Product Description
Cambodia underwent a triple transition in the 1990s: from war to peace, from communism to electoral democracy, and from command economy to free market. This book addresses the political economy of these transitions, examining how the much publicised international intervention to bring peace and democracy to Cambodia was subverted by the poverty of the Cambodian economy and by the state's manipulation of the move to the free market. This analysis of the material basis of obstacles to Cambodia's democratisation suggests that the long-established theoretical link between economy and democracy stands, even in the face of new strategies of international democracy promotion. ... Read more

Product Description
"In spite of all the hand-wringing over the international community's failures to stop past crimes against humanity, we have not yet developed a consistent approach to the aftermath of these crimes. A sort of 'cottage industry devoted to denying that the Khmer Rouge committed any crimes' has appeared in Cambodia, as Craig Etcheson explains in After the Killing Fields, and a new generation of Cambodians is growing up in a society where perpetrators of unbelievable evil walk free."--Times Literary Supplement

New findings show that the death toll from the Cambodian genocide was approximately 2.2 million—about a half million higher than commonly believed. Despite regular denials from the surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge, in After the Killing Fields Craig Etcheson demonstrates not only that they were aware of the mass killings, but that they personally managed and directed them.

This book details the work of Yale University’s Cambodian Genocide Program, which laid the evidentiary basis for the forthcoming Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The book also presents the information collected through the Mass Grave Mapping Project of the Documentation Center of Cambodia and reveals that the pattern of killing was relatively uniform throughout the country.

Detailing the struggle to come to terms with what happened in Cambodia, Etcheson concludes that real justice is not merely elusive, but in fact may be impossible, for crimes on the scale of genocide.

"After the Killing Fields should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in Cambodia and international law."—Peter Maguire, author of Facing Death in Cambodia

"Etcheson draws on extensive field-work, archival research, and his own analytical skills to bring the horrors of the Khmer Rouge into focus and to make readers aware of the many-faceted, saddening aftermath of that murderous regime."—David Chandler, author of Voices from S-21: Terror and History in Pol Pot’s Secret Prison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A unique insider's perspective of the Khmer Rouge era
This book focuses on the long struggle to bring the Khmer Rouge accountable for the auto-genocide that occurred in Cambodia in the late 1970s. Unlike most books on Cambodia, it does not focus on the history of the killings but how different actors in Cambodian society have dealt with the aftermath. It provides a very useful description of the Documentation Center for Cambodia's work collecting information on the killings. The last chapters discuss the politics behind bringing the Khmer Rouge leaders to justice. This is particularly interesting given the fact that the current tribunal has just begun hearings.

Etcheson tells this story as a true insider, as indeed he is. Not only has he been a longstanding advocate for justice for the Khmer Rouge, he now serves with the Khmer Rouge Tribunal he helped establish. As such, his writing is tinged with passion for his cause. Well worth the read for Cambodia scholars or those interested in seeking justice for mass human rights violations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

There it is
As a Vietnam Vet, everyone's story is different depending in part on where you were, what you did, and when you were there. Of all of the books about the Vietnam War I have read, War in Aquarius rings the most true for me. No doubt this is partly true because I was assigned to the same company as Dennis Kitchin, Bravo Co., 2/27 Wolfhounds, about five months after he left. Like Kitchin I was a college graduate draftee. War in Aquarius rings true in so many respects, both the day to day and the dramatic. For example, unlike most personal story Vietnam books, it contains a brief description of Basic Training and AIT, an important experience which attempts to transform unwilling "recruits" into soldiers. My reason for not giving it a five star rating is that I wish the author had explored and shared more of the struggles between his moral and political misgivings about the war and the need on a day to day basis to participate in it.

The book has the feeling of simple truth, without exaggeration or bravado. If I had to choose one book to give to my son if he is ever interested in what it was like for me in Vietnam, War in Aquarius would be it.

