A Woman of Angkor


Book Description

As her husband becomes King Suryavarman's closest confidant, Lady Sray fights to hide a secret connection to the king which becomes more complicated when Bopa, her daughter, becomes the king's concubine and Sovan, her son, designs Angkor Wat with a unique architectural vision.




Angkor's Temples in the Modern Era


Book Description

- Accessible scholarly treatment of one of the world's most iconic sites John Burgess masterfully brings to life the modern history of Cambodia's fabled Angkor temples, from their "discovery" by French explorers in the mid-19th century, through to the latter part of the 20th century, when celebrity visitors included a well publicised one by Jackie Onassis and making Angkor one of the top 3 monuments to visit in the world. An invaluable and riveting book about one of the greatest man-made wonders in the world.




Angkor Wat


Book Description

In 1963, Allen Ginsberg traveled to Cambodia and visited the ancient Khmer temples. He wrote "Angkor Wat," an eponymous poem about the temple complex. It was a very different time: pre-Vietnam War, pre-Khmer Rouge, and before the bustling tourism trade that is now the lifeblood of Siem Reap. Yet the Angkor Wat temples themselves remain a unique source of inspiration for poets and photographers who travel there from all over the world. Over half a century later, Angkor Wat by luke kurtis is both the artist's homage to Ginsberg's text as well a celebration of his own pilgrimages to the ancient city. Published in 1968, Ginsberg's Angkor Wat book was a single long poem accompanied by photographs by Alexandra Lawrence. kurtis's book is a suite of poems paired with his original photography. Chronicling the poet's own travels where he explored mythical stories and experienced mystical visions, kurtis's poems take you on a tour of Angkor Wat (and beyond) unlike any other and tell the story of one American poet deepening his Buddhist spirituality.




Temple of a Thousand Faces


Book Description

In his international bestseller Beneath a Marble Sky, John Shors wrote about the ancient passion, beauty, and brilliance that inspired the building of the Taj Mahal. Now with Temple of a Thousand Faces, he brings to life the legendary temple of Angkor Wat, an unrivaled marvel of ornately carved towers and stone statues. There, in a story set nearly a thousand years ago, an empire is lost, a royal love is tested, and heroism is reborn. When his land is taken by force, Prince Jayavar of the Khmer people narrowly escapes death at the hands of the conquering Cham king, Indravarman. Exiled from their homeland, he and his mystical wife Ajadevi set up a secret camp in the jungle with the intention of amassing an army bold enough to reclaim their kingdom and free their people. Meanwhile, Indravarman rules with an iron fist, pitting even his most trusted men against each other and quashing any hint of rebellion. Moving from a poor fisherman's family whose sons find the courage to take up arms against their oppressors, to a beautiful bride who becomes a prize of war, to an ambitious warrior whose allegiance is torn--Temple of a Thousand Faces is an unforgettable saga of love, betrayal, and survival at any cost. READERS GUIDE INCLUDED




Stories in Stone


Book Description

In the final months of 1979, a city was born in dry forestland along the border of Cambodia and Thailand. It was a city of refugees. The Khmer Rouge had been recently overthrown, and Cambodians fortunate enough to be alive were free to pick up and go where they wanted. Many chose to make for a frontier settlement that became known as Camp 007. The camp was located close to Sadok Kok Thom Temple, which became a focus of worship for the refugees. The temple contained one of the most important inscriptions in Khmer History, written by a high ranking Brahmin and detailing important political and religious events that took place in the Empire. The author discusses the history of the inscription, from its creation to the modern day as well as how modern and ancient history have merged around the temple over the past forty years. SELLING POINTS: A personal and historic account of Sadok Kok Thom Temple, weaving in the archaeology of Angkor with the political turmoil of Cambodia during the 1960s-70s 25 b/w illustrations




