‘The Trouser People towers above all other contemporary books on Burma.’ Bertil Lintner, author of Outrage: Burma’s Struggle for Democracy.
Inspired by the diaries of a forgotten Victorian adventurer called Sir George Scott, Andrew Marshall set out to discover the real Burma – an impoverished nation ruled by a repressive regime. Scott was a die-hard imperialist who hacked, bullied and charmed his way through uncharted jungles to help establish British colonial rule.
Braving government spies and the after-effects of some powerful local hooch, Marshall retraces Scott’s intrepid footsteps into Burma’s remote tribal heartlands to encounter the bewitching ‘giraffe women’ and the former headhunters of the Wild Wa. His journey is an offbeat exploration of Britain’s lost heritage – and a powerful exposé of Burma’s modern tragedy.
This new edition includes Marshall’s gripping eyewitness account of the Saffron Revolution, the 2007 democratic uprising led by Burmese monks.
‘Immensely readable. Marshall offers a heart-rending view of what life holds for those in the grip of Burma’s military.’ The Guardian
‘Marshall has travelled bravely and his Brit-gonzo journalism made me laugh, think and look very hard at places and peoples that disappear off our mental maps.’ The Independent
‘An evocative travel book and an adventure story . . . Marshall is a gifted writer.’ The New York Times
‘The stuff of ripping yarns.’ The Sunday Times
Cover photo: Mount Popa 1997 © Philip Blenkinsop
Cover design: Pascal Rüegg
Inspired by the diaries of a forgotten Victorian adventurer called Sir George Scott, Andrew Marshall set out to discover the real Burma – an impoverished nation ruled by a repressive regime. Scott was a die-hard imperialist who hacked, bullied and charmed his way through uncharted jungles to help establish British colonial rule.
Braving government spies and the after-effects of some powerful local hooch, Marshall retraces Scott’s intrepid footsteps into Burma’s remote tribal heartlands to encounter the bewitching ‘giraffe women’ and the former headhunters of the Wild Wa. His journey is an offbeat exploration of Britain’s lost heritage – and a powerful exposé of Burma’s modern tragedy.
This new edition includes Marshall’s gripping eyewitness account of the Saffron Revolution, the 2007 democratic uprising led by Burmese monks.
‘Immensely readable. Marshall offers a heart-rending view of what life holds for those in the grip of Burma’s military.’ The Guardian
‘Marshall has travelled bravely and his Brit-gonzo journalism made me laugh, think and look very hard at places and peoples that disappear off our mental maps.’ The Independent
‘An evocative travel book and an adventure story . . . Marshall is a gifted writer.’ The New York Times
‘The stuff of ripping yarns.’ The Sunday Times
Cover photo: Mount Popa 1997 © Philip Blenkinsop
Cover design: Pascal Rüegg