Reminiscence on a Lost War
If you've ever wondered why the war in Vietnam was lost, read this book. Dennis Kitchin was a young Philadelphia area draftee with a bachelor's degree from a small Ohio college. He takes the reader through the military induction process, through the demeaning boot camp training, to the Fort Polk, LA jungle training that preceeded the assignment to Vietnam, and on to the Cu Chi area of Vietnam where he served from late 1968 to 1969.

At every step along the way Kitchin questions the war and his own relationship to it until he comes to the realization that the Vietnam War was insanity. From the time he stepped into his assignment with the 25th Infantry Division foremost in the author's mind was leaving Vietnam. His focus, as was the focus of all who went to Vietnam, was his DEROS - short for date eligible to return from overseas service.

Kitchin writes about the patrols, the ambushes, his buddies (in particular a soldier named Tremaine), the comraderie, his officers, the beautiful country and the Vietnamese people in such a way as to give the reader a genuine feel for what was happening. At every point there is the horror of war and a young soldier's response to it. The book climaxes with Kitchin and Tremaine and others refusing to obey the orders of an officer that no one respected and who had ordered short-timers (those with less than 30 days remaining in Vietnam) out on a combat mission. The 30 thirty day rule, while not written down, stated simply that anyone with thirty days or less was not required to go into combat situations. For soldiers intent upon surviving to their DEROS the rule was of extreme importance. Failure to obey the orders of the Captain led to court martials and reductions in rank for those involved.

This book compares favorably to Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried". Given recent extensions to our solidiers tours of duty in Iraq it serves as a guide to what not to do to a soldier's morale. A wonderful book, a great read, and an object lesson to those who callously commit our troops to unwinnable wars. ... Read more

Product Description
"A wartime twist of fate resulted in a rare eyewitness account of Southeast Asia's most esoteric female performers: the dancers of the ancient Cambodian ballet. More than 30 years after the Khmer Rouge genocide their intriguing story will be published as Earth in Flower."

Mystical Origins
Since the dawn of recorded history, Khmer royalty nurtured a dance style unique to their Asian kingdom, yet instantly recognizable throughout the world. Spiritually, the graceful dancers embody the essence and strength of the Khmer race.

Analysis of a Hidden Art
Earth in Flower thoroughly covers choreography, musicology, costuming and stagecraft. The surprise is learning how these women profoundly affected Asian history for a millennium, as living goddesses, priestesses, queens, concubines, hostages and diplomats.

Extraordinary Access
A twist of fate gave the author rare access to the formerly sequestered troupe of royal dancers, teachers, theater and archives. Earth in Flower offers new insights into this beautiful art, its long-hidden history, and how the dancers balance the Khmer relationship between heaven and earth.

A Wartime Twist of Fate
In 1970, a military coup deposed King Sihanouk and seized control of the royal dancers. Surrounded by war, scholars sought to document this cultural treasure by engaging researcher Paul Cravath. He arrived as a circle of war gripped the capital city, becoming one of the only Westerners in history to gain firsthand access to the dancers.

Lost Heritage Restored
In April 1975 Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, initiating one of the worst genocides in human history. Cravath escaped Phnom Penh only ten days earlier, with his research intact. The archives he accessed were destroyed. Most of the dancers perished in the Killing Fields. Earth in Flower is his historic account of their Cambodian legacy.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Cambodian most sacred expression
While I am not a scholar, I am Cambodian, and I am familiar with the "Indianization" concept proposed by many historians whose theories dominate the teaching of Cambodian history today.

Dr. Cravath's "Earth in Flower" forcefully emphasizes that Khmer dance originated from indigenous rituals and beliefs merged superficially with Indian culture.By methodically documenting Khmer dance ritual from its roots and tracing its unbroken tradition to the present time, Dr. Cravath effectively explains why Khmer classical dance is held as one of our most sacred expressions (even some times we Khmers don't know why). In describing the quality of the dance as a "hypnotic balance of movement and stillness", he articulates exactly the effect this dance has on a native.

In light of the recent tragic period of Khmer history when anything of culture was actively destroyed by the Khmer Rouges, this book helps ensure that one of Cambodia's most sacred symbols will not disappear.

