Thought-provoking and eye-opening, BLOOD AND SILK is a first-hand account of what it's like to sit at the table with deadly Muslim insurgents or in the front room of a notorious political warlord - all in an effort to negotiate peace and understand the reasons behind the violence. Peering beyond the brand-new shopping malls and shiny glass towers, Michael Vatikiotis probes the heart of modern Southeast Asia. Why are the region's richest countries riddled with corruption? Why do they harbour unresolved violent insurgencies and limp from one military coup to the next? How do deepening religious divisions and China's growing influence affect the region and the rest of the world? Vatikiotis tells the story of Southeast Asia using vivid portraits of the personalities who pull the strings, mixed with revealing analysis that is underpinned by years of experience of the countries involved, from the silver-platter levels of government to unpaved streets of their people. The result is a fascinating study of the dynamics of power and conflict in one of the world's fasting growing regions.