Søren Ivarsson


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Søren Ivarsson is an associate professor in the Department of History, University of Copenhagen. Well versed in the histories of Laos and Thailand, he is particularly interested in nationalism, state formation and historiography in these countries. His monograph, Creating Laos, was published by NIAS Press in 2008 and has attracted much acclaim.

Books by this author

Saying the Unsayable

Monarchy and Democracy in Thailand

  • A unique, multidisciplinary discussion of the cultural, historical, political, religious and legal forces that formed the Thai monarchy.
  • Essential reading for anyone interested in Thai politics and culture.
  • Of interest to a broad readership, also outside academia.
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The Quest for Balance in a Changing Laos

A Political Analysis

The quest by Laos to balance its economic transformation with retention of national stability and one-party rule involves the regime in 2 balancing acts: first to please neighbours and donors; second to ride the economic whirlwind without tumbling from power.

Contesting Visions of the Lao Past

Lao Historiography at the Crossroads

This book argues that the historiography of Laos needs also to be understood in this wider context. Not only do the contributors consider how the Lao have written their own nationalist and revolutionary history ‘on the inside’, they also examine how others – the French, Vietnamese, and Thais – have tried to write the history of Laos ‘from the outside’ for their own political ends.

Creating Laos

The Making of a Lao Space between Indochina and Siam, 1860-1945

This book examines the uncertain process through which a specific idea about a separate ‘Lao space’ and its culture was formed and Laos came into existence under French colonial rule. Here, Laos’s position at the intersection of two conflicting spatial layouts of ‘Thailand’ and ‘Indochina’ made its national form a particularly contested process.