Nation-Building and National Identity in Timor-Leste

This book examines the history of nation-building and national identity in Timor-Leste, and the evolution of a collective identity through two consecutive colonial occupations, and into the post-independence era.This is an outstanding contribution to the literature on Timor-Leste nationalism and nationalism in general, and is a veritable tour de force in the study of nation-building in post-colonial nation-states. The results of the author's statistical work combine with interviews carried out and a close study of the literature to produce an authoritative work that opens new vistas of understanding for political scientists, historians, and anthropologists, as well as providing policy-makers with a guide to the past, present, and future of Timor-Leste. It is a splendid book, which serves as a point of departure for all who wish to refine their ideas about how nation-states emerge. David Hicks, Professor of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, USA Leach's 500-year sweep of history deserves an audience far beyond the community of scholars of East Timor. He shows that East Timorese nationalism has diverged in distinctive ways from Eurocentric models which dominate nationalism studies. He is judicious in his consideration of evidence, whilst retaining a sympathy for his subject. Clinton Fernandes, Professor of International and Political Studies, University of New South Wales, Australia