Asia Books

I bought the book in 1989 in a Californian bookshop and ever since I read parts of it, must have read it 50 times together with Jack Broughtons books. Some years ago I had contacts with John and he told me about his flights in a MIG21 and how tricky that plane was on landing (like an F100 or F104)and always wondered what has become of him. I was in the Dutch airforce myself and am still shocked how politicians till this day destroy professional soldiers with their stupid rules of engagement.
This book is a must for all people interested what really goes on in
an airwar and the aftermaths of it. Thank you John !

A straight-forward memoir that should be enjoyed by all fans of the Phabulous Phantom. You can almost feel the heat of the flightline and smell the hyd fluid again. ahhhh....

Phantom Over Vietnam is the story of a Marine fighter pilot in Vietnam; his two tours, the time he spent in the USA between the tours and his thoughts about the war which are changing as he logs missions. It is a very good book for the military aviation enthusiast. I gave it 4 stars because the numerous flashbacks and various other explanations present all over the book sometimes makes it hard to follow. Moreover, I think that the author could have concentrated more on the " cockpit stuff ". The epilogue, in which he evaluates his performance as a fighter pilot on a cost effective basis, is unique and quite interesting. I reccomend reading this book to anyone interested in military aviation or curious about what it was like to be a fighter pilot in Vietnam.

I have to admit I am biased - I flew with John Trotti on at least one flight as his RIO (backseater). And, naturally, I hoped to find someone had done a good job of describing life in a Marine Phantom, something I lived for 316 combat missions over North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. As the stars indicate, I think John did an excellent job.

True, it is not the book I would have written - aerial combat is intensely personal, always has been, and so every account, if it is honest and well written, will be different. Trotti has a little difficulty understanding why anyone would be a backseater (lack of 20/20 vision is a place to start, but being able to be in fighters is the big reason; again, my perspective rearing its head), but he has his fingers on the pulse of combat flying in Southeast Asia. The fatigue of both planes and men is seldom mentioned in most accounts of the air war and the cost was higher than most realize. The intensity of flying close air support in conditions where even seagulls preferred to walk is well described in this book.

Above all, it is a personal account, provided by a man who was a good observer of both himself and the world around him. For readers looking to make the dry accounts of the air war's political decisions and combat statistics real, then Trotti's book is the place to begin.

I read "Phantom Over Vietnam", the memoir of a Marine fighter pilot, before plunging into the mounds of similar books on the subject of the Vietnam Air War, both novel and memoir. Thus I couldn't appreciate how the book was unique. Most authors on the subject generalize the air war - the technology and tactics - while highlighting the overt civilian control of a war being fought based on political rather than military goals. While Trotti raises those issues, he never turns his book into an indictment on the Johnson administration, Rob McNamara's Defense Department "whiz-kids", or the liberals who others have blamed for undermining the war effort - concluding that the war was futile. The book follows Trotti from his arrival in Vietnam in the war's early and heady days, then notes the apparent changes when the optimism fades. After an interval spent training newer aviators stateside, Trotti returns for more. His descriptions of the flights are weighthed down by detail on such topics as the F-4 Phantom's mechanics, aero-navigation and airborne communications protocol (which is also a mystery to the author). But these burdens are probably intentional - Trotti isn't going for action. He does nothing to make himslef look heroic - what can you say about a guy who admits that his biggest fear isn't of missiles or MiG fighters, but of the power seats in his airplane (the author is not a tall man). One interesting aspect - unlike the cool and pristine airplanes in similar books, Trotti's jets are aged (and prematurely so) by the rigors of combat and flight. The most enduring images of the book, are those of a newly shipped F-4, with its fresh paint job, sharing ramp space with older jets with their paint blistered by supersonic air. It's not a book you'll read in one sitting, but it's not a book you'll read only once.

The author has an agenda to bash America in this work, all the more incredible since one would think the nation of Japan, which has never officially apologized for the atrocities described in this bood, would more than suffice as a punching bag for him, the author. His determination to get that bashing in, in the second half of the work, distracted him from delivering the proper scope and balance in telling the story the author is probably capable of. Worth the price though (especially if you can get it at a discount).

