Timothy Auger
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2015
ISBN: 9789814610032
Few people have watched the development of today's Singapore as closely as President S.R. Nathan. Born into humble circumstances, he experienced destitution and the Japanese Occupation. After the war he embarked on a lifetime of public service. Having earned a university diploma as an adult student, he worked as a seamen's welfare officer, and then as a trade union mediator. There followed a very distinguished career as a civil servant, notably in the foreign affairs and defence ministries, and as a diplomat -- not to mention a spell as executive chairman of Straits Times Press. At an age when most people contemplate retirement, he served two full terms as President of Singapore.
In a series of informal, wide-ranging interviews conducted specially for this book, Mr Nathan reflects on modern Singapore, its history, and its extraordinary achievements. He shares vivid recollections of some pioneering nation builders, and warns of the real challenges that he sees confronting both government and people today.
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