Originally published in 1815, Major William Thorn's The Conquest of Java describes the military and naval elements of the British expeditionary force to Java in 1811 as part of a plan to eliminate French influence from the Eastern Seas. Led by Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty, a 55-year-old American who had fought on the side of the British during the American War of Independence, the British invasion force which left India was by far the largest armament ever to enter the Eastern Seas-with nearly 12,000 men and 100 ships its size was unmatched until the Second World War-and its importance was enhanced by the presence of the Governor-General Lord Minto. The book contains a vivid account of the expedition's maritime course to Java, the success of British arms in the island, and the subsequent British military operations against the sultanates of Palembang and Yogyakarta in 1812. Major Thorn, who took part in all three military operations, not only evocatively describes the bloody battles and knife-edge diplomacy surrounding the invasion, but also meticulously annotates Java's administrative setup and provides numerous observations on the island's cultural landscape. The Conquest of Java adds another dimension to the existing literature covering this period in history. Together with an Introduction by Dr John Bastin, former Reader at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London, and a world authority on nineteenth-century Java, this reprint will provide both scholars and all those interested in Southeast Asia with a new insight into a crucial event in the region's affairs. Book jacket.