This is why my mother won't visit China. Although she would like to learn more about Chinese culture, she discouraged my visiting China because she was afraid something would bite me or I would bring vermin back not because the Chinese are inherently dirty but because she accurately remembers the strength of vermin warfare inflicted upon China and is convinced that the poisoning of China's water system and soil makes Chinese products suspect even before the industrial accidents in recent news. It takes a widespread intense campaign to deal with this problem. I didn't read this book before visiting China but I believed that she was being practical in her advise and not political. This problem needs to be researched. One must satisfy the most critical person in order to solve the problem correctly.

I came from the city where the Japanse secret germ army operated during the second world war. What the author stated in the book is true. The truth can not be denied by the Japanese Government. Don`t judge anything as lie or truth, unless you find out with yoru own eyes.

I recently attended a lecture by Daniel Barenblatt in NYC. The subject was of course Barenblatt's new book A PLAGUE UPON HUMANITY. Whereas the use of human medical experimentation is now a well known aspect of the Nazi extermination program, the fact that
Japan innovated these same techniques, as well as implementing a lethal biological warfare unit, directed by Dr. Ishii Shiro & imposed upon the Chinese population in Manchuria & Occupied China, prior & parallel to the Nazi regime, is less known in the Western World.
Whereas some books on this topic have been published, Mr. Barenblatt, with integrity & the detachment necessary to cover the terrain, has written a contemporary & updated version of the material That he does so fills an important gap in our historical understanding but moreover, underlies the situation in which we now live.
The 25 photographs speak without words. The 10 chapters & for this reader, in particular the last chapter `What The Deal Brought' wherein the implication of this program for our current policy is clear become apparent.. In an era of lethal indifference , poisoned ambients, both intellectual & environmental, a voice such as Barenblatt's must be heeded.

The author Dan Barenblatt has his special background in chemistry and the most precious common human values to complete such a wonderful book. I can image how much efforts he put to overcome the difficullties since the auther does not read and write Chinese.
The most impressive from in this book is the auther try to understand the facts of the history and the cause of it. Unless we understand the cause of the historic tragedy, it will repeat again.
For example he spent a good amount of efforts to analyze what cause the head of Unit 731 - Dr. Shiro Ishii to commit such a huge crime on germ warfare from his family, social background and political environment at that time and how America knew about it, how the secret deal was made later. The auther wanted to present the whole true history base on the individual has right to know, without knowing the fact, the justice and human values are easily betrayed by interest or other purpose.
You will be touched by this most forgotten or unkown history presented in the book; but as a Chinese auther I was touched and amazed by his efforts and unbiased humaneness

Wow. This book makes me long for my grad school days. What an inspired story of scientific pursuit, history, evolution, ethnobotany, and the love of pomegranates. I love this book so much I want to eat it. This is a must read. He includes detailed descriptions of plant guilds that would grow well in dry places and some information that could lead readers to find sources of pomegranate germplasm. I love how he weaves his story together. The botanical terminology makes my heart flutter! I want to visit the places he's been. Reading this book right now is especially poignant as many place names he uses have been on the news as sites of bombing and military action. I wish it were not so and this book gives me greater depth of appreciation for the history, ecology, and beauty of these areas.

I was expecting just information about pomegranates. Boy did I have pleasant surprise. Pomegranate Roads not only gets the the 'ole taste buds salivating, but it also provides amazing insight into a man with a great passion for his work. Equally impressive is the historical perspective of the fall of the USSR and what it did to this small part of biological diversity as well as the cultural impacts. An excellent memoir unto itself.

If you are curious about pomegranates, this is the book for you! Even if you do not eat them or grow them, this is a wonderful story about human passion.

