The king never smiles : a biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej / Paul M. Handley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Handley, Paul M., 1955-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, 1927-2016.

Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thailand--Kings and rulers--Biography.

Thailand.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (500 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Thailands Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and is now the worlds longest-serving monarch. The King Never Smiles, the first independent biography of Thailand's monarch,tells the unexpected story ofBhumibol's life and sixty-year rulehow a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha, and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political andautocratic.Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the kings youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skillful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom.Handley takes full note of Bhumibol's achievements in art, in sports and jazz, and he credits the king's lifelong dedication to rural development and the livelihoods of his poorest subjects. But, looking beyondthe widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley portrays an anti-democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, has protected a centuries-old, barely modified feudal dynasty.When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, silencing critics whilewinning the hearts and mindsof his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailands unique constitutional monarchhis life, his thinking, and his ruling philosophy.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Preface

Introduction

1 A Dhammaraja from America

2 From Pure Blood to Dynastic Failure

3 1932: Revolution and Exile

4 Restoration to Regicide

5 Revenge of the Monarchists,1946-49

6 Romance in Lausanne Bhumibol Prepares to Reign

7 The Cold War, 1952-57

8 Field Marshal Sarit The Palace Finds Its Strongman

9 Bhumibol in the 1960s A Dhammarajo's Brilliance Unfolds

10 Going to War

11 Reborn Democrat?

12 Royal Vigilantism and Massacre,1974*76

13 What Went Wrong Cosmic Panic, Buisness Failure, Midcareer Crisis

14 Who's the Enemy?

15 In the King's Image

The Perfect General Prem

16 Family Headaches

17 Another Coup for the Throne

18 May 1992: October 1976 Redux

19 Sanctifying Royalty and Stonewalling Democracy in the 1990s

20 Another Family Annus Horribilis

21 The Economic Crash and Bhumibol's New Theory

22 Going into Seclusion Can the Monarch Survive Bhumibol?

Notes

Index m.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 451-476) and index.

ISBN:

1-281-73073-4

9786611730734

0-300-13059-7

OCLC:

923588958