Cambodia Books

This is a very moving book. It gives us a glimpse into the suffering around the world and motivation to help.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON ANGELINE JOLIE AND A LOG OF HER TRAVELS FOR THE UNITED NATION. VERY INTERESTING. JM

These extracts from Angelina's journal provide a unique insight into the plight of refugees all over the world. It is heart-wrenching to read about the terrible ordeals these people have faced during war & continue to face even after the fighting is over. The courage they show during such adversity is humbling & inspiring to the last page. A must-read book if you have any interest in the plight of your fellow man.

Angelina Jolie has a very personal connection with those who are in hard circumstances like the poor in Africa, one can speculate why but cannot realistically claim it is not sincere. She spends a lot of her time and money there and writes with warmth and humility. She expresses appreciation for those things in other areas that help keep poverty and related problems at bay. A good read as a eyewitness account of what people are going through but also a meaningful social commentary, most of all I find this book an inspiring example of how to bravely contribute whatever one can.

One of the most treasured books in my home library, Angie's courage and compassion for those less fortunate comes alive in every page of this book. This book is very inspiring and very humbling at the same time. My respect for Angelina has increased a thousand fold from reading this gem...plus she is donating all her proceeds to the UNHCR! I hope she writes more books!

After reading this I somehow felt changed. Written so well that you feel her emotions immensely throughout the book. I didn't want to put it down.

When Boken Glass Floats tells the story of a young girl and her experiences and life as she lives in Cambodia with the Khmer Rouge. It is very emotional as she weaves the story of her family in the labor camps and then the periods spent in the refugee camps in Cambodia and Thailand. I recommend it as a five star book.

A great book. A very sad account of a young girl that reflect the experiences of million Cambodian refugees. Also showed what perseverance and setting goals can achieve. If Miss Him can survive and succeed, so should everyone.
Highly recommend this book.

When Broken Glass Floats is the author's journey to find the magic of a world lost as a result of the Khmer Rouge. This book, as a personal account of the Khmer Rouge regime, is also my personal journey as a reader and a Khmer person. Through this magical journey, my own forgotten memories are awakened and many traditional beliefs that I have pushed to the back of my mind resurface.

I was too young to have memories of the Killing Fields, but I have heard enough stories to feel connected to it. There were gaps missing in my memory and this book filled those gaps. When Broken Glass Floats is poetic and touching, a book rooted in the author's desire to let the world know about the tragic death of her family. It begins when her memories are awakened as a result of her work as an interpreter and interviewer for the Khmer Adolescent Project, studying post-traumatic stress disorder among Cambodian survivors. This is a story of triumph, survival, and hope written from the Khmer soul of a Cambodian-American woman.

When Broken Glass Floats is a book with two moving and powerful purposes: one, as a therapeutic tool for the author, and, two, as a reminder of an event that should never have occurred. The author describes her book as a way "to use the power of words to caution the world, and in the process to heal myself" (p. 23). The process of writing the book became a trek to the Himalayas, "a search to recapture the long-lost magic in [her] life" (p. 23). My travels have taken me to the Himalayas. I have been seeking magic for my own healing like the author of When Broken Glass Floats. The process of reading her book and other autobiographies has provided much healing. I recommend this book for everyone who is interested in this subject, but in particular to Cambodian-Americans, because this book can take you on a journey into yourself, your soul, memories, and past.

This was an entirely good read. One of the amazing things I kept realizing as I read is Chanrithy Him has condensed a number of harrowing years of into just ~300 pages, so the reader only hears about some of her experiences - there's probably much more that didn't make it to the pages of this memoir. Also, Him's story is only one out of myriad others . . . thousands of thousands of Cambodian people who could tell a story even more devastating than Him's.

When Broken Glass Floats kept me interested from cover to cover, and I enjoyed Him's writing style. It's likely I can't say anything positive that hasn't already been said, so I'll pick out a couple of things I wonder if other readers noticed.

For one, the black and white family photos included in the book did not resemble the images I had of disease-stricken, starving children Him described. For instance - granted he is wearing a shirt in the photos, none of the pictures show Map (Him's youngest sibling) with a protruding belly - although towards the end of the book Him tells her readers Map fails to lose this effect of starvation even after his diet improves. Similarly, the photo of Ra on her wedding day shows a young woman who looks healthy (nice complexion, full cheeks, hair in an up-do, clean floral shirt), so I couldn't help but feel confused because this is far from how Him described her physically weak, skinny sister who was barely recognize at times. I realize the photo was taken during better times, but do people so sick and hungry recover to that degree so quickly? Also, the memoir chronicles countless dizzying days, months, and years of walking, working, and barely surviving from severe dehydration, starvation, infection, diarrhea, disease, and depression; personal belongings (books, valuables, etc.) were stolen, taken by the Khmer Rouge, and lost along the way. Under those conditions, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt as I read about the photos Him had "managed to keep safe during the Khmer Rouge time" (p. 330) and the "cream lace blouse from Phnom Penh, which she (Ra) managed to keep safe during the Khmer Rouge time" (p.286). Given the circumstances described, this just didn't seem plausible. But who knows . . . not a major problem for me, it just caught my attention - as did the typographical errors I found from time to time.