I purchased this book primarily to learn about pomegranates as I am in the process of planting a small orchard of pomegranates. I found it to be a wonderful history lesson and an adventure. I am planting several of Dr. Levin's cultivars and have a great appreciation for all of the work he carried out for some 40 years, often at great risk of life. I often felt I was on these adventures and now wonder if I could ever participate in some exploratory treks. It's painful to read how the research stations have been bulldozed and wish more of the 1,117 cultivars could be rescued. It was hard to put this book down and I now have a much greater appreciation for being able to grow some of Dr. Levin's cultivars. I only hope I can do them justice!

Some chapters of this book make you feel like you've just watched an Indiana Jones movie, while other chapters would make a great NOVA science episode. On his scientific treasure hunt for exotic pomegranates, Dr.Gregory Levin has--unassumingly-- run into vipers dancing on their tails, and seen cave paintings of kangaroos on the border of Iran and Turkmenistan! Levin knows which godesses were idolized in pomegranates and what the penalty was for felling a pomegranate tree in ancient Egypt. Yet the tone of this adventure is deeply thoughtful. In 1941 when young Levin and his parents were digging trenches around Leningrad in preparation for the seige, Levin watched a drift of butterflies land on a nearby tree. "Their life cycle was ending," Levin says,"and they had all landed on the tree to die. The tree was their cemetary." Here's an author who sees reflections of the human condition in Nature all around us. And like a good hiking companion he doesn't keep pointing things out, but leaves you alone to take it all in for yourself.

Ari Siletz, author of "The Mullah With No Legs and Other Stories."

This is one of the best military history books out there. Its an account of a raid to free POWs carried out during the Vietnam war. What is so good about it is that it gives a truely comprehensive from top-to-bottom account of the mission from conception to execution and even following through to the political aftermath. while the mission was not successful in its objective (the POWs were moved before the team arrived), the plan involving a raid deep into North Vietnam was carried out flawlessly.

While many things have changed since the time the book was written, people, organizations and politics have not. The book is a case study with wide ongoing application. Its also a fun read for anyone interested in politics, the Vietnam war, special operations or military history in general.

The Son Tay Prison Raid was a good idea but was based on poor intelligence. Benjamin Schemmer did a good telling the story. It's too bad it doesn't have a happy ending.

Sam McGowan
Vietnam Veteran, author "The Cave"

Great account of the brilliantly executed 1970 special operations mission to rescue POWs, and the breakdown in intelligence which resulted in the rescuers coming away empty handed. If you've read about the mission to rescue the hostages at the embassy in Iran a few years later, you'll recognize a number of the names. (See Delta Force by Charlie Beckwith for details on the Iranian mission.)

First published in 1976, "The Raid" is the story of the heroic attempt to rescue 61 Americans from the North Vietnamese POW camp at Son Tay in November, 1970. It is thoroughly and meticulously researched. Its' 3 reprints attest to the quality. Author Schemmer had some obvious command cooperation in its' compilation. "The Raid" devotes more effort -and pages- in depicting the painstaking step by step preparation and practice that was dedicated to the rescue than the actual time on the ground. That is understandable, since the mission lasted less than 30 minutes. The camp was empty and no one was rescued! The author examines the intelligence "considerations' behind that unpleasant fact. More time and space is given to the inevitable damage control that the Pentagon and White House had to tackle. That easy to appreciate as well, given the frantic antiwar feelings in this country at the time. The raid took place less than 4 months after our troops were withdrawn from Cambodia. That incursion had sparked huge domestic protests. There are three outstanding traits to this tale: The first is the obvious bravery and courage shown by the men involved. The second is the sheer amount of logistical support and inter -service coordination that the effort required. There is an impressive array of those Command acronyms. As any veteran would rightly suspect, there was a bit of infighting as well. I appreciated reading that General Ryan, Air Force Chief of Staff, gave an open letter to some of the chief planners directing they receive complete "no questions asked" cooperation. Those who felt unable to comply were to call the General directly! How many calls do we think Ryan received? Finally, we the author incorporates the human beings who were the actual prisoners. We read of some of the more distinguished, such as Robinson Risner and Jerimiah Denton as well as those not as famous but who suffered as much and more. "The Raid" is almost a mini-history of the POW saga-one that extends to this very day. Over 1,800 men remain unaccounted for. Some claimed the raid to be a failure. It strikes this reviewer as an outstanding success. That's because after Son Tay, most POWs were consolidated into the big Hanoi area prisons. There was safety-not to mention a command structure-in numbers. Treatment improved, especially since many prisoners could help themselves. This reviewer would like to compliment President Nixon and Defense Secretary Laird for supporting a military action they knew would be unpopular and suspected might be unsuccessful. Canceling the operation would have been the easy way out; they courageously chose the difficult course. To this day, Mr. Nixon remains the only Chief Executive to seriously address the POW issue. Those buying "The Raid" should strongly consider Frank Anton's "Why Didn't You Get Me Out?" It's time frame perfectly complements Mr. Schemmer's tale. Finally, there is the virtual Bible on the subject, "Code Name Bright Light". That may be a lot of reading but what subject is more worthwhile?

