The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World

Synopsis

Drawing on newly declassified documents, archival research, and firsthand interviews, The Jakarta Method examines the global impact of the anti-communist mass killings that began in Indonesia in 1965. Journalist Vincent Bevins traces how the Indonesian military's campaign of violence, carried out with significant support from the United States, became a model for anti-left repression in countries across Latin America and beyond during the Cold War.

Combining investigative reporting with sweeping historical analysis, the book challenges conventional narratives about the spread of democracy and capitalism in the twentieth century. Thoroughly researched and deeply compelling, The Jakarta Method offers a powerful account of one of the Cold War's most consequential and least understood chapters.

About the Author

Vincent Bevins is an American journalist and foreign correspondent whose reporting has focused on politics, social movements, and international affairs. He has written for The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, covering Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Jakarta Method has been widely praised for its rigorous research and global perspective on Cold War history.

Publisher
PublicAffairs

Publication Date
May 19, 2020

Format
Paperback

Pages
320

Subjects
History · Cold War · Politics · Indonesia · Latin American History

ISBN
9781541724006