Indonesia, a nation of thousands of islands and almost 250 million people, straddles the junction of the Pacific and Indian oceans. The world's biggest Muslim nation has long been one of Australia's important strategic partners, and the relationship has become closer - if occasionally fraught - under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. As Indonesia approaches its 2014 parliamentary and presidential elections, its future direction is open. It is a force in the world - but for what? Award-winning Asia-Pacific journalist Hamish McDonald's Demokrasi is an accessible and authoritative introduction to the modern history and politics of this fascinating country.
