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Overview
Protected by jungle-covered mountain ranges, the land ruled by the Burmese Court was for a long time jealously guarded by aloof kings who chose to remain apart from the outside world. With the Age of Steam, access to the sequestered kingdom was much easier, and when it fell prey to British imperialism Burma was "opened-up". Yet, soon after becoming an independent republic, the country once again pursued a policy of limited foreign contact. One consequence of such geographical and cultural isolation is that, aside from its famous role in the Second World War, most outsiders are uninformed about the country now known as Myanmar. This anthology collects sequences of fascinating information covering almost four centuries of Burmese history. These writings are drawn from travelers' accounts, many of the sources being quite rare if not inaccessible in book form.