Great book . . . would have enjoyed a bit more of a history lesson. If that's what you're seeking you might look elsewhere, because this is a tale focused on a very strong and intelligent young girl's survival.

Man's inhumanity to man never ceases to amaze me. The story is at once tragic then hopeful, despairing then spiritual. Oni has captured the essence of one of the 20th century's worst travesties in a simple almost childlike manner. Perhaps not brilliantly written, it is brilliantly told. This is the first Killing Fields book I've read (avoided for obvious reasons of personal discomfort, although I've read books on Armenian genocide, Holocaust and Dharfur) and I will now join those who work to build on the strengths of Cambodia and its people. I especially appreciated the brief history of Cambodia at the end of the book, and the sweet and simple photos. I felt this strong sense of peace at the end of reading, as if in fact Oni will achieve her goals and be part of a larger vital improvement for the lives of so many Khmer, both in America and in Cambodia.

This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. From the beginning of her life in a cave to the constant struggle for suvival, Oni describes her ordeal, an ordeal no one would have dreamed could ever actually happen. Her life could have ended many times if it were not for the caring people around her and for her own perseverance. Oni is one strong, determined lady and her story needs to be told to the world. If you only read one book a year, this should be the one!

"And a child shall lead them" -- Oni Vitandham begins her real life story as a child, of resilience and survival surrounded by constant death, destruction, danger, and unimaginable horror. Although dealing with a conflict over 30 years removed, this book could not have arrived at a more poignant time. At its core, the political themes are as relevant today as they were then in stemming the flow of innocent blood.

This book should further resonate with recently honed political sensibilities (per Abu Graib, Iraq, etc) and serve as inspiration to us all not only as citizens but as human beings to stand up for justice and equality (even in the face of dire political rhetoric).

Oni's story reminds us how truly blessed we all are and of our universal responsibility to prevent these horrors from re-occurring.

"Evil prospers because good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

This is a wonderful book and easy reading. I would recommend it to anyone and I am going to refer it to my friends. Take the time to read it, it's definitely worth your while.

A reading of Oni Vitandham's "On the Wings of a White Horse" is an inspiring experience to say the least. It is a tale of immense pain and suffering, yet courage in the face of failure and despair. It is the story of a life that may never have been but for the love of family and friends. A theme that seems often lacking in our world today. It is not an easy book to read. Indeed, it is often violently confronting. However, it is certain, that the reader will leave with a greater sense of compassion, love and hope for the future of humanity

Oni's is a powerful, at times confronting and terrifying story that delves into the subjects that have all too often been left to the back pages of history. From the fall of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, to the Communist movements in Laos and Vietnam, and beyond to a new life in America, Oni's journey often reads like a political history of South-East Asia during the 1970s. For one young girl to be at the centre of some of the most desperate struggles of the decade, and to emerge not only alive, but also so incredibly empowered, seems almost beyond comprehension.

Yet this is what makes Oni, and her story, so enthralling. To quote the saying, "whatever doesn't kill us, makes us stronger" seems almost inadequate to describe this story. Indeed Oni tells her life as it is, with little attempt to shield use from the intense pain and suffering that she herself has had to endure. At first this seems almost to hard to bear. However as even Oni herself tells us at the start of the book; these are her childhood memories. It is this thought enough that inspires the reader to continue on.

Indeed Oni stands for an idea that is greater than her own personal story and even greater than her desire to see a prosperous and peaceful Cambodia. She believes in the right of all people to have the chance to grow up in peace and happiness. She believes in the power of the individual and the immense capacity that humans have for spreading happiness in their world.

A reading of Oni's "On the Wings of a White Horse" will leave the reader inspired. Indeed it is a story that enters through the heart and leaves through the head. One cannot read it and not be inspired to get up and care about the plight of the millions of people who are so less fortunate than ourselves.

Ngor details the coming and going of the Khymer Rouge regime in Cambodia. This was a purely evil regime. As Ngor states Angwa was the all knowing, all seeing Cambodian regime. Unfortunately, they were simplistic in how they chose to solve Cambodia's problems. Not enough food, empty out the cities and send the urban population to grow crops. Medical problems, well grind up vitamins and give shots to the population. While the city and rural population grew thinner, the soldiers and the regime bureaucrats got fatter and fatter. Ngor details the incredibly evil regime of Pol Pot. In the end, some of the evil doers meet justice. One of the regime region's chiefs is roasted over a fire and Ngor gets to see the end of this evil man.

This is the life story of Haing Ngor. He survived three prison camp experiences in the gulag of Cambodia. He ended up seeing this evil regime of Pol Pot replaced with a North Vietnamese backed Cambodian puppet regime. He eventually is placed in the U.S. and then goes on to star in a Hollywood film called the Killing Fields. This is a great story of love and endurance. It is all true.

What a great story of determination and power. The irony of it all was, that, after all the suffering he went through, he died because of someone trying to steal his watch.

