Customer Reviews

Crossing Three Wildernesses

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I purchased this book after seeing a presentation by Mr. U at the Asia Society in New York. The book was even more moving than his lecture. I highly recommend this book. If I was teaching a course on South East Asian History in the late 20th century, I would make it required reading. Why?
o It is overflowing with humanity. It is a very strong story with universal appeal. Mr. U shows many insights about human behavior and spirituality.
o Mr. U understands Cambodian society on all levels, including the life of the farmers, city life, and behavior of the political elites. His understanding is not "abstract" like a political science textbook. He explains people's motives and ways of thinking from the "ground" level.
o His book shows how small countries like Cambodia are victimized by "proxy wars" fomented by the big parties. Same comment as above about his book being an improvement on "political science."
There are some other books on Cambodian history that are also very good, but if I had to choose just one to read, I would choose this one.
Buy this book? Once I started reading it I could not put it down. I read it in 2 days.

A rare memoir that reads like a novel. Follows one mans journey through the 50's 60's 70's surviving the genocide and the Vietnamese "liberation" and beyond. Gives one very good perspective of what the Cambodian people have gone through.

The author of this deeply touching book has led a life with amazing twists and turns. He has gone from a rural farm boy to a college student in the radical 60s in the US to a survivor of the Khmer Rouge to a proud babysitting grandparent in the US again. In between, he was a UN delegate, a factory worker, a struggling young student, a water buffalo herder... and much more. He writes about each part of his life with a calm and peaceful voice, which makes reading about some of the horrible events he witnesses and lived through all the more affecting. I learned much about Cambodia, Vietnam and even the US. I would highly recommend this memoir.