, by only critique would be that the book is organized too neatly and things seem more cut-and-dry than they really are. A great building block.
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  Ru

  4.0 / 5.0
  
  Willem Schendel's 'A History of Bangladesh' is used as the primary textbooks in many introductory university level Bangladesh Studies courses. But it’s a great read for the general reader too. Originally published in 2009, it intends to map out the entire historical existence of the delta up until recent times. The book covers information upto 2007. 15 years have passed since then but the observations made in this book about the historical trends pervasive in current Bangladeshi society still rings true. I liked how the author managed to examine from many different lenses the process of the ever growing Bangladeshi nationalism as a separate subcontinental identity in the fairly short volume of the text.
  
  
  ~ 7 October 2022
• 
  Paul Smith

  Bangladesh is a young and slightly mad state founded upon a broad collection of intertwined and frequently unfortunate histories. It's a country you can't help but admire, if it will only stand still long enough for you to get to grips with it.
  
  There's no reason why a Dutchman shouldn't have a bash at making sense of it all, and Van Schendel speaks with authority - if he doesn't know his stuff, I don't know who does. Colonialism, the East India Company, partition, war with Pakistan, floods, famine - it's all here, along with a geographic history of the region and a linear account of contemporary Bangladeshi tribulations. Perhaps it gets a bit Lonely Planet at times, but Van Schendel understands that his job is to hack through a seething mass of source material and present a coherent work at the end of it, and he does this well.
  
  If you're planning to visit this fascinating country, you can't go far wrong with this book. In fact, you can't go far wrong even if you're not planning to visit it, although it will make you wish that you were.
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  Rifat Maruf

  Learned a lot about the history of my own country that I weren't aware of (given the fact that I went through English Curriculum Schooling rather than Bangladesh's National Curriculum).
  Thanks to Mr.Schendel for summarizing the history of Bengal delta so efficiently and effectively
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  Vrouw To

  Informative but not heavy, perfect for a first glimpse and to get an idea of your more particular interests and where to look for more information on those subjects. Great visual material, too.
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  Robert Cooke

  I happen to be travelling through Bangladesh now and this book was a great primer on the history of the country, culture and people. It's perfect introduction for a layman.
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  Tamanna Taher

  I never enjoy reading heavy historical books. But when the book started I got hooked. I have read the history of this Bengal delta in my school textbooks. I live in the perplex situation of modern times. We've read about all the political shifts from our childhood.
  But some good things that urged me for this book was
  -It covered almost everything that could be touched. From the Vanga king to the modern Bangladesh, Rosogolla to Nagar Baul;everything that has touched this land have been touched in the book.
  -It doesn’t give you the intricate details of any scenario. A lot has been going on here in terms of politics,economy, cultural shifts but nevertheless it all has been carefully described so that one maybe interested to study further.
  -The most unbiased book,while it talks about the difficulties or the faltering sectors, it also gives the perspective to the development & growth of this Land.
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  Nakibur Rahman

  A very well-written and well-researched book. It provides a bird's eye view of delta's ancient and recent past history. Often drawing references from the past events, the writer sought to explain the present aspirations and conflicts among delta's various groups-whether it is political or communal. Interestingly, one will encounter amusing anecdotes, legends and facts about the land and its people while going through the pages. Once the book is completed, one is bound feel closer to the people whose lives are being constantly defined by ecological and political turbulence. Whether you are a Bengali or a foreigner, reading this book will be a pleasant experience while learning to appreciate an ancient culture and its evolution through time and turmoils.
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  Zahidul Choyan

  I liked the extensive description of the origin of Bengal and it's people. Although the whole book was from a bird eye view and touched a lots of topics. Of course it isn't possible to be politically correct in a book of such capacity.
  
  I liked his writing style which is very simple, easy for a non-english spoken reader.r
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  Tasnim Rifat

  ভালো না। -_-
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  Tahira

  Simple, easy and exciting way to get to know one's own ethnical history :) /
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  Jacob Mardell

  My job is essentially travelling and researching different countries' engagement with china - I only really have time for one history book, so I like a real introductory history that gives me a feel for a place and provides necessary context in as general a way as possible, in as fewer words as possible. This book did what I wanted it to do really well, hence the four stars. The text boxes feel a bit school bookish at first, but they do the job of making this book about Bangladesh in as general way as possible, rather than being a simple run through the timeline. Compared to other histories I've read, there's an emphasis on key takeaways and implications of events, rather than dates and names, which I like. It's entertaining, well written, and I found it a lot easier to pick up than most histories. Like I said, I know nothing about Bangladesh (well, a little now), but the author strikes me as someone who has a meaningful, textured understanding of the country.
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  Richard

  
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  The history of South Asia involves more than just Pakistan and India. This very accessible history of Bangladesh revealed to me a world about which I was very ignorant. My appetite whetted, I am eager to learn more.
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  Rezwan Sarkar

  good
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  Meg

  I have no idea where I heard about this book, but it took awhile to track down (how many Americans seek out a book on the history of a country they probably cannot locate on a map!?)....I have always wanted to understand Bangladesh better because I teach so many Bengali students.
  Sadly, this book was dry and boooooooring. I had to "assign" myself 10 pages a day so that I would actually finish the book. It was mind-numbing. I did learn so stuff--- and now I have a better understanding of the people, but wow.
  The fact that surprised me the most....(drum roll, please)....was that Pakistan (at one point) was a country that had two different locations: West and East Pakistan. This (obviously) did not work out--- so East Pakistan became Bangladesh. I am not sure why, but I found this fascinating.
  
  Read: ONLY if you want to learn about Bangladesh. If not, move on to some interesting history text because this one was a sleeping pill.