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In Nusantara, Robert Templer brings to life the story of Indonesia’s new capital, being built in the forests of Kalimantan. The new city, planned for completion in 2045, aims to be a green and smart city, a model for future development in the world’s fourth most populous country. Although the presidential palace and several ministries have risen out of an area of plantation land more than 1000 kilometers from the old capital Jakarta, the project faces many risks. The question remains whether Indonesia can build a city that will be a model for future urbanism or if it will be a jungle white elephant.
Colourfully narrates a bizarre three-day extravaganza thrown by Iran’s Pahlavi dynasty, alleged at the time to have cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The event, attended by leaders from around the world, ultimately helped to precipitate the Shah’s downfall.
‘Readers will enjoy the challenges and paradoxes that [Templer] throws at them in this fast-paced and readable work.’
― Asian Review of Books
‘A masterful account of how a regime celebrated itself into oblivion. Richly researched, beautifully paced and quietly unsettling.’
-- Thant Myint-U, author of Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World
‘A kaleidoscopic tour de force―comprehensive in scope, meticulously researched and vividly written. More than just a fascinating slice of history, The Shah’s Party is an indispensable guide to understanding the complexity of contemporary Iran.’
-- Gareth Evans, former Australian foreign minister and International Crisis Group president
‘Beautifully written and insightful, The Shah’s Party presents a vivid look into the Iranian monarchy’s last hurrah, celebrations that were at once opulent and disastrous. By placing the Shah’s celebration in national, international and historical contexts, Templer chronicles the monarchy’s steady atrophy and its impending collapse. A book of tremendous value, a terrific read.’
-- Mehran Kamrava, Professor of Government, Georgetown University in Qatar, and author of Triumph and Despair: In Search of Iran's Islamic Republic
‘The Shah’s Party is a strikingly original and beautifully written account of Iran in the 1970s. It is an exclusive invitation into the lives of people who shaped its politics and culture in ways that are often overlooked, yet remain profoundly relevant today. To read this book is to see the past anew.’
― Michael Shaikh, author of The Last Sweet Bite
‘In the Shah’s Party, Robert Templer reconstructs the twilight of the Pahlavi era with cinematic clarity. Through the despots, dilettantes and deal makers who converged on Persepolis, he captures a monarchy staging its last and grandest performance even as revolution gathered beyond the floodlights. A gripping history of debauched power, spectacle and political miscalculation. Templer turns a legendary celebration into a timely lens on the waning authority of monarchy and fervent forces that would reshape Iran and the wider world.’
― Candace Rondeaux, author of Putin’s Sledgehammer
“Writing about a city while it’s being built allows us to express our complex feelings toward it. Nusantara captures all of this, offering a reflective document we can return to if and when the city materialises.”
“A short, snappy guide that puts Indonesia’s grand plans for a new capital city in global context.”
“Robert Templer’s Nusantara skilfully weaves a timely narrative on Indonesia’s controversial new capital blending political issues with the financial and environmental challenges. He very nicely sets all of this in the historical and global context of inventing new cities.”
Book Reviews
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