A priceless look at 19th Century Cambodia
587931
tienne Aymonier was among the very first Frenchmen to take a deep interest in Cambodian culture and history; Emile Gsell made some of the first photographic images of the country. This delightful book brings the prose (in English) and the photos of the two men together to create a portrait of a country on the cusp of the modern age. From Aymonier (his part of the book was first published in 1875), we learn about such things as the rice tax, customs of courtship, and the various royal titles. Gsell gives us images of a young Cambodian musician, a rich man, the Bayon temple, and a riverside village, among many other sights. Some of Aymoniers prose reflects French prejudices of the day, but overall this book is a priceless look at times that are gone, yet, as the title notes, deeply influence present-day Cambodia.
624437
This is a well-written, entertaining and thorough introduction for a general reader to the complexities of Phnom Penh's political and cultural history. I found it invaluable.
491962
If you've been to Cambodia, or anywhere in Southeast Asia, you'll instantly smile, laugh, and shake your head in amazement with this book, as it will bring back fond memories of the scenes you witnessed along the streets of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or wherever you found yourself staring at the transportation scene in bewilderment.
Conor Wall and Hans Kemp have beautifully captured the very photographs that you wanted to take, had you had your camera ready... large families on Honda scooters; a small tuk-tuk carriage with an entire farm's harvest; a tiny Toyota stuffed so many people you'd think they were rehearsing to be circus clowns...
"Carrying Cambodia" is a wonderful book: full of children's smiles, and a particular warm essence to the people photographed - all providing a refreshing insight to a culture whose positive day-to-day lives and stories are all too often neglected.

(By the way, how can we get some helmets for all those young kids!!??)
1943498
The previous reviewer is overreacting to the fact that this book is co-authored by Laura Summers, of whom he provides an accurate profile, as far as it goes. But he neglects to note that the other author is Justin Corfield, a respected scholar of Cambodia who wrote the best history of the Lon Nol peroid avaiable. Although the Historical Dictionary of Cambodia contains some innaccuracies, which is not surprising in a book which covers so much territory, it is a valuable reference on the personalities who have shaped Cambodian history in the 20th century. I have shown it to a number of Cambodian friends, many of whom were impressed by the wealth of information, sometimes on themselves, which the volume contains. It is definitely worth consulting by anyone interested in Cambodia and the people who have governed it in recent times.
6835
I, as many think of Egypt when hieroglyphics or ancient murals are spoken of. If you would like a comprehensive description and photographic, drawings, and depictions of memorizing and beautiful examples of the forgotten lands of the Pre-Columbian culture, this is your book.
 Being a person who knows antiquities very well, moderate, or just are brushing the subject you are in for a beautiful treat. Grab this book and you won't regret it.
 My favorite culture is the Mayan, I believe there is so much left undiscovered, especially with the recent uncovering of the largest Pyramid of the world and possibly the oldest (according to history - look at photos of the Sphinx in Egypt, you'll note photos taken from 1850 and on show a completely different monument, before it was reconstructed. Where the air, sand, and water erosion showed an object over, some say 850,000 years old. Even if this was true and many archeologists would have a huge hole in their theory of life.)
 I bring up Egypt because of another colossal structure in South America, known as Machu Picchu & Puma Punku. Enjoy a book, and I'm sure many more will come to follow.
4903965
Michael Asher, KHARTOUM--The Ultimate Imperial Adventure  2005
Publ. Penguin Books, ISBN 978-0-140-25855-4

Whatever the knowledge of the reader, this 400-plus page, breath-taking history of the Victorian British's vain attempt to master control of the Nile (1883-1898), coupled with an array of sketches as well as photographs of soldiers and officers offers a phenomenal opportunity to appreciate both the Sudanese dervishes as well as the inhospitable geography that made warfare more as a series of hideous and deadly routs. As might be expected of any book on Khartoum, the focus falls on the futile attempt to rescue Major General Charles George Gordon.

