Cambodian American Books

In my experience it is relatively rare to run across a true story told with the wrenching impact of the best fiction, but this is one such book.

Scott artfully weaves together the people, the landscape, and an amorphous third element: the changes occurring in Vietnam that combine the history of the place, the history-in-the-making at the time, and shadowy hints of the future to come. The result is a non-fiction "novel" depicting all the messy beauty of real life in a real place during a time of almost unimaginable events. The time and place are illuminated via their reflection in the lives and souls of the people into whose experiences Scott affords us the privilege of a glimpse.

An extraordinarily touching, educational, and thought-provoking work, this book transcends mere war stories and touches upon the very heart of what it means to be human. This book is unquestionably deserving of much wider readership than it appears to have from these sparse reviews. I expect any reader could not help but be changed by reading it. Not to be missed.

There are thousands of books that come out each decade about the Vietnam War. I think the story told in this book is worthwhile, since it gives the account of border Cambodians in their fight with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. I would not label it a literary masterpiece, simply because it is a combat story of why America lost the wars in Southeast Asia. These ethnic minorities in Vietnam were promised American support in their efforts to rid their homeland of occupiers (namely the Viet Cong) and America turned its back on them in order to leave the Vietnam War. Who suffered: the ethnic Cambodians who fought against the Communists and were killed off.
This book also puts an end to the story by liberals that the Viet Cong were liberators of the South. They killed, taxed, and made the local Cambodian population suffer their brand of Communism. The South Vietnamese may not have been much better, but at least they respected the local population better. This is a story of American betrayal of the Cambodian population of South Vietnam.

Having known Peter Scott just prior to his departure for Vietnam, I could hear his voice in my ears as I read Lost Crusade. Thank you Peter for this extaordinary contribution to literature about the war in Southeast Asia. For those of us who served but did not work directly with indigenous people, this book provides rich detail and insight in to the lives of the individuals we fought so hard to help. Should Peter Scott happen to read this, please accept my personal best wishes and thanks for your contribution. Trace Gordon, 101st. Aviation Batallion, 101st. Airborne Infantry Division 1969-1970

"Lost Crusade" must be counted as one of the best books ever written about the Vietnam War, and yet it goes far beyond the category of books 'about' Vietnam. "Lost Crusade" is much more than a book about war and for this reason will be valued even by those with no prior interest in the Vietnam War.

In "Lost Crusade" Peter Scott describes his experiences working with native Cambodian soldiers (the Khmer Krom) during the Vietnam War, and the book centers on the relationships he and other advisors built with these soldiers over the course of the War. At the same time Scott offers a broader, historical context of the conflict and the place of the Cambodians within it. This is what makes the book such a strong effort on two levels: it functions as both a historical document of the War from the perspective of one who was involved in it on the ground, and it is a moving recounting of the relationships between men who fought together as told by a skilled writer.

Scott introduces the large cast of characters with the same easy clarity that characterizes the book as a whole, and in a very personal way the reader soon begins to feel some of the attachment for his soldiers that Scott himself must have felt. We also encounter, quite vividly, the brutality of the War itself as well as the barbaric history of the region that pre-dated U.S. involvement. This allows the reader to understand some of the ferocity and drive that motivated these soldiers, and difficult as the material is to read at times, these passages could be seen as some of the most vital and necessary in the book.

The true measure of the book's success, and what makes the book accessible to all readers, is how deeply attached Scott causes the reader to become to his characters. This is largely due to the incredibly effective way in which it was written. The style appears to be effortless, and it is not until one actually stops to consciously consider it that the great care and craft invested in the book's writing becomes evident. Such a style quickly allows the reader to become involved in the personal relationships Scott establishes with the soldiers, and amplifies the tragedy that consumes many of them by the book's end.

"Lost Crusade" is both tremendously moving and also historically important, and it manages to effectively accomplish both its goals. Peter Scott has succeeded in writing a book 'about' war that, like all great books of its type, is really about the relationships that result from people being placed in situations such as war. While historically informative, most people will value the experience of reading the book for what it shows of human nature and human frailty. The book is certain to grip its readers and consume them from its fiery start in Southeast Asia to its bittersweet conclusion on America's West Coast.

I read 1-2 titles a week and this is one of the most compelling things
that I have ever read. Peter Scott writes with clarity and a passion
for humanity that made me shudder. It is not fair to the rest of the
book to single out any one chapter, but a chapter near the end about a
Pentagon general and Mr. Scott trying to decypher a paper battle map,
crudely and simplisticly describing a battle on the other side of the
world that must have invovled some of Mr. Scott's friends, is one of
the cruelest things that I have ever read. I had to put the book down
for a few days after.