The Khmer Rouge seemed to be illeterates governing a country, and the result wasn't good. I cannot believe they inflicted the pain they did on their very own race. In the 20th century, creating an equal society was UNREAL. The Khmer Rouge, some men, most of them teenagers with guns, did not realise this. Even more surprisingly, as strict as the Khmer Rouge were, the Khmer officials got as much food and commodities as they wanted, while they fed the rest of cambodia a watery rice.

The ending left me thinking, especially about his niece Sophia. Haing Ngor, had lost everything by then, but gained fame. Which really at the time, wasn't much to him. I recommend the reader to buy this book as not only is it interesting and very hard to put the book down once you start, but its historical accuracy and the amazing events described are unbelievable. Anyone over the age of 16 who reads this book will love it, and for a variety of reasons.

I was drawn into this book after first viewings of the film "The Killing Fields." At the time, I was unaware of a lot of the background to many of the events depicted onscreen, and was looking for something a bit more detailed.

As it turned out, this book was something far greater than that, on a par with the writings of Primo Levi, or Elie Wiesel as a depiction of survival amid the most grotesque extremes in ideological depravity humanity could conjure up. Through survival, later stardom and human rights work, Dr. Ngor became (and posthumously remains) one of the great human rights educators of our time.

In this eloquent autobiography, he also accomplishes something else - vivid and affectionate portrayals of Cambodian culture (pre-revolution), and a detailed description of the slide into civil war and the anarchic chaos of Phnom Penh immediately before the fall.

And he also crafts a love story; a memorable and majestic one, of a romance that he attempted to nourish in spite of the societal upheaval occuring around him and his wife. The detail in his descriptions of family are affectionate, and also written with a rare clarity - for this, among many other reasons, this book is a classic.

-David Alston

What a great story of determination and power. The irony of it all was, that, after all the suffering he went through, he died because of someone trying to steal his watch.

The Khmer Rouge seemed to be illeterates governing a country, and the result wasn't good. I cannot believe they inflicted the pain they did on their very own race. In the 20th century, creating an equal society was UNREAL. The Khmer Rouge, some men, most of them teenagers with guns, did not realise this. Even more surprisingly, as strict as the Khmer Rouge were, the Khmer officials got as much food and commodities as they wanted, while they fed the rest of cambodia a watery rice.

The ending left me thinking, especially about his niece Sophia. Haing Ngor, had lost everything by then, but gained fame. Which really at the time, wasn't much to him. I recommend the reader to buy this book as not only is it interesting and very hard to put the book down once you start, but its historical accuracy and the amazing events described are unbelievable. Anyone over the age of 16 who reads this book will love it, and for a variety of reasons.

This is an outstanding portrait of a man who survived the barbaric reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Anyone who has seen the movie "The Killing Fields" has a cursory understanding of the Khmer Rouge and their attempt to transform Cambodian society during their control of the country from 1975 to 1979. However, this film omitted most of the astounding atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge as anyone who has visited Tuol Sleng S-21 in Phnom Penh (as I have) can tell you. In this book Dr. Ngor relates his horrifying experiences of life under the Khmer Rouge in detail and in the process educates the reader as to just how horrible an existence it really was.

This book is remarkable because of the detail related by Dr. Ngor and the personal nature of its content. Many Cambodians to this day will not talk about his period in their lives. For many, the mental and physical abuse they suffered during this period was too painful to re-live ever again. As I read this book, I could not help but wonder how Dr. Ngor was able to keep himself together.

Dr. Ngor effectively puts the period of Khmer Rouge rule in historical context by explaining the historical events and forces which led to their capture of the country. These events and forces included the People's Republic of China, North Vietnam, the Vietnam War, the United States, and of course, the C.I.A.

I admire Dr. Ngor for his extraordinary courage, and I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet him during his lifetime. May he rest in peace.

Our book group was lucky to have Kari Grady Grossman attend our discussion of "Bones That Float."

Even though our group is known for our lively discussions, I have to say that the discussion of "Bones That Float" was probably the most passionate meeting we have ever had. She made us think and feel and examine our obligations as citizens of a world community and it was uncomfortable, revealing and empowering. For each one of us, this story brought out a myriad of powerful emotions and opinions that some of us have never expressed in public before. To my mind, that is the mark of a good book crafted by a good writer. Thank you, Kari.

-Paige

My husband and I have four beautiful children who joined our family through international adoption. One of our children is from Cambodia. I bought this book to learn more about Cambodian adoption, but came out learning a lot more.

I truly enjoyed this book on many different levels. Bones That Float is an amazing story of Kari Grossman's adoption experiences in Cambodia, and how she embraced the history and culture of her son's first country. The book really spoke to my heart. It is so important in our family for both parents and children to learn about the children's first countries (China and Cambodia) and to try to understand the circumstances that led to their adoptions. As an adoptive mom, I found this book invaluable. I also think it would be appropriate for parents of children of other countries - my friends with children from China are eager to read it too.

The book really has three stories - the adoption story, a story of how the Khmer Rouge harmed/hurt/almost destroyed a family in Cambodia (and their ultimate survival), and the story of Kari's driver, who yearns for a better life. Because of Kari's personal connection with the latter two stories, they are quite real and affecting.

