Vann Nath reveals the terrors of the S-21 in the language that only those who have suffered severely can speak. This is a must read for anyone interested in the time and terrors of Pol Pot. I had little understanding of the Pol Pot Regime when I began this book but I came away with a much better understanding of this terrible time in Cambodia's history. Beautifully written and easy-to-read for the layman.

A touching memoir from one of only seven known prisoners to survive S-21, the infamous interrogation and extermination center of the Pol Pot regime. The scene depicting Vann Nath's subsequent meeting ten years later with "Huy", one of the center's executioners, says much about the nature of the Cambodian people. "A Cambodian Prison Portrait" sets a fine example which, if followed by other witnesses of the past and ongoing tragedies in Cambodia, could contribute to civilized political discourse in that country. Readers should refer to Professor David Chandler's upcoming "Voices from S-21" for further insight into the how this prison came into existence.

This is the greatest book on the best ethnic restaurants in LA. Hopefully, the author will put out a new edition. I have it. It's about 10 years old, and I'm not going to sell it. It's better than any new guide out there. Even if you don't go to these places, it's an interesting read.

When this book first came out about 10 yrs. ago or more it was a revelation. In one collection it guided you through EVERY major ethnic community in the greater L.A. region and told you which were the best restaurants, bakeries, markets, etc. I don't know of any other book that comes to close to being this comprehensive & incisive.

If you ever spend any time in L.A. & you are interested in ethnic food, you must have this book.

I was at Fire Support Base Illingsworth on 1 April 1970, April Fools Day, that the author describes in his book. His account is so accurate it was hard for me to read it. I thought back on my experience for days!

Having served as an infantryman in the 2nd of the 8th Cav during 1970, I can attest to the true to life account of 1st Air Cav operations in III Corps as described by the author.

This is by far the most comprehensive work on Vietnam during the past few years.

Previous books looked exclusively at the American aspect of the Vietnam War while others focused only at the Hanoi side. Dommen elucidates the perspectives of all the parties involved in the conflict, namely North and South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He thinks the fates of the Indochinese countries are intertwined and the loss of the nationalists to the communists in Laos and Cambodia has adversely affected the war in Vietnam.

Dommen begins his story in 1626, but the fratricidal war actually started in 1600 when duke Nguyen Hoang broke away from the then Thanh Long (Hanoi) regime, settled in present-day central Vietnam. and thus founded South Vietnam. North and South fought against each other for 50 years from 1627 to 1677 followed by one hundred-year peace. It was only in 1778 when the southern general Nguyen Hue reunited the whole country. He unfortunately died young at the age of 40 and another southerner Nguyen Anh reunited the country for the second time in 1802.

Dommen also looks at the war as a struggle between communists and non communist-nationalists that eventually went the communist way. The assassination of President Diem, the US take over of the Vietnam War, Kissinger's machiavellian ploys to extricate the Americans out of Vietnam, and the eventual fate of the nationalists are carefully analyzed. He hopes the latter could recover one day the sovereignty that has been stolen from them by Hanoi, a regime of "mendicity and mendacity."

The author is to be congratulated for his in-depth review of this long and agonizing war, for which many lives have been lost, certainly not in vain. The lessons are still vivid and it is hoped we can learn enough from them to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

For anyone who wants an accurate, objective, and thorough understanding of 20th century conflict in Indochina, this work is essential. Dommens research is balanced, well planned and documented, and for a change provides a complete picture of the much mis-understood complexities of the conflict. The work is lengthy; a necessity in this case, but for those truly interested will not seem cumbersome. Dommens links Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia together as they should be linked to grasp the subject. Many works are published every month claiming to be full accountings of the Indochina struggle. Dommens literally is. Highly recommended for those truly interested.

Hello Mrs. Kim Ha

Thank for your book. Around me, personally I know that there are four poeple died on the sea during the trip escape from vietnam. My sister, She came on boat and we never have any information about her again. My highschool teacher. After the summer we could not find him in our school and my friend told he was death on a trip escape to Hong Kong. And a litle girl next to my door she was just 4 year olds her mother could not save her from death because they was out of food when their ship was lost on the sea. Many many young girls was raped by Thailan robbers then killed. Sometime I wanna look up the sky and ask who cause all the pain for many generations. Sometime I just feel really hunger for the revenge. My English is not good but one thing I am sure that It is good enough to show my appriciation to your work.