I wish to convey my appreciation to the author and publisher for making this book available.In my opinion, it should be part of a curriculum for the Cambodian Royal University of Fine Arts.

Sahrakyth Um

A Wealth of Knowledge on Cambodian Dance
Never has there been a volume this rich and intense chronicling Cambodia's dance tradition.The breadth and history of this seemingly lost art form is captured so precisely in Earth in Flower that generations of interested readers will use it as a resource for research and reflection.While sometimes dense (it occasionally reads like an encyclopedia) the purpose of the book isn't meant to read quickly like a NY Times best-seller, but rather to tell the story of dance in Cambodia; touching upon every nuance and detail permeating its history.Eye opening and awe inspiring.

well worth the price
Anyone who has visited Cambodia will know that the traditional dance drama, or royal ballet, can be hard to track down, despite the ethereal apsara dancers one sees carved in relief on the monuments at Angkor Wat. Yet historically, the dance has always had a religious function centred on the king, and in colonial times was central to Cambodian diplomacy, rather than merely a regularised form of entertainment. This book seeks not only to describe the dance drama in all its glory but preserve it for posterity, and with some 90% of trained dancers dying under the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s, it is remarkable that it has survived at all. Cravath was in Phnom Penh in the months leading up to the takeover, and was fortunate to escape with his notes intact. This is a complete scholarly study of the dance, but eminently readable and lavishly illustrated, a real work of love. After seeing the dancers in Paris in 1906, the sculptor Rodin remarked that only the Cambodians and the Greeks had 'brought human nature to a higher state of perfection', and reading this book, one can understand why people still get excited about Cambodia. This is a book not only about a unique art form but also about a people and their culture.

Fascination
This book is simply a delight. A must have for anyone with an interest in Cambodian dance.

Apsaras descend to earth
Kent Davis is a force of nature.A Floridian of unstoppable energy, he stormed into Thailand in the 1990s, learned to speak Thai, and soaked in the culture there before drifting into Cambodia like a wayward typhoon. That he fell in love with apsaras carved in the stone of Angkor's wall was, perhaps, inevitable. What is truly amazing is that he unearthed Paul Cravath's classic but little-known thesis on the apsaras and Cambodian dance and then had it printed as a gift to the world at large. Congratulations to Cravath, to Davis, and others involved directly and peripherally in this project.They have done huge favors, selflessly, for Cambodia.

Roger Warner, author of books on Cambodia and Laos

Surviving the Killing Fields: Cambodian Odyssey Shooting at the Moon: The Story of America's Clandestine War in Laos ... Read more

Product Description
This is a question that still bluntly assaults every reporter and cameraman covering war anywhere in the world.When to stop?Where to stop?Ever to stop?We lived with that challenge all during the war, yet so many of us felt invulnerable; was it innocence, arrogance, the intoxication of war?We were objective reporters, weren't we, not combat soldiers.We gave ourselves exemptions from death.We armored ourselves with naivet¨¦.

In all, this book is a tribute to all slain journalists who brought the war to your living room; some caught in a firefight, some shot out of the sky, some who vanished, some executed.Yet even while the shooting was going on, there was a war about the war, about whether the United States had misread history and the dying and killing was all a waste.Those post-mortems would come later, too late to end the killing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Shines the light on a forgotten corner of history
Everyone knows about the war Vietnam, but few remember that the United States battled the Viet Cong and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia as well. And even fewer remember that in just six short months in 1970, over two dozen journalists were killed while reporting on this forgotten corner of the Vietnam War, many of whom were captured and tortured to death by enemy forces.

T. Jeff Williams provides an illuminating, ground-level view of Cambodia during the war and what it was like to be a correspondent when so many of your colleagues would go out to report the story and just simply never come back. But it is Kurt Volkert's section of the book that really shines.

Volkert gives a factual and detailed, yet intensely personal look at efforts by him and others to investigate and locate the graves of five newsmen who were killed chasing the scoop south of Phnom Penh. He chronicles the ups and downs, the sadness, the frustrations, the detective work, and the ultimate sense of closure that comes from helping scour the Cambodian countryside for five journalists and friends buried in shallow graves twenty years earlier.