Finally, Kari was able to establish a school in a rural mountainous area of Cambodia. This book is also about the ability for all of us to make a difference in this world.

I ordered this book because the author is going to visit our church for a discussion this Friday. It is moving, painful, and unbelievable and it will grab your heart. The simalarities of what happened in Cambodia to what the invasion of Iraq has started is startling.
I don't think I will be able to forget the people in this book.

With unflinching honesty and well-researched facts, Ms. Grossman details the plight of Cambodia's children as well as her personal story of advocacy for them. This book emphasizes that heartfelt, direct action addresses what meaningless political rhetoric cannot.

This book will prick your conscience and will have you asking "what's *my* Cambodia?"

Very highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed the individual stories woven throughout this book. The life stories of the main Cambodian characters were so powerful I couldn't stop reading about their lives. As a parent to children adopted transracially and internationally I could relate to many of the emotions and questions that Grossman raises. However, I do not believe this is a book that will resonate with most adoptees, birth/first parents or astute adoptive parents. Grossman takes liberties where she shouldn't frequently stating opinion as fact. There are no references listed or sources cited in this book. For example, she states that half of adoptees choose to search for birthparents and half do not. However, there are no references to back up that statement. Most troubling was the following on page 140 where she talks about the US ban on adoptions from Cambodia stating, "Yet after more than four years of State Department investigations and ample gossip of brokering stories, no birthmother has come back to reclaim an illicitly procured child. The women of Cambodia are poor, not stupid." Again, no citations or references are provided. As it turns out the first statement is not true, birthmothers did return to reclaim their children thankfully before they left Cambodia. Anyone can read about it in official public documents. The second statement is so offensive, Grossman owes an apology to all birthmothers globally who have been duped out of raising their children. One only need to attend a CUB meeting or with human rights organizations in countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, India and elsewhere to discover that intelligent women have in fact lost their children to adoption following empty promises from unscrupulous facilitators. While I enjoyed much of the story, in the end I was disappointed.

I was living in Cambodia when I came across this book, following the recommendation of one of my English friends. I bought the book, opened it... and could no longer put it down! This book came as a complete eye-opener to me, on both how America had conducted its war across Indochina, but also on how Cambodia's history had/has been so intimately intermixed with Sihanouk's.

If you are into learning the backside of what we could all dub "official history", then this book's for you. You will no longer look at Kissinger, Nixon or Westmoreland with the same candid, obedient and servile eyes after reading it. Packed with previously unheard-of accounts, reports, testimonies, following a clean, highly intelligent argumentation methodology, Sideshow acts as a real bulldozer on the reader, repeatedly confronting him/her with loads of devastating illustrations of unsound decisions, hidden political actions, secret wars of influences etc. It is certainly one of the punchiest, journalism-based historical account I have ever read, whatever the subject.

It shed a completely new and intense light onto the poor -though touching- little country I was living in then, and forever changed the way I looked at politics, diplomacy and intelligence.

Shawcross gets into the minds of Kissinger and Nixon so well. His is a book to be read over and over again to see the working of the U.S. Government and how it can destroy a country. He talks about the 25 pound shark at the bottom of a swimming pool full of children -- and we understand how the USA's leaders destroyed a country. It is a lesson to be learned over and over again as we go about destroying other countries. This is one great read - worthy of the time it takes to understand it. A victory for the author over Mr. Kissinger.

This book has managed to live on, which is perhaps unfortunate - historically speaking, it's far more relevant to contemporary geopolitics than it should be.

In any case, SIDESHOW has managed to stand as one of the better books on Cambodia, and America's involvement in Cambodia (Elizabeth Becker's WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER is a must-read as well). One could debate Shawcross' perspectives, but his research is meticulous and has withstood many attacks, and his depiction of the machiavellian darkness that can creep into foreign policy is chilling and ruthless, and - for better of worse - makes for hypnotic reading, all the more frightening as it's drawn straight from history, research, the Freedom of Information act.

Now more than ever, this is essential reading.

-David Alston

On Junior Day, 2006, I would recommend SIDESHOW by William Shawcross. It contains information about the twentieth century that could be applied to situations that America faces in the world in 2006. The global superpower naturally thinks that everything will be resolved by the application of hyperpower, as Japan suffered a humiliating defeat at the end of World War II when it discovered that the United States was not just fighting a war against Japan, it would nuke their cities to bring about whatever result it wanted. When American troops openly invaded parts of Cambodia, Congress responded by imposing limits which were still in place on April 30, 1973:

"The justification for bombing Cambodia had been to protect Americans in Vietnam. Since October 1970 the Congress had included in every military appropriation bill a proviso expressly forbidding bombing in Cambodia except for that purpose. By the end of March 1973 there were no American troops left in Indochina. Still the bombing of Cambodia increased. The administration now based its case on Article 20 of the Paris Agreement. Rogers now claimed that American withdrawal from Vietnam did not affect the situation in Cambodia, and that Article 20 legalized the bombing `until such time as a ceasefire could be brought into effect.' " (p. 277).