On November 21st, 1970, a rescue mission would be launched inside North Vietnam that would eventually gain status as being possibly the most incredible operation ever conducted during the Vietnam war.

The culmination of months of grueling planning and training, intensive coordination through military channels, extensive secrecy, and special operations wizardry would lead to the daring raid on the Son Tay POW camp just 20 short miles outside of Hanoi. So well prepared was the team that after the raid's accomplishment, no lives were lost and everyone returned safely after just 26 minutes on the ground. Everyone except U.S. POW's, that is, who were unfortunately not at the POW compound being that it had been abandoned only months previously. Information discovered as to why the Son Tay facility was empty would prove to be both revealing and disturbing to the raid planners and executers.

In assessing the aftermath of the mission itself, although deemed a failure by the mainstream media and squabbled over by Congress, the military, and intelligence agencies, positive aspects would eventually come to light to justify the raid a success after all. Unknown to many outside the purview of the POW's themselves, the raid was an eye opener to the North Vietnamese who now fully realized that America would defy the greatest of odds to repatriate their POW's and show them that they were not forgotten. The Son Tay rescue mission was a serious morale booster for our U.S. captives and also hastened their improved treatment from their North Vietnamese jailors.

Benjamin F. Schemmer has written a fascinating and in-depth study into one of the most sensational rescue missions ever accomplished in the history of warfare. Richly detailed and researched, included are photographs, maps, and appendixes with a multitude of statistics and operational facts. Whether just a casual reader or an avid fan of Vietnam era history, The Raid is an excellent book from start to finish. For those readers interested in the complete story of POW rescues in Vietnam, I would highly recommend the book "Code Name Bright Light: The Untold Story of POW Rescue Efforts During the Vietnam War" by George J. Veith.

Raghubir Singh's River of Colour is a book that beautiful in many ways. Not only was he a very talented photographer, he also brings out a tremendous sense of patriotism with his book. His photographs capture the essence of Indian culture.

I was given this book (softcover edition) by a friend some years ago, and it has resonated with me as one of the finest compilations of documentary photography on India. Raghubir Singh's photograph captures moments in the lives of ordinary Indians, in a way that is without a doubt timeless. This book is a collection of his best works from his many years of photography in India and it's simply a marvel, especially for anyone who has a special interest in India or comes from India, who can really appreciate the imagery.

I hands down recommend this book to anyone and everyone and always show it off to friends. Try and get some of his other works as well - Bombay, The Grand Trunk Road, Kerala, Banares, Kashmir, if you can find them. You will be equally impressed.

Raghubir Singh was born in India and began his photography career in 1965 - but until this collection, very few of his works reached audiences outside the country. RIVER OF COLOUR: THE INDIA OF RAGHUBIR SINGH uses a wide-angle panoramic layout which will prove a shelving challenge to most art library collections - but a delight to any who seek fine display materials. It's the only retrospective of Singh's works and by choosing an elongated, oversized display format, the color photos of Indian topics come to life and nearly spring off the page. RIVER OF COLOUR is recommended not just for art photography libraries, but for any collection strong on India history or culture.

