C.M. Turnbull’s one-volume history of Singapore has been an essential resource since its first edition was published in 1977. Revised fully twice, in 1989 and 2006, it remains irreplaceable, even as new research has widened the vistas with which to understand the island city state, over a longer time-period and in broader contexts. In particular, Turnbull's History provides a solid foundation for understanding of the 200-year trajectory from modern colonial outpost to world city.

While many modern studies focus on current affairs or very recent events, with most attention to Singapore’s successful transition from the developing to the developed world, Turnbull's History sets out the key elements of Singapore's colonial experience, under the East India Company and the British Crown. It is a past which has come under more scrutiny since Singapore devoted considerable resources to marking the bicentennial of the founding of Singapore in 1819. This new paperback edition presents the standard history in a new and more affordable format for students, teachers and those fascinated by the many stories of changing Singapore.