If this book were a work of fiction, it
would fail - not because of the quality of the writing, which
surpasses most fiction and stands with the best, but because an
experience this fantastic is just not believable. Unless, of course,
it is real.

Other top favorites: Project Omega (Acre), Forgotten
Soldier (Sayer)

I teach English to immigrants and their stories of immigration always fascinate me. The extended family in this biography is from Cambodia, and they were desperate to leave, as families such as this one were especially at risk of persecution and death for having been part of the more Ã'privilegedÃ" middle class.

It took a massive effort on the part of Ean BunÃ*s family to escape, but it also required great effort and commitment on the part of the American sponsors who persevered in not only getting them here, but in nurturing them once they arrived. Without the sponsors, these immigrants wouldnÃ*t have adapted to the culture and reached their dreams, at least not as quickly or as well. The sponsors provided housing, furniture, clothes. They helped them sign up for classes and find jobs, and counseled them on taxes, education, jobs, and even in dealing with problems in relationships. The sponsors played a critical role in Americanizing these immigrants, and serve as a model for those who wonder how they can help.

This is a fascinating account of Ã'east meets westÃ", with humorous and poignant stories of how members of the family interpreted our western holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, their misundersandings of our idioms, and encountering contraptions such as toilets and toilet paper so soft it should not be used for its intended purpose. When the American sponsors spent time instructing the family in Christianity, they assumed the familyÃ*s conversion was real, based on an understanding of the doctrine, but much later discovered that the Cambodians attended church to please their sponsors, and to mingle with people who spoke English. The Cambodians considered themselves both Christians and Buddhists at the same time, and after years of acquiring English and cultural understanding, they realized they didnÃ*t understand either religion very well.

This book also makes us see a little of what we take for granted in the U.S., our ability to speak freely, to live comfortably and without fear, and to be surrounded by a wealth of possessions. One Cambodian is shocked and outraged, when attending school, she sees the students talking loudly, throwing a football across the room, and the worst horror... sitting on a stack of books and treating them like trash. She had owned one book in Cambodia, and protected it as a special treasure. She saw how American students didnÃ*t seem to want to learn as much as they wanted the school day to end, whereas she wanted to devour her education, learning as much as she could.

Yet there are ways that our culture shines in the CambodiansÃ* eyes, and if we take some time to look at our culture from their perspective, it can make us more thoughtful, more appreciative, and more productive citizens.

"Bamboo and Butterflies" is a biography and an oral history. In a series of vignettes written in "first person" format, it tells the story of the daughters and extended family of Ean Bun, and their fleeing from Cambodia to America. Part one of the story begins in 1979 with 11 year old Tevi. She tells of her memories about the flight out of Cambodia to California with her mother, Mearadey Ngak, her father, Keang (Ken) Ngak, and her two younger sisters, Sampwa Moni (Sam) and Chenda Peach.Tevi relates that "Everything seemed alien: unfamiliar surroundings, weird noises, peculiar smells." The narrative frequently switches back and forth between these first family members to arrive in The States.The narrative also frequently changes the frame of reference back and forth from the present to the past. There is some repetition from story story, but the format works well. All of the family share their relief at finally being safe after several years of slave labor under the Khmer Rouge regime. Sampwa/Sam relates "...I learned fear. Being forced from our home and from the city was a shock...then the Khmer Rouge took my grandfather away." They all tell of the problems involved in being forced to take refuge in a country without knowing the language. There are humorous tales of the misconceptions they have about American culture and society. When Chenda Poong first arrives in the States she can't figure out how to stand on an American toilet to "perform her duty." After several days of doing the best she can, she mentions it to her cousin, who explains the "American way" to her. "My opinion of American bathrooms improvedmarkedly after that" she said! There are many stories of triumphs small and large. As new family members are brought over from Southeast Asia their stories are added.We eventually meet all of Ean Bun's daughters and Son-in-Laws and grandchildren. The courage and tenacity with which all the members of this exceptional extended family work is told with a humble "matter-of fact-ness."! They are not bitter at the past, they are grateful to be alive and have a second chance! Forced to clean houses to make ends meet, A task they had servants for in Cambodia, the women confront the "fantasy versus the reality" of their new lives. "That cleaning business proved to be a valuable experience. It taught me that in America your worth is measured by the person you are, not the work you do." "The gap you perceive between your experience and ours (refugees) is not a gap - it's the Grand Canyon," Teeda Mam says at one point. But they are not hopelessly distressed about the gap they must cross to fit in in America, they are motivated! This families' experiences are extreme by our standards; and so is the courage and goodwill with which they chose to cope.