The book maps the beginnings leading to the rise of the Mahdi that soon engulfed the Sudan in bloodshed resulting in multiple defeats of both the Egyptian and English armies, most notable Lt. General Hicks Pasha and General "Chinese" Gordon.  To be sure, Darfur and the Sudan have been in armed revolt to this day with little obvious remedy.  This book leads the reader through many vicious conflicts from the early 19th century to Osama bin Laden of al-Qaeda fame.

The author's grasp of the geography of the Turco-Egyptian Sudan is remarkable and he provides a great amount of untiring pleasure to the reader by his detailed "observation" of the landscapes, as well as, of course, the many Arab tribes and their lifestyle. The author skillfully weaves the story of the remarkable finding of the Mahdi--the presumed savior and leader of the Sudanese masses who systematically massacred all who opposed their quest for freedom from the Ottoman-British empire.

Mahdi?  The Holy Qur'an is silent.  But a hadith--a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, found in the text al-Muqaddima--reveals the tradition: first, the Madhi was the savior; second, he would be a direct descendant of the Prophet; third, he would defend the faith restoring unity; forth, his appearance would herald the coming of the Day of Judgment! This Mahdi--Muhammad Ahmad ibn `Abd Allh (1843-1885)--and his call to fight, his conquests, and his successes over seemingly incredible odds are one focus of this remarkable narrative.

Where we see the gruesome end of such notables as Lt. General Hicks Pasha and General Charles G. (Chinese) Gordon, we read of the rise of Wolseley, Kitchener, and other notable British officers who, of the survivors, with great fortitude re-won what had been lost to the Mahdi.  The Union Jack again waved over Khartoum on 3 September 1898--three years after the unexplained death of the Mahdi. This final attack was recorded by a lieutenant in Kitchener's advancing army, Winston Churchill's "The River War."

Throughout the book the author entertains the reader with short biographies of notable characters who played important roles in the incessant battles described in this narrative.

Finally, every reference of note is found in the author's excellent Bibliography.
2153340
This is a look a peep  at the history of Egypt, and the comparing of the old with the new.  This is a moderately-long book that can be read in about one sitting or two, and was first published in 1912, and reprinted in 1916.

I enjoyed the descriptions of geography, explanations of the importance of the Nile River and rainfall, traditions, and of religious history comparisons made between the Bible and discovered (as of the turn of the century) Egyptian artifacts.  It is important to note that this book was written and published before the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamens tomb.
4000038
This beautiful book, with magnificent glossy photographs of Tutankhamen's sarcophagus, shrines, coffins, shabati etc. etc. is the next best thing to owning the treasures yourself.  The authors have also included photographs of lesser known art pieces composed of carved wood and stone.  As you probably know, the tomb had been entered by grave robbers during ancient times but then, again in ancient times, resealed presumably by guards located in the Valley of the Kings.  With this in mind, the authors offer a fascinating insight.  A beautiful carved wooden shabat was found buried in the rubble filling the entrance tunnel to the tomb.  Apparently the robbers had left it there as of little value.  If such is true, it is probable that there wasn't an antiquarian relic market in ancient Egypt.  The robbers were probably only after precious metals, stones and jewelry.  Probably this should come as no surprise despite the fact that these beautiful little shabati would now be worth a great deal.

The text of this book, giving Howard Carter's history, is useful, as is the text that runs throughout the book.  This pictoral book does suffer, in my opinion, from the same problem as many magazines.  The text itself is rather choppy because of the problem of showing voluminous photos with descriptive captions.  Too bad but perhaps inevitable.

I do wish, however, that the authors had discussed and speculated on the ancient robbery.  Do they think the tomb robbers were captured?  Do they think that stolen items were recovered and returned to the tomb?  They strongly imply that many highly valuable items were stolen and NOT returned--but--how do they know?  The various chambers of the tomb seemed to be chock-full of valuable items.

If the robbers weren't captured, why didn't they return and clean the tomb out as thoroughly as every other Royal tomb ever discovered?  If the robbers were captured isn't it probable that the stolen goods were recovered and returned?

