Product Description

Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World

Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World
by Jonathan Copeland
with
Ni Wayan Murni

Published by Orchid Books

The magical isle of Bali has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions, ever since visitors from the West began to arrive in the early 20th century.

Incredibly, ancient Balinese cultural traditions remain richly intact today, in the face of, and alongside, 21st century modernity and a highly developed tourist industry. Yet few visitors ever really begin to understand the colourful pageantry that surrounds them virtually everywhere they travel on the island.

Unpretentious and easily readable in its approach and encyclopaedic in its coverage, Secrets of Bali is the key to this understanding. From Balinese life, religion, festivals and offerings, architecture, music, dance, textiles, dress, carvings and paintings, masks, manuscripts, meals and much, much more, this is the book to which the visitor can turn for the answers.

Each chapter is written both as a part of the overall narrative, and as a ‘stand alone’ reference on the topic addressed.

If you buy only one book in addition to a standard travel guide, this is the volume for you. Simply a ‘must read’ for foreign visitors, residents, and those everywhere who have fallen under the spell of ‘The Morning of the World’.

Email: murni (at) murnis.com:

Paperback: IDR 500,000

Ebook: US$7.99

Ebook: US$9.99

Ebook: £7.85

Ebook: $11.99

Jonathan Copeland

Ni Wayan Murni

424 pages
110 line drawings
1 map
Glossary
Bibliography

“In Secrets of Bali Jonathan Copeland and Ibu Murni present a wonderfully fast moving account of Bali – from the outside in and from the inside out. Secrets of Bali places Bali into the warp and weft of the rich tapestry of historical context and ever changing contemporary life. It generously offers us a feast of rare and passionate insights from a man who has so obviously fallen in love with Bali and from a woman who, in so many ways, is Bali.”

Dr Rob Goodfellow
Author, journalist and academic, Australia

“From Balinese Gods to Balinese gamelan, difficult subjects are simply explained in this beautifully written and illustrated work.”

Bill Dalton
Author of Bali Handbook, USA

“Eloquent, enthusiastic, and jargon-free.”

Dr Angela Hobart
Visiting Reader at Goldsmiths College, University of London and Honorary Research Fellow at University College London

“Fortunately for the reader, the author of Secrets of Bali is not in the slightest bit secretive. The outcome is an accessible and wide ranging guide to the island’s culture and history. The casual reader can dip into it to answer specific questions, whereas the enthusiast can read with equal pleasure from cover to cover.”

Professor Michael Hitchcock
Deputy Dean (Research and External Relations)
Faculty of Business, Arts and Humanities,
University of Chichester, England

“In Bali they say…when the durians come down, the sarongs go up.”

Julia Suryakusuma
Author of Sex, Power and Nation

“Secrets of Bali is the best book about the island written and published since 1990 …”

Roy Thompson
The Bali Times, 18-24 June 2010

“This book will definitely go with me on my next trip to Bali.”

Michael Clugston
South China Morning Post, 22 August 2010

“This 412-page book tries to summarize every aspect of Bali. Starting from the creation of the universe from a Hindu approach (the major religion in Bali), Balinese architecture, rituals, and the arts and up to the paradigm shift among the modern Balinese. All are explained in the 60 chapters.”

Ni Luh Dian Purniawati
Bali & Beyond, January 2011

“I feel that Secrets of Bali will join the ranks of the definitive and authoritative volumes of reference books for lovers of Bali everywhere.”

Andrew Charles
Tropical Life, September – December 2011

“One of the most readable books about Bali, its people and its traditions.”

Lonely Planet Guide to Bali & Lombok, 2015

Book Reviews

Secrets of Bali

Secrets of Bali: Fresh Light on the Morning of the World is one of the best and most delightful (and intellectually stimulating) books ever written about the magical island of Bali.

Jonathan Copeland and Ni Wayan Murni take you eight secret, seductive degrees south of the equator for a cultural feast of explanation and information, Bali-Hindu enchantment, and art-filled wonder. The reader is taken into a mystical world of gods and goddesses, exotic Balinese village cuisine, opulent religious ceremonies, the ancient wayang kulit shadow puppet theater, and extravagant, lava stone temple architecture.

As you read this important contribution to the permanent literature on Bali, you can hear the gamelan orchestra play, taste pemangku-dispensed sacred holy water, watch transfixed at a fire-born trance dance, and revel in the beauty of Bali’s continual cycle of intricate rice field rituals.

The smiling faces of the devout Balinese shine through on every single page–as does the incredible depth of social and historical research on the legendary island of the gods. Jonathan and Ni Wayan Murni are situated near the village of Ubud (obad means medicine) – the creative and spiritual epicenter of Bali. Surrounded by emerald rice fields, artisans, painters, Balinese dance troupes, sculptors, sacred healers and balian, yoga studios, spas, and royal palaces, they were ideally positioned to create this eye-opening, literary masterpiece (and resource) about their beloved island of Bali.

Congratulations!

Dr. Vivienne Kruger, author of Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine and Food Culture of Bali

A well-written Introduction to Balinese History and Culture

I picked up this book before a recent trip to Bali, and highly recommend it for anyone – layperson or seasoned Baliophile alike – who wants a basic understanding of the island’s history and culture. I had been to Bali before and this book was an excellent way to get reacquainted.

I read it at home, and then again – chapter by chapter – with my 18-year old daughter while we were on the island. After my daughter learned to make traditional Balinese offerings, for example, we read the chapter about offerings. The book really helped bring the island alive with meaning.

Secrets of Bali covers a vast amount of territory in a tone that is lucid, appreciative and witty, and is illustrated with delicate pen-and-ink drawings. The text begins with Bali’s past, from what little is known about Bali’s prehistory, then working its way through the early kingdoms, Dutch colonialism, Indonesian independence and on to the present day.

From there, we are introduced to the various elements of Balinese culture: Balinese Hindusim, core beliefs, rituals, food, social customs, art, architecture – each topic expanded and explained in clear and elegant prose. To attain this much knowledge of Bali would take years of research and experience, and together author Jonathan Copeland – with the help of Bali native Ibu Murni – have just that.

Once back home I was able to somewhat soothe my longing for Bali by cooking up some of Ibu Murni’s traditional recipes that are included in the book. I made the Bali-Style Village Chicken the other night, and it was divine.

Literary Lush

Fresh and Delightful

If you are after a basic understanding of the island’s history and culture, this is perfect, written by a Balinese who knows Bali better than, well, most anyone!

I love the way it is written, as though you are sitting down with Murni and listening to her tales. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Murni and if you ever get the chance, please do! She clearly loves people, loves Bali and is one of the most engaging people I have met. Her passion shines through and she takes you on a journey into the magic of Bali.

I came across this book while researching my own book (Things You Need To Know About Bali Travel) and found it incredibly useful. Whether you know Bali well, or it is the first time to Bali, there is something you will learn. It’s perfect for the plane trip over.

I also love this book because it reminds me of the heart and soul of Bali. As you head to your fancy hotel and lay by the pool, think about heading out to Murni’s world, where life is centred around ceremonies that connect the soul with the earth, the mountains and the sea, and the spirit realms beyond. A beautiful book. I wish there were more like this but for now, this one will remain very special to me as it reconnects me to the true Bali spirit.

Clara