Book Review Title: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew
Book Title: The Singapore Story
Author: Lee Kuan Yew
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Editions
Year of publishing: 1998.
Number of pages: 680
Singapore did not want independence. It was forced on them and today Singapore is one of the greatest nations in the world in terms of living standards. From his young adolescent love to struggling with education in England to forming People’s Action Party (PAP) in Singapore, ‘The Singapore Story’ tells it all. It is said that PAP has won every elections since self government in 1959.
The ‘Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew’ is an inspirational autobiography of a great leader who transformed Singapore from a tiny island into a great nation. Today’s Singapore is the byproduct of this visionary man which any duffer can make out from the book even though it is a bit understated.
We may have read and heard of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln etc. whose names are reflected in the world history. Well, Lee Kuan Yew is the name in the Southeast Asia that has made its place in the world history too as a man known for being an astute statesman, visionary politician and leader and a good human being.
Charged with humour, suspense, fear, danger, curiosity, of personal and political life, of Japanese occupation, colonialism and colonialists, communism and communists, communalism and communalists, of separation from Malaysia and bringing Singapore to where it is today, one shall be fascinated with the book as candidly narrated by the author.
The book is recommended for every individual to learn that nothing comes through a natural course but that one has to struggle to earn what you intend to have. The book is highly recommended for aspiring politicians to learn good governance.
What I dislike about the book is the sheer volume of the book. With 680 pages and hard bound cover and extra flap cover, the book is not movement friendly. It’s like either you sit at a place and read the book or you don’t read it at all. Unlike some books that can be carried in your hand bag and then read it at any convenient time, this book bounds you to a place and that makes reading a less fun if not for the content of the book itself.
karmachoden 