Personally, I think a text concerning ancient Egyptian tomb robbery--techniques, motives, individuals--is a volume whose time has come.  When you see how much gold was recovered from King Tut's tomb it makes me wonder if much of this precious metal was simply recycled--certain Pharaohs may have commissioned robbers to steal the gold of their ancestors.  Given the supposedly highly religious nature of ancient Egyptians such sacrilege might seem improbable--but was it?  Obviously the robbers themselves must have swallowed their religious scruples to obtain wealth.  Why not certain Pharaohs, especially if the occasional one was a secret agnostic or atheist.
2871585
Brute imperialism of the early 19th century exposed up close and personal. Based on revelatory "novel" of 1860, depicts the tensions created by Dutch exploitation of Indonesia at the height of the colonial era in the early 19th century.  Shot in remarkable color with much footage of formerly undeveloped Indonesia.  Film was made during the 1970's at the time of the massacres in East Timor and the destruction of Timorese society by the Indonesian military. Looks at representatives of every level of society and involvement in the tragic onslaught of the imperialist project and manages to evoke the largest questions concerning the human quest for fulfillment and the price we feel its worth.  You will never forget it - if you chance to see it - a big IF - as the film was ruthlessly suppressed in this country after a brief showing at art houses and college/university venues.
2464954
If I'd had this book when I first moved to Cambodia, I'd have been saved a TON of time, money and confusion. Reading this is like sitting down with a really knowledgeable friend -- the writing is approachable, both non-elitist and no-nonsense, and quite engaging for how jam-packed with information it is.

Aside from all the nuggets of really practical info, I found one of the best things about this book to be its handling of Khmer culture and history. The country has a very difficult, troubled past that continues to have repercussions today; it's incredibly hard to even begin to understand the nuances and complexities as a foreigner. This book does a great job of presenting some of those in a way that is neither condemning or starry-eyed.

I think anyone coming to Cambodia -- either indefinitely or just for a short-term contract -- would find this book extremely useful. It's like a Lonely Planet for expat life.
4209621
This is your typical coffee table book from DK Publishers.  Massive in size as well as scope, it covers everything from the beginnings of the planet until we settled down and started farming.  With breathtaking CG images as well as real pictures of fossils, "Prehistoric Life" will entrance younger members of the family, while its informative text and nicely-arranged narrative will give adults all the prehistory they can handle.  What you have here is a high-quality tome, printed on thick, glossy paper.  It gives the impression that you should have paid $100.00 or more for it.  Quite a value at the price offered here.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
4444856
Even as someone who has lived in Cambodia for a number of years, follows the media and thinks he knows a little about the country, I learnt so much from reading this book. Strangio has done an excellent job with this extremely well researched recent history of Cambodia, which links together well the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge (a fairly well known story) with the recent atrocities under Hun Sen's reign (a lesser known story). He does it by breaking down the book into logical sections, and providing linkages between events.

You'll find yourself thinking "oh, so that's why it's the way it is." This surely is a sign of a well written book.

Strangio's style is easy to read and clear. He has obviously been heavily influenced by John Pilger, though is not as heavy handed as Pilger is. He bravely tells the story as it is, as any good journalist should. I'm looking forward to seeing if he follows in Pilger's steps as the world certainly needs more writers like this.
1439350
This book is a great book about taking a tour to Cambodia.  It gives all the information and preparation you need to know about present-day Cambodia.  Please read this book if you think Cambodia is your destination,  and don't forget to visit many, many great momuments in north-west  Cambodia.  They are amazing!
1607905
In Russia's sparsely populated North, wooden churches stand like arthritic sentinels amid hardscrabble villages and towns, their log walls and beautifully crafted, wood-shingled onion domes miraculously withstanding decades of fierce winds, neglect and downright assault. This amazing book is an invaluable documentary record of these lonely sentinels, of the communities that live and die alongside them, of the people struggling to preserve them.

