Through this wide-ranging survey of Burmese society, we begin to understand what it means to be governed by a repressive military dictatorship. We also learn about the innovative forms of resistance of some courageous Burmese. The author explores the remarkable range of strategies and techniques which the military regime has used to maintain itself in power in defiance of the popular will. She resents the political history of the country since independence in 1948, including the 1988 nation-wide pro-democracy demonstrations, the 1990 elections and more recent political developments. She takes in a wide diversity of people and communities, including, students who have played such a prominent part in the opposition, ordinary soldiers unhappy with what the armed forces are doing to their country, religious figures, the artistic community, and political prisoners. She concludes by examining the internationalisation of Burma's politics by both the regime and the opposition.