One of the strange things about the invasion of Cambodia was that Nixon made an announcement on April 30, 1970 which attempted to keep all previous secret activities secret:

Ignoring Menu, Nixon began with the lie that the United States had "scrupulously respected" Cambodia's neutrality for the last five years and had not "moved against" the sanctuaries. This falsehood was repeated by Kissinger in his background briefings to the press. That same evening he told reporters that the Communists had been using Cambodia for five years but, "As long as Sihanouk was in power in Cambodia we had to weigh the benefits in long-range historical terms of Cambodian neutrality as against any temporary military advantages and we made no efforts during the first fifteen months of this administration to move against the sanctuary." The next day he said of Sihanouk's rule, "We had no incentive to change it. We made no effort to change it. We were surprised by the development. One reason why we showed such great restraint against the base areas was in order not to change this situation." (p. 146).
In his announcement of the invasion, Nixon stated that his action was taken "not for the purpose of expanding the war into Cambodia, but for the purpose of ending the war in Vietnam"; he would give aid to Cambodia, but only to enable it "to defend its neutrality and not for the purpose of making it an active belligerent on one side or the other." (p. 146).

Currently Iran has a militia of five million, and if Iran were to officially enter a war in Iraq as a result of bombings by Israel, as urged by Vice President Cheney, to remove Iran's nuclear capabilities, even if a bomb based on plans provided by the CIA wouldn't work, Iran has other ways it could strike back. Being subatomic is very much like Cambodia was in 1970, but we shall soon see what issues are about to be submitted to the UN security council, and if it helps or hurts. A blockade created by Iran so American supplies might have more trouble reaching Kuwait and Iraq; oil exports from the region could end; American dollars could fall; the interest on bonds could rise so high that the U.S. government couldn't balance a budget; and some of the world's banks might then be alarmed.

SIDESHOW by William Shawcross is the only book I have in which I can look up Lon Nil in the index. Lon Nil might well be Cambodia's forgotten man. His brother, Lon Nol, declared himself Chief of State as well as Prime Minister and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces when he dissolved the Assembly in October 1971 and assumed emergency rule. (p. 229). In December 1971, an American psychiatrist in the U.S. Army found "his close associates indicate his mental faculties have deteriorated markedly as a result of his February 1971 stroke" (p. 208). On April 1, 1975, at the urging of his brother Lon Non, Lon Nol took half a million dollars and moved to Hawaii. (pp. 357-358). But for me, the best picture of events in Cambodia is the final page of Chapter 8, The Coup, in March 1970, when Lon Nol overthrew Sihanouk, using the hostility of the urban elite and military officers to Sihanouk to justify a power grab by a former Minister of Defense who "had been the principal scourge of the Vietnamese Communists while privately profiting from the thriving covert business that they brought through Sihanoukville." (p. 113). Sihanouk responded by forming a government recognized by Peking on May 5, 1970, shortly after the American invasion announced by Nixon. Sihanouk had flown from Moscow to China on March 18, 1970, but Lon Nil was still in Cambodia:

Rioting broke out in several provinces; opposition was strongest in the market town of Kompong Cham, Cambodia's second city, fifty miles northeast of Phnom Penh. After Sihanouk's radio broadcast, the town filled with peasants, fishermen and rice farmers from the neighborhood. The townspeople refused the government's orders to remove the Prince's portrait, and they burned down the house of the new governor whom Lon Nol had appointed. Demonstrators gathered in buses and trucks to march on Phnom Penh. They were halted by an army roadblock, and after that . . . About ninety people were killed or wounded. (pp. 126-127).

The most vivid display of anger against Lon Nol occurred, again in Kompong Cham, when peasants seized his brother Lon Nil, killed him and tore his liver from his stomach. The trophy was taken into a Chinese restaurant, where the owner was ordered to cook and slice it. Morsels were handed to everyone in the streets around. (p. 127).

Really bad decisions made by the Nixon administration toward Indochina and the Vietnam War are now fairly obvious. However, we must remember how difficult this type of investigation would have been back when Shawcross did his intensive research back in the late 70s. Here Shawcross builds a very hard-to-dismiss case against Nixon and Henry Kissinger, in terms of how their problematic military and diplomatic strategies at least indirectly led to the hideous destruction of Cambodia (in fact, one of Nixon's documented strategies was to make the Communists think he was a madman, assuming they'd get scared and give up).

During the earlier years of the war, Cambodia was a relatively tranquil nation that was trying to remain neutral. But the country was being used as a hideout by North Vietnamese soldiers, leading to bombing by the Americans. Here Shawcross shows how Nixon and Kissinger made use of political trickery and overhyped threats to keep the bombing going to an extent that was far more destructive than necessary. As a bonus, this book also documents the wire-tapping paranoia and unconstitutional shenanigans in the Nixon White House. Shawcross is especially tough on Kissinger, finding that he disregarded the integrity and safety of Cambodia (which he had only ever visited for four hours), in favor of short-term political advantages and unyielding ideology. The relentless bombing destabilized Cambodian society, leading indirectly to the hideous genocide and societal destruction enacted by the Khmer Rouge a few years later. It is difficult to argue with Shawcross' heavily researched conclusions, and the hellish wholesale collapse of Cambodia (of a type never before seen in modern history) becomes all the more poignant as a result.