Davies is a perceptive and enthralling photographer. On the third or fourth viewing of some of his photos, I still find things I missed on the first or second look. And Moreton offers graceful, illuminating essays on the pair's visits to the villages and churches, on the character and lives of the people they met. There are also wonderful supplementary illustrations and readings from the likes of Ivan Bilibin, who made his own ethno-archaeological-artistic trip to the region 100 years ago.

Threaded throughout is a history of the Russian Church in pre-Revolutionary and modern times, of where all the parishioners went, of all the various distasteful purposes for which the churches were used. The faded, empty interior shots are as touching as the images of churches being reclaimed, or of restored buildings standing regally over recently plowed fields.

Get this book, put it on your coffee table, and dive in whenever you need a fresh injection of "what Russia is all about."

As reviewed in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Russian-Life/dp/B00008CQIB/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Russian Life</a>&nbsp;magazine.
1503525
It is always stunning to see a photograph of the approximately 28,000 year old cave paintngs. In the eeriness of a flame-lit cave, a human being probably not much different than you and me depicted the world around him or her. All we know for sure is that someone had a need to express themselves. And so humans have done so for the past 30,000 years, with a sampling of 1,000 artworks between the covers of this magnificient book.

  One of the most amazing features of this book is the price. Incredibly low for such a large book with so many finely reproduced photographs of artworks. Truly a bargain - and one that belongs in every home.

  Why should a book on art be in every home? Because this is a book of history. Not the history of art, per se, but the history of humankind.

  In many cases, the art is actually artifact - remnants of a culture, of a civilization. (It can be argued that much 20th Century Western art is actually evidence of the devolution of civilization, but that belongs in another venue.) Virtually every culture is representedd from across the globe. The collection is relatively eclectic, especially for what we consider "primitive" cultures where what we see as "art" was for that culture merely a everyday tool.

  We see from the art that much of the time, it was the province of the powerful or the rich. We can see the preoccupation of certain cultures with religion, which is actually the theme of most of the works here. That may be a result of such works often being large and more survivable. One can only imagine how much of what we would consider art today has been destroyed or plundered. Think of all the gold objects carried off by invaders or the indigenous work destroyed, such as the Mayan manuscipts burned by the Spanish or the recurrent repressions of the Jews and their religions. Of course, much art was simply destroyed because it had outlived it usefulness: many Greek and Roman bronzes were melted down over time.

 We should be thankful that we have what we have and that thanks to miracles of modern technology, we can enjoy and appreciate it in the comfort of our own homes. Truly amazing.

  The commentaries for each of the artworks shown are mercifully plain-spoken. The pretensiousness of academics is happily absent.

  Overall, this book is an admirable overview of the history of art and really should be in every home. It is a great value.

Jerry
2581666
Not much has been written about the Mekong region prior to colonial rule, perhaps because there are relatively few records from its "Wild West" period.  (It was indeed regarded as "the Western Region" in Vietnamese parlance, Mien Tay.)
The studies in this slim volume give us a rare glimpse into how Khmer, Chinese,and Cham ethnic groups were involved in the development of what became the most productive agricultural region of the Viet state.
2127570
This is a fascinating book about a trip in 1907 to Kashmir.  The attitude and activities would be unacceptable today, but in that time and place,this is how some upper middle class people thought and acted.  I am enjoying the relationship between the author and his wife, who went along.  I have the Kindle edition but was so interested in the pictures that I special ordered the book through a library link so I could see them.  Very typical art of that time, and I was a little sorry I saw the real illustrations - not the light and airy creations I had expected, but rather dull landscapes of the exotic places visited.  The originals may be much nicer.
  Overall, very satisfied with this account of a trip over one hundred years ago.  The opening lines, about taking a vacation of several months, then recommending one leave England in March and plan to stay in Kashmir until October, struck me as a
hilarious description of a "....few months..." vacation.  The list of equipment to take is priceless.  And, of course, the very first
line extolling the rapid transport of the day, which makes travelling to Kashmir so simple, successfully illustrates for us all how
perspective really is everything!