Download ST e-book to travel back in time

The Straits Times' latest e-book can be downloaded for free through The Straits Times Star E-books app from today.
The Straits Times' latest e-book can be downloaded for free through The Straits Times Star E-books app from today. ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

From wild tiger or elephant sightings in the 19th century to the Maria Hertogh riots in 1950, The Straits Times has seen them all.

And now, with its latest e-book, readers too can travel back in time and relive highlights from the last 170 years, as told by Singapore's oldest paper.

Said Straits Times deputy foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar, who led a team of 12 in putting together Living History: 170 Years Of The Straits Times: "It's like a bridge to the past - you can really see how much Singapore has changed."

  • How to obtain the free e-book

  • 1. Go to Apple App store on your iPad or Google Play Store on your Android tablet.

  • 2. Type "The Straits Times Star" to search for The Straits Times Star E-Books app.

  • 3. Download it onto your iPad or Android tablet.

  • 4. Go to "I'm just browsing"

  • 5. You will find Living History: 170 Years Of The Straits Times.

The team spent more than a year sifting through the paper's extensive archives for content, and even created digital animations to add some spice.

Readers can view old copies of The Straits Times since the 19th century, read about Singapore in World War II and the evolution of the country's hawker food tradition.

There are even picture spreads of beloved spots such as Katong and the Singapore Botanic Gardens which capture the country's journey from fishing village to modern metropolis.

The book also includes an essay on media freedom by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam.

One of Ms Garekar's favourites is the chapter on Singapore during the Great Depression.

"When the region's economy was under acute stress, ST pressed for increased state spending to counter the slump.

"George Seabridge, the editor at the time, set an example. He bought a fleet of Morris Minor vans to deliver the paper upcountry to Malaya, and ordered the best printing press and made plans to construct a new office.

"The move kept the morale high and the investment in modernisation paid off handsomely for years to come," said Ms Garekar, who has been with the paper for 15 years.

The book features fresh interviews with war survivors and ST journalists who covered milestone events, including Konfrontasi and the Laju Ferry hijacking in 1974.

Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez said: "When a big story breaks, reporters spring into action. In many cases, we live through history in the making, capturing stories in our pages, pictures and videos. These come alive in this e-book on the significant moments in Singapore, as seen and told in the ST over the years."

Supported by the National Heritage Board, the e-book is also the paper's gift to the country for its Golden Jubilee.

It can be downloaded for free through The Straits Times Star E-books app from today, which is the 170th anniversary of the newspaper.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 15, 2015, with the headline Download ST e-book to travel back in time. Subscribe