I first bought this book in its paperback edition... I was so taken by the photographs that on learning that Phaidon was re-releasing the book, I gave my pbk copy to an Indian friend of mine (who loves it, as it reminds him of home). Looking forward to the re-release of this book, I was eagerly looking for it to become available.

The re-release arrived just the other day. I can say that the photos are just as moving, heart-melting, and colorful as the original copy. HOWEVER, Amazon's "shrink-wraping process" ruined the cover of the book, and many of the pages of the book.

So, I paid full Amazon price for the book, but were I to try to re-sell it, it would be "damaged."

To say that I'm a little piss#d is an understatement.

It _is_ a beautiful book, with a wonderful overview of Singh's work - my favorites are the boys diving from the tops of submerged temples on a flooded Ganges, and a pic of a muscician from Tamil Nadu...

I just wish the condition of the book were better.

India is a difficult country to understand and even more difficult to explain, in words or pictures! Rughubir Singh has captured the chaos of India which take you right into the bylanes of Varanasi/Banaras. This is my favourite(infact the only picture book) gift to a lot of my western friends, most of whom have visited India before. The pictures are simply too powerful. If you have any facination for that land, you cant afford not to have a look at Mr. Singh's pictures.

I wish there was a 6 star rate!
Love the quality (overall!) of the book! Amazong for inspiration!! This one goes on my special-favorite book rack!!!!

As a collector of, and dealer in Central Asian garments, I have long been fascinated by the printed, cotton linings of these garments. Some of the fabrics are so beautiful, that my customers turn the coats inside out, and wear them in reverse. How delightful to find a book on these fabrics. The book shows many different patterns of fabric, as well as a number of coats, turned inside out, to show the wonderful patchwork patterns. Well done.

while this extravagantly illustrated compilation of Russian printed fabrics from 1900 to 1950 will be invaluable to both artist and collector, it is a visual delight to the general reader as well. The author skilfully weaves the history of the Cental Asian tribal peoples into the tapestry of mass migration and technology which produced stunning roller and block-printed cotton clothing.

This book is stunning in a visual sense. Each print illustrates the creative choices of the Central Asian people and also reflect the influences of the world around them. More than a book reviewing Russian textiles, it records the history of a region of the world that is not commonly explored. So beautifully photographed, one can almost feel the weave of the prints. Cloth is so commonplace we take its history for granted. This book reminds us its importance. Its interesting that a swatch of fabric can weave a story of time and people.

This book is not only visually stunning, it is also a fascinating read. This is the first time that these beautiful and unusual fabrics have been given their due recognition both as designs and as an important part of Russian/Soviet history.

I've been a fan of Stephen Turnbull's informative and beautiful Samurai books since the early 90's, when I discovered his books in my local library. This is one of his best, much better than many of his recent works. If you're interested in the Ikko-Ikki sects, the warrior monks, or the conquests of Oda Nobunaga, this book delivers!

Really informative. I was actually surprised! Some really nice pictures in the book also. After reading, I now have a thorough understanding of Samurai, warrior monks, japanese warfare, etc.

With lavish illustrations and comprehensive text, "Samurai Warfare" by Dr. Stephen Turnbull gives the reader an overveiw of Japans elite soldier caste from the earliest use of the term to the advent of gun powder in Samurai warfare.
For those just delving into this ancient and mystic age in Japans history, Samurai Warfare offers the reader an easy to understand primer in the history of those responsible for enforcing the will of the Emporer and Nobles

Although very brief, and covering a lot of ground, this book takes a new look at some familiar topics (familiar to students of Japanese military history, that is!). There are some fascinating surprises here, such as the Kuniyoshi illustration of a samurai musketeer with a rather ominous-looking gun and sashimono. The color reproductions of key paintings are extremely detailed and sharp.

After the concise overview of the dynamic changes in samurai warfare over the centuries, Turnbull rewards the reader with informational case studies toward the end of the book. Although somewhat short on specific details and explanatory maps (maps at more frequent intervals during the campaign study would have been helpful), the strength of the book lies in its analysis of the specific construction of the hatamoto of certain daimyo. In addition, the analysis of the Battle of Anegawa (along with additional research by the reader) provides a good reference for scenario construction by gamers and hobbyists. Overall, Turnbull provides an inspirational resource.