All in all, this is an excellent book on a topic that has received almost no attention over the years. Well recommended for anyone interested in journalism, Cambodia, or the Vietnam War.

Fascinating Book!
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I found it fascinating. The first part, written by AP/CBS News correspondent Jeff Williams details the intricate history of Cambodia as it struggles against forces from within and without during the turbulant 60's and 70's.Part of the book is a fascinating portrait of what it's like to cover a war in Asia, specifically Cambodia. At times the country was terrifying,at other times comedic and at others beautiful, graceful and exotic. Under the pressure of competition, journalists jump in cars and race off down dangerous roads looking for action so they can scoop the other networks. During a 2 month span in 1970, 25 of those journalists who drove down those lonely roads didn't come back.

The second part of the book is a description by Kurt Volkert of his feelings loss and deep sadness for his murdered comrads and his persistant and amazing detective work in locating their bodies in the countryside TWENTY YEARS LATER. How he did it, what he thought of the system that forced journalists to risk their lives for a story is gripping stuff.

This is a great read!

What Happened Out There?
During the Vietnam war, Cambodia seemed to be a forgotten country. But this book shows what it was like to be a journalist on the front lines in what must have been terrifying times.The book recounts how the war in Vietnam spread to Cambodia in 1970 and how 25 foreign journalists reporting the war there were killed by the Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese.

The book is in two sections. In the first one, T. Jeff Williams describes the historical events that led Cambodia into a bloody conflict with Vietnam, its ancient enemy, and describes the 1970 coup that overthrew Prince Sihanouk, the country's leader. He then describes how it was to cover the war, and how so many journalists were captured and killed in just a few months.

In the second section, Kurt Volkert describes how a CBS and a NBC television team were captured and killed. And then how in 1992, 22 years later, a U.S. Army special team arrived to look for the missing newsmen. Mr. Volkert raises the question of why the TV journalists were in danger so often, and whether executives in New York were pushing them too much.

I highly recommend this book for the inside story it provides on how newsmen cover war and how dangerous it can be. ... Read more

Product Description
Nine-year-old Nat is forced out of his Cambodian home and marched into the countryside when the Khmer Rouge comes into power. Nat is separated from his family and endures forced labor in rice fields from dawn to midnight with little food. Over the next four years, Nat confronts starvation, fear, and brutality. With the help of his friend Malis, Nat finds hope and the strength to escape, eventually reuniting with the family he loves. Half Spoon of Rice is based on true stories of courage, friendship, survival, and the triumph of the human spirit. The book features vivid illustrations and historical photographs documenting the Cambodian genocide from 1975 to 1979. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This is a sobering portrait of a young boy who was unfortunately caught up in the Khmer Rouge's vicious "reign of terror."
The new year had just arrived in Cambodia and Nat's family was still celebrating when soldiers began to enter the city shouting, "Leave immediately!""Leave immediately!"Nat was only nine-years-old and many of the soldiers were not much older than he was.Phnom Penh began to teem with activity as people were forcibly ousted from the city.His family began to gather together a few belongings and began to march into with the others.The soldiers lied to them, saying it would only be a few days before they could go home.Instead they were on a grueling three-day march away from home.

Nat, who was carrying some rice, began to ache with the exertion.His feet began to blister, but he had to keep moving.Millions were walking and many began to die.Nat and his family passed them by the roadside, fearful for their own safety.Families were separated and desperate to find their loved ones. The Khmer Rouge Army had a plan for them.Once they arrived in the countryside, they were forced into slave labor. Nat found Malis, a young girl separated from her family.Soon the family was forced to separate, children in one camp, "Youths to another, women to another, and men to another."Would any of them come out of this alive?Would Nat ever see his parents again?The body count escalated and the years began to pass by him. . .

