Turner has used a vast range of archival material gathered over the course of many years of fieldwork in Burma and in libraries and archives elsewhere. The resulting analysis is not only intellectually engaing and convincing, but also empirically satisfying.... This book is a remarkable achivevement, one that communicates across disciplinary boundaries within Burma studies and national boundaries that divide Buddhist studies.... it should be essential reading for any political scientist or historian who seeks to put the current climate in the country into context. The book is highly recommeded for use in the classroom and by researchers who seek to understand the historical emergence of lay Buddhism and its place in the new Burma that is presently unfolding.