As a college student, (Junior) working towards a degree in History, I found Stingray, by Major B. H. Norton, USMC, to be a well-written and informative book on one aspect of US military history. While I wasn't even born during the Vietnam War, I have now gained a better sense of history and underdstanding by reading this, and other, books written by Major Norton. Stringray describes a military concept used by reconnaissance Marines during the Vietnam War. The author begins by setting the political and military tone of the times, and then describes how the Marines had to change their "concept of operations" to match wits with the Viet Cong, and later, the North Vietnamese Army as it invaded South Vietnam. With the help of first-hand accounts and by having other Marines' explain their understanding of the Stingray Concept, Major Norton has produced a book that paints the entire picture; from those recon team members who went out on patrol, to the officers who were involved in "fine-tuning" their plans. I found this book to be enlightning and very useful in undestanding what happened during this time in our nation's history. I'm looking forward to more books by Norton. He seems to know how to put it all together. A very good book.

I found Stingray to be a well written description of what Marine Recon teams were doing during the course of the Vietnam War. The research that Major Norton has done helps novices, like me, who served in a different branch of service, understand this part of the Marine Corps' history in warfare. I would recommend this book to anyone interested, not only in Marine Corps history, but in understanding how military doctrine and tactics are developed. Now, I am intereseted in reading the other books this author has written. I would rate this work as a 5-star effort -- well done. PRJ

Stingray is the story of how a "Fighting-Tactic" was born and used to great advantage as a "force multiplier" against the NVA during the course of Vietnam War. Written by Maj. B. H. "Doc" Norton, USMC, a former recon team member, this history is complete and extremely well-written. As a student of military history, this is one book that is a welcomed addition to my library of military history books. Major Norton has taken the time to research the Stingray concept and introduces General Nickerson, Alex Lee, C. C. Cofman, and other Marines who designed and reformed the concept on the battlefield. I would hope that Marine small unit leaders would be wise enough to carry this book around with them and use it as a teaching aid for field Marines. This is, in my opinion, another very successful book by one of the Marine Corps' best authors.

I was given the book as a gift by one of the contributing writers It was good to hear about people that I served with in 3rd Force Recon Co. from Nov.65-Dec.68..... I think that books that are written in this style lack emotion and color, sorry but I have to be honest. Also,concerning the subject( stingray patrols) though I am not a military scholar I did participate for 20 months in both Stingray and Keyhole (4 man team) patrols. We suffered less casualties using the Keyhole approach and still inflicted many casualties on the enemy. I don't share the praise given to this concept of warfare, all it did was waste many good friends of mine. Although I don't care for this sort of effort, it is probably interesting to many other people and I am sure that it is worth the price but not 5 stars..... Sorry but that is how I feel about the book.....

This is by far the weakest book I have read by Bruce. I enjoyed it, but I think anyone that has never been in Nam would have trouble understanding it. After having read the other books by Bruce I was mildly dissapointed in this one. I am not saying it wasn't a good book,but I think Bruce has put out better books.

Roadrunner 6 Out

There are no words adequate to convey the effect THE STONES CRY OUT had on me when I read it in 1986. It haunted me for years. I wanted everyone I knew to read it.

Just several years ago I met a woman whose entire family - her husband and all her children - died under the Khmer Rouge monsters.

Amazingly, after the stories Miss Szymusiak recounts: of the young girl who was killed for being too pretty, of those murdered for daring to exhibit signs of affection for one another, and of unspeakable tortures inflicted upon absolutely helpless and innocent people of all ages, the chapter which really drained my blood was the one detailing her witnessing the beginning of the purge. The author notes the young Communist cadres being themselves called in for interrogation and torture and disappearing one by one.

This is a chilling account of the darkest period in 20th Century history.