Temple in the Clouds


Book Description

Perched atop a five-hundred-meter cliff in the far north of Cambodia, Preah Vihear ranks among the world's holiest sites. It was built a millennium ago as a shrine to Hindu god Shiva by the same civilization that gave the world Angkor Wat. Sadly, it has been transformed recently into a battlefield prize, first with Cambodian factions during the Cambodian civil war, and later (to present) it has been the focus of sometimes violent border disputes with Thailand. In 'Temple in the Clouds' former Washington Post foreign correspondent John Burgess and author of two previous books on Cambodia, draws on extensive research in Cambodia, Thailand, France and the United States to recount the cliff top monument's full history, ancient and modern. He reveals previously unknown legal strategies and diplomatic manoeuvring behind a contentious World Court case of 1959-62 that awarded the temple to Cambodia. Written in a lively, accessible style, 'Temple in the Clouds' brings new insight to one of Southeast Asia's greatest temples and most intractable border conflicts. REVIEWS: 'Temple in the Clouds' is an accessible, handsomely illustrated book about an imposing Tenth Century Cambodian temple known as Preah Vihear. The temple lies close to the Thai-Cambodian border - a line on maps that didn't exist until the early 1900s. John Burgess deftly sets Preah Vihear in its religious and architectural context before going on to examine the conflict about 'ownership' of the temple that has inflamed Thai-Cambodian relations on and off since the early 1960s. -David Chandler, Monash University, author of 'A History of Cambodia' (4th edition, 2007). Southeast Asia is largely at peace today, but some disputes linger, sparking military skirmishes from time to time. The mountaintop Preah Vihear temple is one of them. John Burgess has done the region a great favour with his in-depth investigation of the temple - its ancient history and the tragic modern-day conflict. His findings will help to calm the waters - facts should trump myths and speculation. Scholars and policy makers in Southeast Asia and beyond should read this book carefully, as well as anyone curious about a place that is one of the crowning glories of Cambodia's lost Angkor civilisation. -Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a former Singapore diplomat in Cambodia. 50 colour photos, plans and maps




Angkor the Magnificent


Book Description




Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age


Book Description

Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR and Science Friday A quest to explore some of the most spectacular ancient cities in human history—and figure out why people abandoned them. In Four Lost Cities, acclaimed science journalist Annalee Newitz takes readers on an entertaining and mind-bending adventure into the deep history of urban life. Investigating across the centuries and around the world, Newitz explores the rise and fall of four ancient cities, each the center of a sophisticated civilization: the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Central Turkey, the Roman vacation town of Pompeii on Italy’s southern coast, the medieval megacity of Angkor in Cambodia, and the indigenous metropolis Cahokia, which stood beside the Mississippi River where East St. Louis is today. Newitz travels to all four sites and investigates the cutting-edge research in archaeology, revealing the mix of environmental changes and political turmoil that doomed these ancient settlements. Tracing the early development of urban planning, Newitz also introduces us to the often anonymous workers—slaves, women, immigrants, and manual laborers—who built these cities and created monuments that lasted millennia. Four Lost Cities is a journey into the forgotten past, but, foreseeing a future in which the majority of people on Earth will be living in cities, it may also reveal something of our own fate.




Lonely Planet Cambodia


Book Description

Lonely Planet: The world’s number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet’s Cambodia is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Watch the sun rise over the magnificent temples of Angkor, hit boho bars in Phnom Penh, and find a tropical hideaway in the Southern Islands – all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Cambodia and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s Cambodia: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Temples of Angkor, South Coast, Northwestern Cambodia, Eastern Cambodia eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Cambodia is our most comprehensive guide to the country, and is designed to immerse you in the culture and help you discover the best sights and get off the beaten track. Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor, our handy-sized guide featuring the best sights and experiences. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category ‘Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.’ – New York Times ‘Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.’ – Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017 Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.




The Stairway Guide's Daughter


Book Description

"On a windy clifftop in Cambodia nine hundred years ago, a young woman accidentally witnesses the burning of sacred Hindu texts. Thus begins her unwilling involvement in a succession struggle at the great temple known as Preah Vihear. The Stairway Guide's Daughter, set in the golden age of [Cambodia's] Angkor civilization, is a tale of loyalty, pluck, and love that crosses society boundaries."--