The story told is very compelling. The life of the Camboian women and children is told with such detail and veracity. The information is a very reliable source and a great help to one researching Cambodia. The life situations protrayed are heart wrenching. Not only is this piece a excellent source but also very enlightning and easy to read. I quite frankly enjoyed the book. It really helps when doing research to have something you don't mind dealing with.

What better way to get to know a culture than through its folklore? This wonderful collection includes Cambodian folktales passed down for centuries--even millenia--before being written down in the late nineteenth century. Simple but elegant (as are the illustrations), these stories teach traditional Buddhist values, usually in the negative: don't be greedy, don't be haughty, don't be superstitious, don't be gullible--or else you will pay the price! Adding insight are background notes on Cambodian society, holidays, etc. A good primer for anyone interested in traditional Cambodian culture.

This book packs a lot of information into a relatively few pages (192 pages, including the index). It begins at the beginning, with the prehistoric communities of Southeast Asia, and continues through the early states of Funan and Chenla,
Jayavarman II and his successors (800 A.D. - 1000 A.D.), Suryavarman I, the major 12th century builders at Angkor (Jayavarman VI, Suryavarman II, Jayavarman VII), and the later decline of Angkor until its sack by Thai invaders in 1431. A later episode of restoration is not discussed in the book (the last relief in Angkor Wat was carved in 1564), perhaps because Angkor was no longer politically important at that time.

The main sources for this history, in addition to archaeology, are carved inscriptions on temples and stelae, which the author quotes extensively in translation. Political history is emphasized throughout, with not much consideration of artistic and religious matters; the style of writing is terse, and rather dry. Because of this, the book reads more like an academic history (textbook and reference) than like a popular history. The book focuses on the synthesis of known facts into a historical narrative. Within this scope, the book can be relied upon to provide as much information as is currently known about the political history of Angkor.

From primitive 'zao pao' ritual sacrifice and the often ignored 'offay' dances to communal scarification and endogamous incest taboos, this book has it all and more! The ideal tool to teach geography, customs and oral literature of the lesser-studied indigenous peoples of the So Mei Penninsula and beyond. Bartok-Baratta has provided an ordurous, penetrating review of Southeast Asian society. Ideal for all beginning haruspicators!

Insight Guides are useful as both travel guides and picture books.The info is short but concise and the wonderful color pics give you a really nice idea about what the destination spot looks like ( or looked like,as the books are also good for memory/photo albums). This volume is very useful for the traveler to the little known countries of Laos and Cambodia as it covers all areas of both countries and not just the big cities and main attractions. I especially found the info on coastal Cambodia interesting as it's hard to find detail on this beautiful place in other travel books. A must for the Asia traveler....

This book explains the difference between peacekeepers and multinational intervention. It highlights the shortcomings and advantages of peacekeeping (PK). While the book's material is particularly relevant to Cold War-era studies of the UN, the analysis is still applicable. Diehl provides an excellent overview of 6 UN PK missions. He explains why these missions failed and suceeded for different reasons. He also provides several viable alternatives, both institutional and functional options. He brings up several ideas and explains why they won't work, while explaining clearly why some ideas would be a good policy alternative. Furthermore, this edition of Int PK includes an epilogue concerning Somalia, Cambodia, and the former Yugoslovia. Overall, this book should be read by anyone who is interested in: peace in the post-cold war world, peace in a new inter-dependent world, forming a safe world order that can effectively deal with violator states, and the history of UN PK missions. As a third-year international politics student, I would recommend this material to someone who has a fundamental understanding of the UN. This book can be read with meticulous detail or it can be read lightly for overall impressions. The book is well-balanced between honest criticism (compared to cynical insults) and thought-out alternatives (as opposed to flowerly save-the-world recommendations).

Cathy Spagnoli has again done an excellent job of adapting a spoken folk tale into a picture book text - a task that is much more difficult than it appears. Nancy Hom's illustrations include the Khemer text. While few will be able to read the Khemer, it is an excellent way to introduce children to the concept of different alphabets. The tale itself is a simple tale of a newlywed heading off to war only to have a tree spirit impersonate the groom to the bride. When the true groom returns, a wise rabbit serves a judge to set the world back in order. As with many of the animal folktales, there is a gentle moral to the story ... far gentler than the Western Aesop tradition.

Comprehensive but a bit slanted towards a pro communist perspective.

While this book does provide a historical account of the formation and growth of the Cambodian evangelical church, I enjoyed it more for the exciting tales of what the Lord accomplished in the lives of these wholly committed believers.

Their stories fill you with sorrow over the horrors they had to face in return for their faith, but they also fill you with awe at the amazing grace and deliverance shown to many of these saints as they served their Lord so faithfully.

I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of the Pol Pot era in Cambodia and especially to believers who are wish to be inspired by those who have been tested and found faithful.

Similar in layout to the other New Holland guides. Thereby making it obvious that it is not intended for the scientist. Small and handy, perfect for a pocket. However, do not think it only covers a small number of the best known mammals. Several newly discovered mammals are included (e.g. a strange ungulate called the Saola, and a beautifully striped rabbit only discovered in the late 1990's). Most of these are interesting but would never be encountered by the "normal backpacker". Several rarities are also included for example the Lesser One-horned Rhino, of which it is believed that only approx. 60 individuals survives. Almost all of the larger mammals known to occur in this region are described individually with at least one (usually very good) colour photo. The small number of large species not described are almost always mentioned in the description of a relative. The smaller mammals (bats, insectivores etc.) are described in groups (also with at least one photo) usually comprising a genus. The text is strait forward and easy to read for everybody with average English skills. However do not forget your glasses, the text is very small! The text itself is good and actually quite long with the books size in mind. It usually comprises of id, range (no maps!), behaviour, habitat etc. Each species description (incl. photo) comprises 2-1/2 page. A great thing for the novice is the use of easily recognisable thumbnails (an example being deer). Thereby it shouldn't be a problem finding the species your looking for. In the intro of the book a chapter speaks about finding and observing mammals, and 31 national parks or reserves are also mentioned briefly. The thing I find most annoying is the very small number of dark or unclear photos. Another thing to remember is that the book doesn't included whales or dolphins other than the one species which regularly enters fresh water. With the prise and size in mind everybody travelling to this area should bring a copy.