This is a sobering portrait of a young boy who was unfortunately caught up in the Khmer Rouge's vicious "reign of terror."The story is gracefully written and tries to portray the Cambodian genocide in a sensitive manner for its intended audience.The stunning artwork has a surreal quality about it that somehow captures the fearful nature of the events experienced by the young during that era.In the back of the book are some excellent historical vignettes and a two-page black and white photographic essay to browse.There are two photographs of mass graves in the killing fields.This courageous story of a young survivor is one you may wish to consider for your homeschool or library shelves!

This is a children's book for the ages...and all ages!
When you consider how many utterly terrifying characters, actions and events populate the fantastic world of children's literature, it makes perfect sense to recommend (very highly indeed) Icy Smith's "Half Spoon of Rice: A Survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide".

The award-winning author writes her story of 9-year-old Nat, his parents, and Malis, a young, lost girl Nat befriends. Ms. Smith utilizes a straightforward prose, using no embellishments, allowing the tale itself to unfold with all the terror, violence and suspense of war revealed by young Nat himself. From the sudden, forced evacuation of Phnom Penh to the child labor camps in the Cambodian countryside to liberation four years later and his eventual immigration to America, Nat's story is simply told here, simply matter of fact. It is an epic, breathtaking, heroic and poignant adventure!

Adding a haunting, thrilling quality to this book is its collection of inspired illustrations by Sopaul Nhem, a renowned Cambodian artist whose father (also an artist) is a survivor of the "killing fields" era. This is Nhem's first childen's book collaboration, and his art brilliantly supports the text.

At its heart, Icy Smith's "Half Spoon of Rice" is an intimate story of family, friendship and courage during one of the least documented civil wars/genocides in contemporary history (1975-1979). Writing such a book for the children's market might be considered daring, to be sure; writing one so masterfully is a bonus, but hardly surprising when the author is Icy Smith, who was honored with the Clarion Award for best nonfiction book for "The Lonely Queue", and whose "Mei Ling in China City" received the Moonbeam Childen's Book Award, Chinese American Library Association Best Children's Book Award and Independent Publisher Book Award.

Ms. Smith deserves special commendation for this children's book -- "Half Spoon of Rice" is a genuine service to history and education. Its topic is as American as it is Cambodian, and "Half Spoon of Rice" deserves to be in every library, period.

A good teaching book for children ages 7-12
"Half Spoon of Rice: A Survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide" is the historical interpretation of a surviving boy of 9 who endures the Cambodian Genocide events perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge in response to the American war in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia from 1975 - 1979. Forced to work at rice farming more than 12 hours a day with barely a half spoonful of rice rationed to survive on, 9-year old Nat and his friend Malis endure many horrors and deprivations. Separated from his parents, Nat is forced to scrounge for frogs or anything that can sustain him during this harsh enforced agricultural slavery. After many sufferings and moments of terror and sadness, Nat and Malis are allowed to leave and escape into Thailand, where they manage to find Nat's parents at a Refugee Camp. In October of 1979, Nat and Malis, who is adopted by Nat's parents when she cannot find her own, are brought to San Francisco, California. The story told in "Half Spoon of Rice" is not a pretty one, but it needs telling. Sensitive illustrations show conditions and details experienced by the Cambodians in their time of trial and death. It is a good teaching book for children ages 7-12. ... Read more

Product Description
An eyewitness account of the invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War describes the operation, the strategy behind the campaign, and the results of the invasion from the perspective of a participant. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very good information!
I was at Fire Support Base Illingsworth on 1 April 1970, April Fools Day, that the author describes in his book. His account is so accurate it was hard for me to read it. I thought back on my experience for days!