One of the earliest (1986) accounts from the survivors of the Pol Pot regime, "The Stones Cry Out" seems to have set the style and standard for another more recent child's-eye perspective on the same era, "When Broken Glass Floats". The minute details of everyday life, not abstract poltical assessments, form the basis for our childhood memories. The author's account carries an unvarnished realism which draws the reader into her film-like image of daily life under threat of starvation and execution. This is probably as close as a reader can come to the truth of events in Cambodia during 1975-79. Oral histories such as "The Stones Cry Out" are perhaps the best way for survivors of human rights abuses to indict the perpetrators. Sadly, tribunals driven by international politics are unlikely to have the same impact as the simple testimony of a victimized child. Highly recommended reading for all those with an interest in human rights, Cambodia, and Southeast Asian culture.

You need a strong stomach to read the grueling ordeal of a 12 year old girl in Cambodia under the Pol Pot regime.
The latter and his cronies turned a whole country into a concentration camp guided by the iron fist of a centrally planned economy which was based on rice production quotas.
Starvation and killing of whole families including babies were part of normal daily life. The author herself lost nearly all her family.
The slogan was 'be deaf and dump if you want to survive'.

Exceptionally, this book also relates the disturbing facts which happened in a Red Khmer camp in Thailand until one year after Pol Pot's defeat by the Vietnamese.

Molyda Szymusiak tells only the facts. She doesn't explain the overall picture of Pol Pot's regime, politically, socially, economically or internationally.
Therefore I highly recommend the eminent works of David Chandler as well as Philip Short's magisterial biography of Pol Pot (Saloth Sar).

This book shows painfully the disastrous consequences of a power grasp by ideological fanatics who created a one party state bureaucracy which wielded total uncontrolled power over the population.
This regime was a terrible shame for the left.

A very disturbing read.

My heart sank lower and lower with each successive chapter. This is certainly not a book one can read while couching comfortably on a sofa. If you are familiar with Cambodian history of the Khmer Rouge regime, this book is indeed a chilling read. But at the same time, one can't help feeling admiration for the author's fortitide in the face of unimaginable hardship and horror.

Actualy I would rate this 4 and 1/2 stars.

Having read "First they killed my father" by Loung Ung It would be difficult for me to review this book with out comparing it to Loung Ung's memoir.

Both are essentially the same story, a young upper middle class girl living in Phnom Phen in april of 1975 when thier life, family and happiness are torn from them by the khmer rouge.

Many of thier experinces are similar as you might expect (long hours in forced labor, family deaths, witnessing murder ect..) but each has a unique story of thier own.

The writing styles also vary greatly and this is where Loung's "First they killed my Father is the better" book. Molyda tells her story in a very straight foward manner. Her discriptions of murder, torture and rotting corpses are alomost clinical in tone as if she is afaid to visit or express her real feelings at the time (and who could realy blame her) we are giving only hints about her family and life before April 17th 1975 (to be fair this may be in part to spare distant family members still in Cambodia from retalation)

In Loung's book however we are treated to two light hearted chapters discribing her life in Phnom Pehn before April 17th 1975 this gives the reader a chance to feel they realy know her, her brother's, sisters and parents thier strengths and weakness'.

Loung's memoir is far more emotional in tone and feeling leaving the reader almost gasping for air at points.

For those overly squimish that makes "The Stones Cry Out" the better of the two books. It is also the better of the two books if your sole interest is the surrounding history of the killing fields.

But for those just wishing to read a great emotional book "first They killed My father" is the better choice but I would highly recomend both to all.

i liked the pictures in the book though there is not a whole lot of written material on Tibet. it is a perfect book for someone who is curious about Tibet with all its beatiful pictures and some history. this is a good book to ocassionally go through the pictures again. it is an excellent book to show to a friend who drops by your house or a gift to your children.

The following is a review of The Tibetans: Photographs by Art Perry that appeared in the December issue of Photo Metro magazine.

Perhaps the best book to date on Tibet. This work goes beyond the easy cliche images of dramatic landscapes and content-less smiling figures that populate so many other books. This is no parachute in, shoot pix, and fly out to publishers and galleries book. Perry spent five years on the project and represents both the beauty and the grit of day-to-day life. It shows. The book is quite well designed with intelligent text by Robert Thurman.