During 12 visits between 1981 and 1993 Dr Louis Braile worked on the Thai-Cambodian border, first in a number of refugee camps and finally at a hospital at Mongkol Borei in northwestern Cambodia. Gentle, introspective and compassionate, his descriptions of his experiences are vivid and often poignant while quietly modest about the author's own dedication to long hours under grueling conditions. Dr Braile worked in virtually every area of medicine, in unsanitary and often unsafe conditions, and dealt with death on a daily basis. His fervent love for the Khmer people kept him returning again and again until the last camp closed and the last refugee went home. Curiously, his life while not at work was a pleasant contrast, as he gives the reader descriptions of meals and journeys through the Thai countryside and a bemused commentary on his encounters across cultural and linguistic barriers.

I worked briefly with "Papa Louis" in 1984 and found this book an open window into those long, dusty days helping patients struggle through disease and injury in bamboo-and-thatch hospitals. If you are one of the thousands of relief workers who worked in the Cambodian refugee camps, this book is a treasury of bittersweet memories.

Those interested in this time and place in history might enjoy Bamboo and Barbed Wire by Margot Grant.

We Shared The Peeled Orange: The Letters of 'Papa Louis" From The Thai-Cambodian Border Refugee Camps 1981-1993 arises from the letters of volunteer physician Dr. Louis E. Braile and offers the reader an autobiographically descriptive insight into the world of humanitarian relief work as provided by the American Refugee Committee in the refugee camps of such diverse countries as Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Sudan. Dr. Braile (who came to be known as "Papa Louis" completed twelve tours of duty on the Thai-Cambodian border through the American Refugee Committee between 1981 and 1993. His experiences ranged from treating a child suffering from malnutrition to teaching a young refugee basic medical care. Dr. Braile's letters depict hardships, frustrations, pains, and joys of working in a refugee camp in the midst of chaos. Up until his death in 2002, Dr. Braile remained an exemplar of dedication and sacrifice in behalf of peoples whose lives had been shattered by the forces of war, famine, poverty, and politics. We Shared The Peeled Orange is a unique and candid memoir, and a fitting memorable to a man who made a difference in the lives of thousands of desperate and all to often forgotten people.

I got this for my wife so it would be easier for her to follow along when we went to church. She is from Cambodia. We discovered it only has the 1st 4 books of the new testament. We are not pleased about this at all!

I don't know how many Bible Translations there are in Cambodian. I have compared a few from different sources and they appear to be identical. I appreciated Amazon's quick shipment. I received the bible in just a few days.

This is a very good translation from hebrew to khmer, because not like the american or canadian bible society, God`s name JEHOVAH has been kept in most of the places, while most biles in english and french these days has taken it out because according to them there is no need to leave it. I`m very happy to have seen it. It has been really been well translated from the hebrew tetragram of God`s real name.

I bought a couple of these to give away on a mission trip to Cambodia. I can't read it, so I can't give an opinion on the translation! However it is a nice, thick sturdy book and has a textured black cover with gold embossing, and red-edged pages. It also has a red ribbon bookmark, which is a nice touch. I'd say it's a great value.

This book would work as a great discussion stimulator with older elementary school children. The fictional story of Nary, a young Cambodian refugee, is mixed with facts about immigration, citizenship, and other cultures. Young students may not be able to make the jump required to connect the story with the facts with the illustrations, but older students should not have a problem with this. The overall effect, though, is of disconnectedness. This won't be a book read for its story, though the story is an important one with themes teachers may want to use in their classrooms like immigration, multiculturalism, racism, tolerance, and refugees.

Who Belongs Here is not as well known as Knight's other books probably because it is of controversial nature. But books such as this gem are perhaps the most important in our culture today. While the concepts in the book may go over the heads of youger children, an intriduction to taboo topics at an early age will prepare them to face realities as they grow. This, of course, depends on personal opinions about immigration and racism issues and how they should be addressed, but the story in this book can be used even through the high school years to allow students to look at the situation from an angle of a foreigner. We, as citizens of a conglomerate country, should thank Knight for bringing such a story to light.

