
History of Bali
A Captivating Guide to Balinese History and the Impact This Island Has Had on the History of Indonesia and Southeast Asia
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Narrated by:
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Jason Zenobia
About this listen
Discover the magic of the Indonesian island of Bali in this captivating book on its history, from the origins of Bali’s geological formation until modern times.
Bali is known as “the Island of the Gods”, with its tens of thousands of temples and shrines dating back more than a millennium to the exotic Indianized empires of Java that influenced Bali greatly. Although it bore witness to the ancient Maritime Silk Road of Southeast Asia, Bali mysteriously avoided complete domination by ocean traders and European colonizers until as late as the 20th century.
Bali is visited today by millions of international tourists, not only for its magnificent beaches and lush, tropical scenery but also as a living monument of an ancient cultural past. The Balinese of today adhere faithfully to the unique Balinese Hinduism of their island paradise and continue following traditions and art forms that were brought to its shores by their ancestors thousands of years ago.
In this audiobook, you will learn:
- How the island of Bali was home to paleolithic humankind
- Why Bali’s Asian biodiversity and rich, fertile soils are not found on the neighboring islands
- What makes up the unique human heritage of indigenous Balinese
- How the island retained its endemic Balinese Hinduism despite 1,300 years of Muslim influence
- From where and from whom the Balinese learned their abundant skills in metalworking, crafting, sculpture, and art
- How art and ritual offerings form the basis of Balinese life, from where the island draws its name
- Insight into the Balinese pride in being the true ancestors of the collapsed Javanese Indianized Majapahit Empire
- How this gentle, peaceful island consistently evaded total domination by foreign powers and curiously repelled colonialists for much of its history
Buy this audiobook now to learn more about the history of Bali!
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What listeners say about History of Bali
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-16-22
Brief.
Would have enjoyed more detail of the culture, especially 19th and 29th century as I’m reading up for a trip there.
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- Cynthia Baur
- 06-18-21
Small Country Large History
For a small country Bali has a rich history. Is there any where the Dutch did not try to take over. Fascinating how much has happened would love to visit there one day. Good read!
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- J. Danoff-Burg
- 06-24-24
mixed experience
Much of the text was focused on detailed explorations of ancient Arcadia, but a good half of it was fascinating and invaluable.
if your interested in an overview of Bali history. nature, and culture as a visitor, skip the middle chapters, but listen to the opening and closing ones a few times.
Great narration throughout, engaging and personable!
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- S. Combs
- 08-03-22
Excellent!! intro to Bali
This book is a perfect introduction to Bali, Indonesia. It stays brief and covers many aspects from history of land occupations, cultural origins, the philosophy, and natural phenomenon. Very quick at only 3hr43 mins. If interested in the complexities of the Island of Spirits and desire a quick and easy intro, this is the one! Highly recommended.
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- evelyn sill
- 06-25-21
bali
who knew that such a small island could have so much history. this was a very good book.
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- Dakota Prosch
- 10-04-24
A bit patriarchal in nature
It was interesting but concentrated mostly on who was in charge and how brutal they were. history is not only about power. This was a very patriarchal view of what makes hsitory.
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- Johan Yang
- 09-04-23
Historical inaccuracy
Several factual inaccuracies were discovered, that can easily be compared with other credible sources. Especially regarding the end of Soeharto’s rules. These factual inaccuracies put the credibility of the rest of the audiobook in question.
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