Reading recommendations for curious travellers
The ETG Book Club: Cambodia
A Dragon Apparent
This book is essential for anyone interested in Southeast Asian history, the Vietnam War, or simply love brilliant travel writing. His portraits of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam capture societies on the brink of upheaval, yet traces of that world still linger in northern Vietnam and Laos and in eastern Cambodia.
Lewis’s sharp eye, humanity, and compelling storytelling make this a vivid, unsettling classic that continues to reward thoughtful readers with deep and lasting insights.
First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
From a childhood survivor of the Cambodian genocide under the regime of Pol Pot, this is a riveting narrative of war crimes and desperate actions, the unnerving strength of a small girl and her family, and their triumph of spirit. Harrowing yet hopeful, Loung’s powerful story is an unforgettable account of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.
Survival in The Killing Fields
Haing Ngor, a young doctor in his native Cambodia, saw his life transformed when Pol Pot took over his country in 1975. This memoir of life under the Khmer Rouge until he finally escaped and resettled in the US is a searing account of a country’s descent into hell. He spent the rest of this life helping fellow refugees to settle in the US and was awarded an Academy Award for his portrayal of a Cambodian translator in a film about the Killing Fields. His story in this book can be described as both beautiful and terrible, gentle and terrifying.
The Gate
Bizot, a French anthropologist, was the only westerner to be captured by the Khmer Rouge who was subsequently released. The first half of this book details his 3-month ordeal in 1971, the second is his account of how, 4 years later, he became the official negotiator at the French embassy dealing directly with the Khmer Rouge.
River of Time
An excellent and moving account of the 5 years in the 1970s that the author spent living in Cambodia (and Vietnam). He describes the beauty of the Mekong landscape and a people at the mercy of the brutal Pol Pot regime. Jon Swain’s love of South East Asia and its people, and his sorrow at the losses they suffered shines through.
As Seen On…
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The Curious Traveller’s Guide to Cambodia
Discover the hidden wonders beyond the mighty temples and the country’s most unique hotels, all in one handy guide.