I had to read "the tradedy of cambodian history" by David Chandler for a history course at my university. The class focuses on genocide in the 20th century so I was very interested in Chandler's book because I knew little about the Cambodian Genocide by Pol Pot. So maybe it was because I went in with high expectations that made me feel disappointed afterwards. I expected this book to not so much be "easy" to read, but I thought I would at least be able to follow along with the main points. This is where I first found fault. Chandler uses SO many names and dates that really seem irrelevant in the scheme of the book. It made it very distracting because I was unsure which names and dates were actually of importance. Usually authors use names and dates to emphasize a point or event. Chandler just uses them all the time for every single, tiny event. I understand history is made up of names and dates, but the larger picture of history is better to gain than the names and dates. So I was extremely distracted and that was the first thing that made it hard to follow. The second reason I got lost easily was because Chandler switches back and forth between names. For example, Pol Pot was not Pol Pot's real name. So Chandler sometimes refers to Pol Pot by that name, or by his real name. He constantly switches back and forth with no real pattern. For a long time I could not figure out who this person was that Chandler kept talking about every now and then. Finally I figured out that it was Pol Pot's other name. Despite these negative aspects, I did appreciate the last chapter which gives eyewitness accounts of the Cambodian Genocide. It makes the entire book seem a little more personal and real. However, Chandler does not really delve deeply into the human aspects of emotions and feelings about the genocide. He reports the eyewitnesses' accounts but does not add any personal information. So again I really did not find myself too attached to these people. I empathized with them, but their accounts did not stand out as much as some Holocaust ones do. Overall I think if people are interested in just getting a basic overview of Cambodian history, this would not be the book for them. I am sure this is a wonderful book for people like professors and scholars on Cambodia, just not for average, or even above-average readers/students. Out of five stars I would have to give it a 1.8 if I was going on a strict point scale.

Chandler, the most eminent scholar of Cambodia, has provide an easy to follow and insightful account of Cambodia's recent history. Whilst perhaps not designed for those with no base knowledge in Cambodian history, a read of the relevant section of a general Asian history book will provide all the background knowledge necessary. The Tragedy of Cambodian History traces not only the significant events since 1945 but also, through doing so, traces the lives of people such as Nuon Chea who were to become instrumental in the disastrous events from April 17, 1975. I would recommend this to be read before either of Kiernan's major works on the topic as they provide more facts which new readers are liable to get bogged down in.

Perfect for those who feel the need to understand one of the worst cases of man's inhumanity to man.

It does not say in the book description, but do not be mistaken: This book is meant for Cambodians to learn English, not for English speakers to learn Cambodian. It is however well presented with beautiful pictures. I just wish they had the equivalent for English speakers to learn Cambodian.

I brought the Picture Dictionary for my grandsons. They are Cambodian learning English. I am visiting them this summer and I only speak English!!!!!

The book seems a good instrument in case a khmer person wants to learn English. Too bad it is not clearly indicated that you need to know how to read the khmer language, to use this book. As a metter of fact I will make it a gift for a child in Cambodia.

I can speak Thai and Laotian fairly well, but like many non-native speakers, I can not read the languages at all. I learned to speak by spending a lot of time in the region and by using CD language courses while in America.

But possibly the best adjunct to learning- while living in a foreign country or while at home- is a good phonetic dictionary: a dictionary that lists its words in English, but then gives the word in, say, Laotian, using the English alphabet.

I would select several words/day from a phonetic dictionary and try to use these in either invented conversation when in America or real conversation while overseas. Yes, you don't learn the language structure this way; yes, your pronunciation will often need be corrected by a native speaker [which is great fun in itself!]- BUT, using this method alone, you can talk to people. Clumsy at first, laden with accent and error- yet, you will be able to cummincate in a surpisingly short time. This, after all, is what most of us want to do- we don't need to write the language [at least, not at first], not do we need to speak the King's Cambodian- what we want to do is communicate.

And so, I bought this book, the New Oxford Dictionary: English-Cambodian, naively thinking it must be a phonetic dictionary. It is not.
It gives phrases in English. Then, it gives the same phrase in Cambodian-using the Cambodian alphabet only. So, unless you first know both the Cambodian and English alphabets, this book is absolutely worthless to you as a learning tool. You can not possibly learn anything from it.

Perhaps if you are a Cambodian who knows the English alphabet, this book can help you- but if you know the English alphabet well enough to read the English words, are you really still ignorant of how to say rudimentary phrases in English, such as, say, "what is your name?"

Unless you like bright pictures, don't buy this book. Save your money for a different book or a CD language course, or better yet, for an extended stay in another culture.

This book covers an important aspect of Cambodian history but does so rather ineffectively. It is even less effective in elucidating the events of the Vietnam war. This Shaw is enough to make Shawcross very cross! Excellent piece of revisionist history and this does a disservice to the Vietnamese people on both sides of the conflict. The understanding of the role the Vietnamese played in this period is limited, but more seriously there is a complete lack of understanding of Cambodian history - it is almost as if the Cambodians were irrelevant to the situation, no more than inconvenient collateral damage. The book should have had rather more editorial work to weed out some astoundingly obvious errors (to take just one example - the repeated claim that Sihanoukville was renamed Kamong Speu - a very quick glance at a map would be enough to show that this was Kampong Soum - not actually an easy mistake to make for someone purporting to know the area. Deeply unsatisfying book which had the opportunity at this distance from events to open up some real actual analysis but failed.

