A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival (A Short History of Asia series) [Paperback]

John Tully (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Short History of Asia series | Publication Date: September 1, 2006

In this concise and compelling history, Cambodia’s past is described in vivid detail, from the richness of the Angkorean empire through the dark ages of the 18th and early-19th centuries, French colonialism, independence, the Vietnamese conflict, the Pol Pot regime, and its current incarnation as a troubled democracy. With energetic writing and passion for the subject, John Tully covers the full sweep of Cambodian history, explaining why this land of contrasts remains an interesting enigma to the international community. Detailing the depressing record of war, famine, and invasion that has threatened to destroy Cambodia, this discussion shows its survival to be a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A knowledgeable history of Cambodia, Tully's coverage starts with the country's geography, which is flat, fringed by mountains, and dominated by the Mekong River. It culminates in Cambodia's protracted recovery from the enormities of the communist regime of 1975-79, which killed about one-fourth of the populace. In between stands the great archaeological legacy of the temples of Angkor, which today attract tourists who would find Tully's work to be a profitable orientation. They will learn about historians' debates concerning the origin of the Khmer people--probably descendants of a migration from India--and the rise of the Angkor Empire and its eclipse in the 1400s. Decline continued, Tully explains, until Cambodia tottered on the brink of extinction in the mid-1800s at the hands of Vietnam and Thailand, but it was saved, in a sense, by French colonization in 1863. With France's departure in 1953, Cambodia's fate as an unhappy object of geopolitics resumed. An excellent overview with guidance to more detailed works about Cambodia. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

John Tully first became interested in Indochina in the 1960s. He has a MA in Asian Studies and a PhD in history and in author of two books on Cambodian history. He is currently a lecturer in Political Science and Asian Studies at Melbourne's Victoria University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741147638
• ISBN-13: 978-1741147636
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > History > Asia > Cambodia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.", June 3, 2008

By 

Crazy Fox (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival (A Short History of Asia series) (Paperback)

Recently on a whim I picked up a CD of Cambodian 60's rock, and reading some short biographical sketches on the singers I was struck by the vaguely deplorable fact that I knew next to nothing about Cambodia's history. John Tully's nicely readable book here was the perfect solution. It's just what it says it is, a short history, following the sweep of this fascinating country's historical development with just enough detail to be informative and memorable. From Cambodia's prehistory through the ancient Angkorean civilization, French colonialism, independence and the dramatic ups and downs of the late 20th century (monarchy, republic, and a variety of dictatorships) up until the 1993 elections and the residual social problems of the early 2000's--Tully guides the reader through the whole story in a way that makes this massive download of fact stick in the mind vividly.

Tully's prose is wonderfully straightforward even as it's enjoyably conversational in a friendly manner, evincing both the historian's cool objectivity and warm enthusiasm. His narrative is carefully balanced, even-handed, and fair in a refreshing manner; when there are unresolved debates among historians concerning points of Cambodian history, he lays out the arguments from both sides equally, and his judgments of historically significant personages often balance the good and bad judiciously in shades of gray, avoiding the strong temptation of rhetorical excess. Last but not least, he demonstrates that the good old art of academic scholars writing accessibly but reliably for curious non-specialists is not a lost one, after all.

This book is also ideal for Cambodia-bound tourists. I myself read this book while traveling within the U.S. but found the book's uncomplicated style, reasonably large print, and frequent section breaks ideal for diversionary reading while waiting in airports, riding in airplanes, or kicking back on the patio of a beach house. It's user-friendly without being dumbed-down, and in general makes for a fine introduction. And yes, all those confusing historical references make sense now, and I can listen to the tracks on Cambodian Rocks Volume 1 with a new level of appreciation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and concise, September 28, 2008

By 

J. Weinstein (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival (A Short History of Asia series) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. It is extremely well-written and reads more like a novel rather than a history. Part of this is due to the author's skill and part is due to the fact that Cambodia's history is quite dramatic, containing an abundance of tragedy, irony, and direction changes.

The author does a great job of turning what could be boring facts into an interesting story.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars POINT OF VIEW, June 7, 2007

By 

Pov Mak "Point Of View" (Dallas,Tx (USA)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival (A Short History of Asia series) (Paperback)

YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HISTORY OF CAMBODIA.
YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.(SHORT HISTORY OF ASIA SERIE,A)