The 1980 edition of the Indonesia Handbook by Bill Dalton was published by Moon Publications (and also Tuttle Publishing under a different ISBN) and is available for purchase from various online booksellers, primarily as a used item. Book Details and Reviews
The Indonesia Handbook, first published by Moon Publications (which Bill Dalton founded), gained a reputation as a comprehensive and insightful guide for independent travelers in the 1970s and 1980s.
Content: The book covers the geography, history, culture, flora, fauna, and ethnology of all the main Indonesian island groups, including remote areas. It was known for providing in-depth background information that other guidebooks, like the Lonely Planet series, sometimes lacked. It also served as a manual for budget travelers, listing cheap places to eat and sleep, ancient ruins, nature reserves, and cultural venues.
Reputation: Reviewers have praised the handbook for conveying a genuine sense of discovery and being more like travel writing than a standard, sterile guidebook. It was considered "superior in the detail about the culture-religion, arts, crafts, customs and history" compared to some competitors. The book's depth on specific subjects, such as a two-page primer on batik, was particularly helpful for travelers looking to engage with local culture.
1980 Edition: The 1980 release was the 2nd edition of the book.
Inaccuracies: Some travelers noted that descriptions of certain remote regions were based on "hearsay" and that some attractions mentioned simply did not exist upon arrival, suggesting that some parts were not frequently updated for decades.