'...a remarkable tour de force...' [...] 'To write about the sociology of such a diverse region as Southeast Asia is a formidable task that has been brilliantly solved by Professor Victor King, a noted authority on the subject. [...] 'The text is well written and easy to read...'

Reviewed by Hans-Dieter Evers, Asienforum International Quarterly for Asian Studies

 This is a textbook. It does not claim to offer any new approach to our understanding of the region, whether conceptual or applied. Instead, it fills a gap in the available literature for a ‘user‐friendly’ introduction to the sociology of Southeast Asia. … There are few – if any – scholars who could have produced a text which is, at once, so forbiddingly well‐informed (the bibliography extends to 46 pages) but also gently approachable. King, in effect, takes the student or scholar by the hand and leads them through the maze of theoretical frameworks, regional differences, historical contingencies and transformational processes that comprise the region. … King says that writing this book was an ‘arduous’ process. I can’t say that it shows.

Reviewed by Jonathan Rigg, University of Durham, ASEASUK News 46, 2009

 Although Southeast Asia experienced major changes during the 20th century that subsequently led to a fundamental transformation of the region’s socioeconomic structure, a textbook authored by a single person that focused on sociological issues and was primarily written for university use has not existed until now. Victor T. King’s book The Sociology of Southeast Asia now attempts to fill this gap in the literature written for this purpose. The study is designed as a source and reference book for students interested in the development and history of Southeast Asian societies. Covering the period between the colonial era of the 19th century and the present day, it provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects of life in Southeast Asia as well as covering the associated social science literature. Moving from a review of the classical accounts of the region to the scientific debates conducted during the last century, the author works his way toward identifying new avenues of research. This work will therefore be indispensable for students of the region, no matter whether they are reading Sociology, Regional Studies or a subject beyond the social sciences. …

King admits that there are no detailed features on Viet Nam, Cambodia, the Lao PDR, or Brunei among the case studies. Nevertheless, he has obviously worked through the huge amount of material on societal change in Southeast Asia and compiled this in a structured manner well suited to undergraduate readers. It is to the author’s credit that he has managed to compress the large body of works on the region concerning disciplines ranging from sociology and anthropology to political economics into a newly structured textbook. This publication is a valuable source of information for students of development and change in Southeast Asia. Recommended for anyone studying the present state of Southeast Asian societies, the book illustrates how a historical sociological approach can be utilized to explain the development and change of Southeast Asia.

Reviewed by Magnus C. M. Brod, GIGA Institute of Asian Studies, Hamburg, Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 1/2010

Overall, this textbook presents an admirably comprehensive account
of recent social transformation in South East Asia, with clearly focused
and selective discussions. It will be a most valuable textbook for
students and teachers alike in courses concentrating on the more historical and political economy dimensions of South East Asian studies,
as well as being a handbook for research students and scholars working
in and on the region. 

Reviewed by Dr. Maila Stivens, Principal Research Fellow, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, and Lim Siew Wai Fellow in Cultural Studies, Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore, South East Asia Research, Volume 18, Number 2, June 2010