Author: John Tully<br />File Type: pdf<br />In this concise and compelling history, Cambodias past is described in vivid detail, from the richness of the Angkorean empire through the dark ages of the 18th and early-19th centuries, French colonialism, independence, the Vietnamese conflict, the Pol Pot regime, and its current incarnation as atroubled democracy. With energetic writing and passion for the subject,John Tullycovers the full sweep of Cambodian history, explaining why this land of contrasts remains an interesting enigma to the international community. Detailingthe depressing record of war, famine, and invasion that hasthreatened to destroy Cambodia, this discussion shows its survivalto bea testament to the resilience of the human spirit.From BooklistA knowledgeable history of Cambodia, Tullys coverage starts with the countrys geography, which is flat, fringed by mountains, and dominated by the Mekong River. It culminates in Cambodias protracted recovery from the enormities of the communist regime of 1975-79, which killed about one-fourth of the populace. In between stands the great archaeological legacy of the temples of Angkor, which today attract tourists who would find Tullys work to be a profitable orientation. They will learn about historians debates concerning the origin of the Khmer people--probably descendants of a migration from India--and the rise of the Angkor Empire and its eclipse in the 1400s. Decline continued, Tully explains, until Cambodia tottered on the brink of extinction in the mid-1800s at the hands of Vietnam and Thailand, but it was saved, in a sense, by French colonization in 1863. With Frances departure in 1953, Cambodias fate as an unhappy object of geopolitics resumed. An excellent overview with guidance to more detailed works about Cambodia. Gilbert Taylor American Library Association. ltAbout the AuthorJohn Tully first became interested in Indochina in the 1960s. He has a MA in Asian Studies and a PhD in history and in author of two books on Cambodian history. He is currently a lecturer in Political Science and Asian Studies at Melbournes Victoria University.