Toan Nguyen

Dear Mrs. Kim Ha, I hope this letter eventually reaches you. Yesterday afternoon, I finished reading your book, Stormy Escape. A friend of mine at work (Mrs. Nu Que Thai) recommended that I read it. I believe one of her brothers' was your former high school teacher. From the first page, your words tore at my heart. I found myself wanting to jump inside the book to try and help; but the only thing I could do was, keep reading. My heart raced faster, I was overcome with several emotions; but mostly, I felt ashamed as a human being for being ignorant. I know you must be busy, so I will make this short. First, I want to thank you for writing this book. I wish you and your family the best of health and all the happiness that life can give. Secondly, I must return the book to Mrs. Thai, however, your words and story will stay with me til my last sunset. Thank you, and God Bless, Sincerely, Michael L. Milligan

Afternoon In The Jungle is a superb collection of stories. Crisply written without being terse, Albert Maltz' works are a stylistic hybrid of Ernest Hemingway, Edward Hopper, and Norman Rockwell. Each of the stories relates to Americans in America as it is, not as it is idealized. Without being outright disrespectful and critical of our country, the human dramas Maltz has written concern social problems that have not been fully resolved, even decades after these stories were written. The spiritually impoverishing drudgery of manual labor finds a home in a nameless town when a circus comes. Racism threatens the life of an unborn child. Suicide erupts in a tranquil urban setting. Corruption mars the landscape in a Southern town. A poor child learns the destructiveness of greed when he faces another, equally poor man one late winter afternoon. Two couples are ruined or threatened by dangerous job conditions. When I first read this collection over seven years ago, none of these stories failed to pleasantly surprise me. I was raised on formulaic thrillers and short stories, and reading this book opened my eyes in many ways. First of all it showed me that villainy was sometimes faceless, socially accepted, and borne of wide-scale apathy. The protagonists were sharply defined, but often their antagonists were not simply other people. Sometimes they were never even seen. Second, it introduced me to the true power of irony in literature. It was stronger -- and to me, more effective -- in these works than anything I have read by Hemingway. If a story can make you see the wrongness of the situation without having to correlate a dozen other subtle, previous ironies, the author has done his job well. None of the stories in here is ironic just for irony's sake; each example of such is carefully but plainly crafted to point to and enrich each theme. Last of all, Afternoon in the Jungle showed me the most credible, natural character motivations and actions I'd ever seen in a work of literature. I could see the flow of social dynamics in almost every action the characters took: how they spoke; who they spoke with and how; how they reinforced society, or how they tried to disrupt, destroy, or better it. The heroes and heroines in these stories were American Everymen. On a whim, I searched Amazon.com to see if this, one of my favorite books of all time, was still available. I am happy to see that it still is, and would just as gladly recommend it to you. I feel that though Afternoon in the Jungle may be fairly obscure now, it is a technically and spiritually magnificent example of 20th-Century American writing at its very finest.

Underneath the vast differences between the customs and way of daily life in this colorful Eastern land of long ago and the settings of the traditional Cinderella story are enough similarities to enlist the interest and sympathies of the modern-day reader. More important are the universal values which permeate this charming tale-compassion, fidelity to one's family (even if it brings pain,) and justice. An attractive, multicultural tale that can be savored by readers of all ages.

This is a charming and well written cambodian folk tale about a clever rabbit that manages to outwit a much larger and ferocious crocodile. The message is brains over brawn, a theme most children easily relate to. Adults will also enjoy the intelligence and wit of the prose as well as the colorful and and detailed illustrations.

This is the most up-to-date book on Cambodia and Cambodian politics and includes information on the controversial July 1998 elections. This is a must read for both students of Cambodia and long term Cambodia watchers.

Brown and Zasloff help the reader navigate the often turbulent and violent peace process in the 1980s, the U.N.-sponsored elections, the pre-coup period of 1994 to 1997, the July 1997 coup d'etat, and the July 1998 elections. Using a variety of sources, they present an objective account of modern Cambodian (and international) efforts at peace and current day politics.

Many people do not know much about this country. I used this book for a school project. Cambodia is a very interesting country with a rich history. Great read.