When the achievements of great individuals are exaggerated, an enormous shadow is cast over the work of their subordinates. This happened in accounts of the founding of the British settlement at Singapore in 1819 in which Sir Stamford Raffles has been aggrandised at the expense of Major General William Farquhar. Venerated by contemporary Bugis, Chinese and Indians for his character and accomplishments, Farquhar claimed that he was largely responsible for Singapore's rapid development and commercial success. However, his claims have largely been obscured by the glorification of Raffles. With Singapore's bicentenery just around the corner, there is never a better time to recognise Farquhar's valuable contribution to the success of the early settlement.

In this ground-breaking and carefully documented book Nadia Wright re-examines both East India Company records and contemporary material to investigate the input of Raffles and Farquhar into Singapore's founding and development. This book reveals new and sometimes startling insights into the achievements and personalities of both men, and explains why Farquhar was overlooked for so long.

See the following reviews:

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/01/how-raffles-stole-the-jewel-of-singapore/

http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/was-raffles-a-psycho-boss

http://penangmonthly.com/article.aspx?pageid=9374&name=a_convincing_case_for_farquhar

Description

Size: 21.8 x 15.1 x 1.7 cm, xviii, 258 pp, 570 gm

Language: English

This in-depth study by Nadia Wright, with a foreword by Professor Tommy Koh, elevates William Farquhar's role in the founding of Singapore from the obscurity cast by Raffles' glorified shadow. A must for anyone interested in the facts of Singapore's establishment and what actually took place between the two men during the settlement's embryonic years. Available in hardcover and paperback.

Nadia Wright is a retired teacher living in Melbourne, Australia, having migrated from New Zealand. Her research focuses on the Armenians in Southeast Asia as well as the founding of British Singapore. She is the author of Respected Citizens: The History of the Armenians in Singapore and Malaysia, co-authored Vanda Miss Joaquim: Singapore's National Flower & the Legacy of Agnes & Ridley, and has published related scholarly articles.