Collison, himself a former Australian intelligence officer who spent the "years of living dangerously" in Indonesia, has written extensively on sensitive political topics in Indonesia, avoiding punitive legal action by couching detailed historical facts in works of dramatic fiction. His newest work, Bali: Ashes to Ashes, reveals much about the origins of modern Indonesia and why
the political and strategic landscape is the way it is, through colonialism, the internal kingdoms and their religious-cultural differences, and deeper modern and an- cient history.
His earlier works are, like Bali, total immersions in the various cultures and languages of Indonesia, giving an understanding, too, of the political leaders and their heirs who have emerged and are, even today, influential.
Bali: Ashes to Ashes is a compelling multi-generational family saga which begins in 1904, but which introduces the important prelude of the work of the world's first multi-national corporation, the Vereenigde Oostindische Compangnie (VOC), founded in 1602: the Dutch East India Company. The VOC had colonized much of what is now Indonesia, but had hesitated for more than 200 years to conquer the many kingdoms of the island of Bali, with its impenetrable jungles, perilous reefs, and unique culture of Balinese Hinduism.
Most of the Javanese empire - which is what modern Indonesia is - is Muslim, with the notable exceptions of Bali and West Papua, where there are profound differences to the rest of Indonesia. But a reading of Collison's Bali gives a better understanding of why, even today, Bali has a disproportionate influence on Indonesian politics..
The reader of Bali, apart from being entertained on a level of escapism which sends tremors of guilt into the professional intelligence analysts who read it, emerges with a sober under- standing that the island, though eter- nally beautiful, is not and was not the idyllic and tranquil tourist destination it is today. Many tens of thousands of Balinese died, both at the hands of their own wars or at the hands of the Dutch and during the anti-communist civil war which saw the end of the Sukarno era.
Indonesia remains profoundly important, strategically, today, and is being wooed by the West - particularly the AUKUS powers of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US - as well as the People's Republic of China, Rus- sia, and India. Its straits control a dis- proportionate volume of global trade. Reading this "novel" is profoundly satisfying, but it is also profoundly important. - GRC
Of Kerry Collison's other best-selling novels, reviewers wrote:
"...hard to put down..." - The Canberra Times
"...certainly a powerful thriller..." - Australian Book Review
"Collison puts the Indonesian experience into perspective..." - Sydney Telegraph
"Kerry's book is the talk of Jakarta's chattering classes." - Asia Week
"Vignettes will fascinate historians..." - The Age
"...inspired by his long experience...intriguing plot and vivid descriptions..."
- Sydney Morning Herald
"Kerry Collison demonstrates a keen observation of the forces which motivate the military and corporate elite..." - The West Australian
"Collison's knowledge of the region is unmistakable..." - The Cairns Post
"If the international community had heeded Kerry's writings, it is possible that the present drama [in Indonesia] could have been better understood and dealt with."
- Defense and Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy Journal, Washington