Be sure to get an edition of this book from 1986 or after, in which Shawcross adds materials from the political firefight that the book ignited. Kissinger was obviously upset and went to great lengths, through articles written by his lackey Peter Rodman, to try and disprove Shawcross' assertions. If your copy of this book contains these articles, you'll be quite bemused by Rodman's evasive, dissembling, and downright condescending rebuttal attempts, which are easily shot down by Shawcross. This war of words in itself proves that Kissinger had, and always will have, a lot to answer for. [~doomsdayer520~]

The most heartbreaking story I have ever read...Ngor tells his story with a lucid and clear voice and keeps you forever wondering how people can do such things to one another. A definite introduction to the history of the Cambodian genocide, and one that will humble you when you think your problems are too large.

That said, it it so worth the reading. The writing flows and moves you to see such a human spirit survive.

Before this book, I had only vaguely heard of the name Pol Pot and the nation of Cambodia. Where I go to school, we have history for four years, but never get past the Civil war.
As I was changing the television station, I heard the name Pol Pot and Cambodian again. This time I was determined to educate myself and I bought this book.
I was horrified, I was ashamed, I was overwhelmed. First we had allowed the Jews to endure the Holocaust, and now we had let millions of Cambodians die the same way.
Maybe the history teachers in my area just need to come into the 20th century and repeat IT over and over again, because obviously we're not learning from our mistakes.

This book is on top of my list as the best reads ever. It truly is an amazing story and will leave you thinking about this world we live in. I reccommend this book to all...what a great learning tool to use in the classroom also!

I first spotted this book at a tourist book shop in Phnom Penh and after scanning its pages, I was hooked. It is an immensely absorbing tale, both harrowing and hopeful. I was drawn not only into Dr. Ngor's story but into Dr. Ngor himself. As I kept reading, I felt hungry, exhausted, terrified and sad. But if I wanted it to stop, I simply had to close the book. Not that simple for Dr. Ngor.
I pray that Ngor Haing is now with his Sweet, living the life that was so cruelly denied to them. This book is definitely one of the best I've ever read in my life, and I hope that in your heaven, you can hear me say Thank You, Dr. Ngor.

If you are interested in reading the memoir of someone who survived the reign of the Khmer Rouge, then I can't reccommend any other book higher. I have read two other books from survivors, but Ngor's book was by far my favourite.

What sets Ngor's book apart from the others that I have read is that Ngor was an adult when the Khmer Rouge took over. His memories are very lucid, and he fully comprehends what is going on around him. He watches his young wife die in his arms, those close to him betray, and everyone around him suffer. There are no high points throughout the entire odysey. Ngor brings you to the senseless and incomprehensible suffering that pervades every aspect of life under the Khmer Rouge.

One element I particularily enjoyed about Ngor's book is the extensive descriptions of Cambodian culture, attitudes and behaviour. Cambodian society (from what I can gather from what I have hitherto studied) is highly formal, with a rather complex series of formality set up for intereaction with others and a rather reserved character in regards to expression of feelings. The most important of which in this context being "kum," which is a sort of bitterness and longing for revenge, that becomes evident in a lot of what is happening. You will leave this read with a feeling of not only being inside of what is happening, but also for the actual mechanisms guiding behaviour.

This is, however, not a pleasant read in the least. The descriptions of the atrocities are beyond anything that I was expecting, and for that reason, I would seriously warn others that this is not for the faint at heart. Luckily, Ngor offers notes at the beginning of graphic chapters so that one can skip over them. You will lose sleep, and I can guarantee you that it makes any of those goofy horror movies like "Hostel" and "Turistas" look like a day at Disneyland. This horror is real, and not far in the past. Being that my normal area of study is Russian history, I have read a lot about the horrors of communism and tyranny, but nothing from the basements of Lyubyanka Prison or Mao Tse Tung's Cultural Revolution comes close to the abominable atrocities of Pol Pot's Cambodia.

Ngor also describes his role in the classic movie, The Killing Fields, as well as his integration of life in America. An afterword by friend Roger Warner ends the book on a particularily haunting and sad note, but rightfully so, none the less.

There are a lot of truely excellent books available by survivors of the Killing Fields, and this is the quintessential starting point for those who wish to learn more.

Somaly May is a true Heroine. My heart still breaks for all she has & continues to suffer. I wish she could see herself as others do and not as she was made to feel during her horrific childhood. I will be haunted by her story for the rest of my life.

It seems like the reality of the sex trade and sex trafficking is public knowledge these days, but for whatever reason, it takes the real experience of one girl to really shed light on what's happening.

The book is well written and easy to read, although the last couple of chapters feel a little disjointed. But her story is captivating - I read it in one day - and moving.

Thank God for her courage to set aside bitterness and stand up for these women.

Some books are dangerous; reading them opens your eyes and makes you see the world around you in a different way. After reading them this new understanding of reality lingers and is not easily dismissed. Stories like these drive you to action, serving as a call to take up arms. Somaly Mam's memoir, The Road of Lost Innocence, is one such book.

