C.M. Turnbull's one-volume history of Singapore has been an essential resource since its first edition was published in 1977. Revised fully twice, in 1989 and 2006, it remains irreplaceable, even as new research has widened the scope in understanding the island city-state. In particular, Turnbull’s History provides a solid foundation for understanding the 200-year trajectory, from modern colonial outpost to world city.

While many modern studies focus on current affairs or very recent events, with the most attention to Singapore's successful transition from the developing to the developed world, Turnbull's History sets out the key elements of Singapore's colonial experience, under the East India Company and the British Crown. It is a past which has come under more scrutiny since Singapore devoted considerable resources to mark the bicentennial of the founding of Singapore in 1819. This new edition presents the standard history in a new format and is great for students, teachers and those fascinated by the many stories of changing Singapore.
Constance Mary Turnbull (1927-2008) first came to Asia in 1952 as an administrative officer in the Malayan Civil Service. In 1955 she accepted a position teaching history at the University of Malaya in Singapore where she remained until 1971, having earned a PhD at the University of London in 1962. She then moved to the University of Hong Kong where she became Professor of History and Head of the Department of History.

Authors

A History of Modern Singapore 1819-2005, New Edition