I did not complete this book so I cannot say how bad it is but just glancing at the first few chapters and the aftermath analysis, I noticed several glaring errors and faulty analysis that turn me off from completing the whole book. For instance, the author claimed that the NVA did not used Cambodia to attacked South Vietnam from 1969-1970, yet if the author have read MACV documents for that period he should have known that the South Vietnamese were forced to moved several outposts and camps away from the Cambodia-Vietnam border such as Bu Prang and Duc Lap in 1969 due to constant NVA artillery attacks from Cambodia. During the battles at Tay Ninh and Trang Bang in 1969 and the Toan Thang offensive in 1970 (before the Cambodian campaign), the NVA troops and materiel did came from Cambodia, so how any "historian" can claimed that the NVA/VC did not use Cambodia to attack South Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 is puzzling.

The author also claimed that general ARVN Do Cao Tri used three several regiments because he did not trust his own division, I have no idea where this author arrived at his analysis. General Tri emphasis was on mobility not holding ground, that is why he use a combination of armor and attached infantry. Also, most ARVN divisions consists of three regiments spread out over several provinces that is why general Tri uses several regiments from different divisions when these regiments have intersect area of operation.

This is an excerpt of a book review published in Proceedings Magazine, March 2006

In 1985, former President Richard Nixon called the Cambodia incursion "the most successful military operation of the Vietnam War." Tell that to the veterans of the Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sanh, and Hue City. So why haven't we heard more about this offensive? According to historian John M. Shaw who taught in the history departments at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy, the decision to invade Cambodia decidedly stirred the antiwar movement and galvanized Congress. Its military lessons were lost.

Shaw looks at the soldiers by comparing the backgrounds of young ARVN leaders to their American counterparts, the former much weaker administratively because they were "shortchanged in their former professional military education and staff time at higher levels." Corruption, inept leadership, and poor pay plagued the ARVN.

As do a number of American historians, Shaw harshly criticizes the South Vietnamese leadership and society in general. "They were neither as unified nor as zealous as their counterparts to the north." He believes that the successful Cambodian invasion saved American and South Vietnamese lives. More importantly, it bought time for the pacification program championed by General Creighton Abrams Jr., the U.S. commander in Vietnam. He concludes that President Nixon chose the best course of action at the time.

Yet Army General Bruce Palmer countered after the war that "Cambodia eventually resulted in a drastic diminution in the U.S. military advisory effort and military aid for South Vietnam. . . the most damaging blow of all for Saigon."

I personal did not had a chance to read this book, but by looking at the front cover. It was an inaccurate Front cover Picture and Background. The cover is more like in Saigon or somewhere in Vietnam. Cambodia and Cabodians never!!! wear head gear as the Vietnames did.

We were looking for novels for our kids ages 10 and 12 to read in preparation for a trip to Cambodia. Indeed, as another reviewer commented, no one in Cambodia wears the kinds of hats pictured on the front except Korean tourists just coming from Vietnam. The premise, that the heroine's father is American and can bail her out of anything that the Pol Pot regime can set up, I felt was somewhat insulting to the hundreds of thousands of Cambodians who suffered and those who survived. I suppose it was meant to help make the character more "accessible" to American readers, but it just seemed preposterous. The writing is universally bad, very awkward in places.

If you want an emotionally true novel with more accurate portrayals of life under the regime and a more realistic transition to the US, then try Mingfong Ho's Stone Goddess - much better written, and much more helpful if you wanted to understand what it's like to live in Cambodia. Especially if you're planning to visit the country, read Stone Goddess instead.

Cambodia in 1975 is a war-torn country engulfed by a violent civil war. Thirteen-year-old Chantrea lives in the city of Phnom Pehn with her American father, who is a photographer, and her Cambodian mother. When her father goes away on an assignment, Chantrea and her mother expect to see him again in a few days. But the war ends suddenly when the cruel communist regime of the Khmer Rouge takes control. Chantrea's mother is killed, and Chantrea and her grandparents are forced out of their homes and into a work camp. They escape across the border to Thailand, where they live as refugees. Chantrea waits for news of her father and hopes for the opportunity to travel to America to live with her father's family there. When that opportunity comes, she takes it - but will she ever see her father again? This novel brought the terror of the not-so-distant past of 1975 in Cambodia to life. Chantrea was a strong, courageous heroine. If you enjoyed the first two books in the Journey to America series, you will like this one as well.