Born in Cambodia during years of political turmoil, Somaly never knew her parents - she still doesn't know what became of them. Left by her grandmother in a tribal village, her early years were spent outdoors, roaming amongst the huts looking for food. These years were happy compared to those that would follow after leaving northern Cambodia with a man who claimed to know of her parents at the age of six.

This man, her "grandfather" would proceed to beat and molest her, sell her virginity to pay his debts at the age of 11, marry her to an abusive husband at the age of fourteen and finally sell her to a brothel at 16. As you can imagine Somaly's story is not an easy, feel good read. The list of travesties, betrayals and corruption she has known is far too lengthy to detail here.

Catching glimpses of a better life, Somaly is eventually able to escape from the bondage of sexual slavery. Using the only currency at her disposal she begins to make alliances with foreign men - those with wealth and power - and uses them to begin her slow ascent out of prostitution. After achieving her freedom the girls she left behind haunt her. Knowing the devastation trafficking in girl-flesh wreaks she cannot stand motionless while atrocities are committed; hopefully you won't be able to either when this story comes to a close.

Presented in spare, matter of fact prose the writing itself mimics the Cambodian attitude towards life; silent, understated. Coming from a people who disguise their emotions to the utmost - simply writing this memoir is a break with traditional Cambodian culture. Somaly however, has long since ceased to be a traditional Cambodian.

The words seek to describe without betraying the depths of emotional pain behind them, but it still seeps through. Between each and every line, in the silences and pauses the pain is there alongside the fear and anger. The Road of Lost Innocence is the anguished soul cry of a woman who has never truly been loved, the heart breaking sobs of a shattered little girl.

Somaly brutally exposes the truth of modern sexual trafficking in south-east Asia through her own story and that of those she has rescued from slavery. She outlines the beginnings of her non-profit organizations that rescue girls and women from brothels, sketching out plans for their reintegration into society. Free of her physical bonds and able to offer hope to those in chains, she remains a broken woman. The aching sadness created throughout her life's circumstances is still present; only slightly mitigated by her relentless drive to rescue the weak and defend the defenseless.

She tells her story not to evoke sympathy for herself, though her pain is apparent. She writes, offering herself up to the public eye to draw attention to the plight of the girls and women who are still captive; taken against their will and viciously used. Somaly truly wants nothing for herself other than the opportunity to continue working with the victims of sexual trafficking and to draw awareness to their plight.

Truly, every responsible citizen of the world should engage Somaly's work. The difficult stories need to be told, more than that - they must be acted upon. Only with eyes opened to the atrocities surrounding us can we step out in faith, reaching into the darkness to rescue those bound there.

This was a very good book on giving an overview of the sex slave industry and what is done to many young woman and children all over the world. There were times I had to put it down and come back later; especially during the victims chapter. A good read and very eye opening.

I just returned from a mission trip to Cambodia where we visited orphanages & womens' shelters who have been rescued out of sexual slavery. This book is a MUST read, & I'm so thankful People magazine ran an article on the book, or I may never have heard of it. Incredible memoir of an outstanding woman, Somalay Mam is a true heroe!

Joan Criddle has woven a gripping account of the personal experience of one young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her family under the oppression of the Khymer Rouge. Although I knew a little about Cambodia's killing fields, this book reveals in considerable detail the brutality and horror of Pol Pot's regime. Yet, it's an inspiring tale of survival, courage, and family loyalty under the most extreme conditions of deprivation, fear and suffering. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have had the strength, ingenuity and willpower to survive such horror. The book also includes many interesting details about traditional Cambodian life and culture.
I highly recommend this book. It's an amazing story!

Joan Criddle has woven a gripping account of the personal experience of one young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her family under the oppression of the Khymer Rouge. Although I knew a little about Cambodia's killing fields, this book reveals in considerable detail the brutality and horror of Pol Pot's regime. Yet, it's an inspiring tale of survival, courage, and family loyalty under the most extreme conditions of deprivation, fear and suffering. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have had the strength, ingenuity and willpower to survive such horror. The book also includes many interesting details about traditional Cambodian life and culture.
I highly recommend this book. It's an amazing story!

Joan Criddle has woven a gripping account of the personal experience of one young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her family under the oppression of the Khymer Rouge. Although I knew a little about Cambodia's killing fields, this book reveals in considerable detail the brutality and horror of Pol Pot's regime. Yet, it's an inspiring tale of survival, courage, and family loyalty under the most extreme conditions of deprivation, fear and suffering. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have had the strength, ingenuity and willpower to survive such horror. The book also includes many interesting details about traditional Cambodian life and culture.
I highly recommend this book. It's an amazing story!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOK I EVER READ. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH VITOU AND I HAD THE FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF HIS STORY. HE NEVER STOP TO AMAZE ME FOR THEIR WELL TO SURVIVE.THIS STORY SHOW THE TERMENDOUS COURAGE AND STRONG WELL TO SURVIVE AMONG MONSTERS WHO HAVE NO REGARDS TO FELLOW HUMANS, YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD AND RISK YOUR LIFE EVEN FOR THE BASIC NECESITY OF LIFE JUST TO SURVIVE. THIS IS AN EPIC OF FORGOTTEN HOLOCUST AND THE STORY OF A CAMBODIAN FAMILY GOING THROUGH HELL AN BACK. A SUCCESS STORY OF A FAMILY MOVING TO A COUNTRY WITH A DIFFERNT CULTURE AND LANGAUGE AND MAKING SOMETHING OF THEMSELVES. I AM PROUD TO BE A FRIEND OF VITOU AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING HIM. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK, IT WOULD MAKE YOU APPRECIATE MORE OF WHAT YOU HAVE IN LIFE.

