Introduction

In 2006, the Asia Bookroom in Canberra posted a list of books, monographs and other works about Myanmar, written in English, on its website. This was partly to advertise its wares, but also in the hope that such a list would help those intending to visit Myanmar for the first time or who wished to familiarize themselves with particular aspects of the country before pursuing more in-depth studies. Over the next five years, as opportunity permitted, this list was updated and expanded, not only to reflect the much larger number of books, reports and other monographs being published on Myanmar, but also to cater to the widening range of Myanmar-related subjects in which the bookshop’s customers had expressed an interest. After 2012, successive versions of the list were published as appendices to the first three editions of this select bibliography, with brief annotations to assist readers in making their choices. The most recent iteration of the list follows below.

As noted in the introduction to this book, the guide is not meant to be either authoritative or exhaustive, although an attempt has been made to cover all the main subject areas in one way or another. Some shorter and more specialized studies have been included, but the essay focuses mainly on books and monographs that help provide a broad introduction to the country and its people and are likely to be readily available from good bookshops and libraries. Most can also be found on the websites of major online booksellers. Anyone wishing to delve more deeply into any of the subjects touched upon below or who wants to pursue particular interests is encouraged also to consult the more detailed and scholarly works listed in this bibliography, as well as the burgeoning literature on Myanmar found in academic and professional journals. There are also a number of specialist websites that list additional sources.The latter are often the best source of information on rapidly evolving issues, but they need to be approached with caution. As with other subjects of popular interest, the internet has become a platform for a great deal of inaccurate and tendentious material on contemporary Myanmar.

It is possible to find other lists of recommended books online. A few have been compiled by experienced Myanmar-watchers, such as Bertil Lintner, Emma Larkin, Wendy Law-Yone and Sean Turnell.