Year on the Irrawaddy, A

Bangkok: White Lotus Press, 1998. Paperback. Very Good/no dj. 1.00. P. B., E. M.. This account was written by the wife of an oil-boat captain plying the trade on the Irrawaddy River in Burma. It is the unassuming tale of the hard lives of sailors and shore men alike. The turn of the century, when this wife took the unusual step of following her husband on board for most of her time in Burma, saw many changes in the daily life on the river: not least those caused by a small boom in trading and in the exploitation of primary resources by British companies. The many anecdotes in this account make for a colorful and insightful picture of the life of those who were living outside the colonial circles and high officialdom that are usually the subjects of expatriates� reports of a tour of duty in the colony. Today�s travelers to Burma may find this book interesting and useful comparative material and will, no doubt, notice how little has changed in the lives of the common people with the passing of regimes and doctrines.