When I was younger I heard bits and pieces about Cambodia and Pol Pot in the news, but didn't really know what it was about. Through "Destroy You" I finally know about the horrendous and evil history that was being made in that country during the 70's and 80's. This biography follows the story of one particular educated Cambodian family who was exiled from Phnom Penh, along with the entire city full of inhabitants. The Khmer Rouge was doing its job of "cleansing" the city of anything of western influence. Most of the educated populace, including doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc., were murdered, leaving a population of mostly uneducated slaves whose job was to work in the rice fields all day long. Music, laughter, and play were not allowed. The people were taught that everyone was of equal value and equally dispensable, and everyone should work hard to contribute to the good of all with the meekness, acceptance, and fortitude of the water buffalo.

Meanwhile, entire villages were massacred if complaint about the government was overheard. Life was incredibly miserable, especially knowing of friends and relatives that had been killed or had disappeared. When Viet Nam invaded Cambodia tens of thousands of Cambodians attempted escape to Thailand, but Thailand did not want them all, and forced many back at gunpoint, killing anyone, including children, who refused to climb down the treacherous, land mine-studded cliff back into Cambodia. Throughout this book I was grieving about the incredible evil that humans can perpetrate against other humans, and amazed at the endurance and determination of this family and others that managed to survive all this horror.

A story like this can yank us out of any tendency towards self-pity or complaining about the minor difficulties in our lives. I have also read the follow-up book, "Bamboos and Butterflies", about this family after they immigrated to the U.S. Their will to survive is carried on as they integrate into a new culture, and reminds us of why so many seek refuge in the U.S.

My wonderful father, Ed Beal, passed this book along to me many years ago to read. I must say, this book is heart touching and it really opened my eyes to what my father and others faced during the vietnam war. Acceptable Loss is another great book and i'm looking forward to reading "Very Crazy G.I."

So here's the thing. I needed a copy of my book, MIA Rescue, to give to a friend (no, the book company doesn't give them to me for free) so I went on-line and bought one at Amazon. The book arrives and then I get an e-mail from Amazon asking me to rate the book...eh, my book.
Okay. Sure.
So here it is: First of all, I like my book because I get to tell you, the public, about a rescue mission for a missing long range patrol/Ranger team during the Vietnam war. I wrote it in tribute and basically to brag about some of the good people who volunteered to go on this critical and dangerous mission; people like Tony Cortez and Ed Beal( the guys on the cover), and so many others who went behind enemy lines to search for and rescue the survivors. I wrote the book to tell you about those LRRP/Rangers like Royce Clark, who was one of the missing Lurps. Seriously wounded he and the few others were doing their damnedest just to stay alive and survive. In researching the mission from various aspects (the missing LRRP/Rangers, the Blues who went in for them, gunship pilots, lift ship pilots, et al) I tried to find and include as many of those who took part in the mission in order to tell a more accurate story. Even so, years later I wish I told you more about the various people involved. They deserved the recognition then and any time they might have in the proverbial limelight. Also, I wish I could have done a better job on the book. But that's how writing is, well, at least my writing.
The book is a tribute to those members of H Company LRRP/Rangers and Apache Troop, the 1st of the 9th CAV and I was proud to chronicle their deeds. While I'm still hacking away with the hopes that one day my writing will allow me to own a car that doesn't leak oil I can look to MIA RESCUE and feel it at least spotlighted some good people who risked everything to help others. That's the message I hope you take away from the book.
Finally, there's this: by buying my own book I will eventually receive a royalty...eh, about a quarter...before taxes...which should tell you something about the writing life. Hmm? Eight or nine more books sold and I'll have enough for another quart of oil.

Excellent book! It's amazing what these young men did and how brave they are. Another great book written by Kregg Jorgenson, who brings all the action right to you. And I agree with one of the other reviewers, this would be a great movie!!

I grew up with the leader of the incursion and I don't think any of this has had "literary license". In High School, Dev was a wrestler and fierce competitor. He was consistantly demonstrating his leadership abilities. It was in his blood. His Dad and Brother were leaders as well. This book does him justice. He has been and will be missed by all that knew him.

I think that this a very god book, a series of short stories about the vietnam war, one or two off them are perhaps " non-confirme-able", but who cares, just as long as it is a good storie.
I very much enjoyed the R-R storie to Thailand; revenge is to be enjoyed cold.
Also the story about marine SGT Henderson, that died and diden't
send chills up and down my spine.
Kregg has a way with frases and words, especialy his funny and self-ironic way of decribing himself and his conversion with all those who contributed stories to his book, he is very much the
Wiseguy he always describes himself as.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone.
Keep up the good work !!