The following is a review of Art Perry The Tibetans: Photographs that appeared in The Toronto Globe and Mail, April 8, 2000.

(Headline:"Turning the spotlight on photography books," by Martin Levin.) For many years, B.C. writer and photographer Art Perry has documented threatened cultures, including the Nubians and the Mayans. Here he turns his attention, and his fine black-and-white photographic sensibility, on Tibetans, the world's most famous enigmatic people. Perry takes us to remote monasteries, up the Chang Tang Plateau and to the Tibetan exile communities in India and Nepal. The whole conveys a powerful sense of meaning - and loss.

The following article appeared in The Vancouver Sun, May 10, 2000

'Tibetan images snag major prize for local photographer' by Michael Scott, Sun Visual Art Critic

Vancouver photographer Art Perry has won a major international award for his large-format photographic book The Tibetans: Photographs. Perry, an instructor at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, becomes the second winner of the $30,000 Roloff Beny Photography Book Award at a ceremony in Toronto. (Magnum photographer Larry Towell received the first Beny Award for his book El Salvador.) The publisher of Perry's 1999 book, Viking Studio (an imprint of Penguin Books), will share in the award, receiving a $20,000 prize of its own. Perry spent five years collecting images of Buddhist societies in the Himalayas, working primarily in Tibet, but travelling also to Ladakh and Nepal. Last year, the Washington Post named his book one of the year's 10 best. A Vancouver Sun reviewer wrote: "Perry takes us from the slightly familiar markets and brothels of Lhasa clear through to the monasteries and mountaintops that have not been otherwise documented. The text is as clear-eyed as the pictures, but the message it contains is not entirely pretty. Though Buddhism practiced by the Tibetans will certainly endure, Tibetan Buddhist culture is very much under attack, perhaps by we western cultural imperialists, certainly by the country's Chinese occupiers. Read it, or just look at the pictures, and those Free Tibet bumper stickers will seem a lot more immediate." Here in Vancouver, Perry teaches a multi-disciplinary course at Emily Carr on the history of bohemianism - a course that covers film, punk rock and jazz as well as visual art. (I start by telling my students to stay up all night before coming to class," he jokes.) Perry also teaches a course in contemporary literature, a field that has sparked his interest in his own Irish roots. He says he will spend part of the Beny prize money on a sabbatical year in County Monaghan in northern Ireland. Perry plans to pursue both writing and photography during this time. "I have to say I am very, very honoured to be receiving this award," he says. "My father had some of Roloff Beny's big books and I grew up handling those incredible pages. There aren't people in those images, but they were lush and magnificent." Expatriate Canadian photographer Roloff Beny made an international name for himself in the 1970s and early 1980s chronicling a world of sensual beauty, with major large-format books on subjects such as pre-revolutionary Iran and Italy. He died in 1984.

The following is an article that appeared in the National Post, Toronto, May 11, 2000

(Headline: Photography book award, by Finbarr O'Reilly, National Post)

Vancouver-based photographer Art Perry has won the second Roloff Beny Photography Book Award for The Tibetans. The country's top photography book award, presented last night in Toronto, earns Perry a cash prize of $30,000. His American publisher, Viking Studio/Penguin Putnam, also gets $20,000, while two runners-up, Courtney Milne and Linda Rutenberg, get $5,000 each. Perry, who is a lecturer at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, spent five years travelling throughout Tibet and the exiled Tibetan communities in India and Nepal, documenting with a camera the people he met along the way - monks, nomads, city dwellers. Through the Dalai Lama, Perry gained access to seldom-visited monasteries in remote regions where he captured a traditional way of life that is being threatened by the Chinese occupation of Tibet. In a current project, the Ottawa-born Perry has been documenting in both writing and photographs the fractured cultures of Northern and Southern Ireland. The project, which he began in 1998, is a lifelong dream of Perry, whose family is from Belfast. The award was created in memory of Roloff Beny, a world-renowned photographer who was born in Medicine Hat, Alta., and is intended to encourage excellence in photograph publishing.