True account of 1st Cav Ops in 1969-70
Having served as an infantryman in the 2nd of the 8th Cav during 1970, I can attest to the true to life account of 1st Air Cav operations in III Corps as described by the author. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes: Easy-to-follow text summaries and graphic organizers Key vocabulary Chapter tests ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Chinese Cambodians are Cambodian citizens of Chinese descent. "Khmer-Chen", is used for peoples of either mixed Cambodian & Chinese descent or people of whom are Cambodian born citizens with Chinese ancestry; (Khmer being the ethnic group of Cambodia and Chen meaning Chinese in the Khmer language). During the late 1960s and early 1970s, they were the largest ethnic minority in Cambodia; there were an estimated 425,000. However, by 1984, there were only 61,400 Chinese Cambodians left. This has been attributed to a combination of warfare, economic stagnation, Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese persecution, and emigration. ... Read more

Product Description
This timely volume examines the influx immigrants from Southeast Asia to Lowell, Massachusetts, over the past thirty or so years. Numbering about 20,000 people--a very significant one-fifth of the city's population--these are primarily refugees and their offspring who fled genocide, war, and oppression in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam in the late 1970s and resettled in the United States. The Lowell experience is representative of a truly national phenomenon: communities in Long Beach, Orange County, and San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Houston and Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Northern Virginia; and Southern Florida have experienced similar population growth.

The historical and contemporary essays chronicle the formidable efforts of Lowell's Southeast Asian community to recreate itself and its identity amid poverty, discrimination, and pressures to assimilate.
They also examine the transformation that has occurred of both newcomers and the community at large.
This process provides opportunities for growth but also challenges past practices in the city and state. In this volume, contributors approach the subject from points of view rooted in anthropology, political science, economics, sociology, education, and community psychology. Their work contributes to a broader understanding of U.S. refugee policy, migration, identity and group formation, political adaptation, social acculturation, and community conflict--major issues today in New England and the nation. ... Read more

Product Description
Role of United States in the Vietnam War. Operation Rolling Thunder, Battle of Khe Sanh, Tet Offensive, My Lai Massacre, Operation Menu, Cambodian Campaign, Operation Lam Son 719, Operation Linebacker II, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group, United States Air Force In South Vietnam, Opposition to the US involvement in the Vietnam War, History of Vietnam, Vietnam War, Military history of the United States ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Great Book On Little Known Subject
Steven Morris's work on this book is amazing. I have such a better understanding of the conflict between Cambodia and Vietnam from the early '70s to 1989. North Vietnam, China and the USSR are culpable regarding the victory of Pol Pot in 1975, and not American bombing as so many Stalinists try to claim. N. Vietnam had their eyes on Cambodia all along, but had to buy their time during the conflict with the U.S.

Superbly researched and carefully argued
This book is undoubtedly one of the few "must have" books on Vietnam and Cambodia. The author has produced a very carefully argued and superbly researched analysis of the Vietnamese relationship with Cambodiaand the Vietnamese relationships with the Soviet Union and China. It showshow our conventional thinking in terms of states only pursuing theirnational security or economic interests doesn't explain why the Vietnameseand the Khmers Rouges each provoked their larger neighbors (The KhmersRouges provoked Vietnam and Vietnam provoked China). The idea that the weakcan provoke the stronger goes against our "common sense"understanding of how states behave, but it obviously did happen in thesecases. Morris also has a very good writing style (I even found the moreabstract conceptual discussion in the introduction and conclusion quiteeasy to follow) and the narrative flows quite nicely. He has alsointroduced the concept of "hyperMaoism" to explain the outlook ofthe Khmers Rouges, which is something that I find quite insightful. Hisresearch in Soviet archives also brought forth some fascinatingrevelations, regarding how little the Vietnamese leadership knew andunderstood about the motives of the Khmers Rouges leaders. And the Sovietdocuments also bring completely new information on how Vietnam's relationswith China broke down during the 1970s.I had read every book published onthe Vietnamese communists and the Khmers Rouges, but this book has taughtme a lot that I didn't know. The tone of the work is quite dispassionate,and its approach completely objective, as Morris tries to get inside thethinking of all of the parties to the conflict. Highly recommended.

Many assumed 'facts' went uncheck
After so many years of digging through the Soviet archives, Mr. Morris forgot to double and triple check his supposedly 'facts' and got carried away with believing everything he read from the basements in Moscow.

The problem with Morris analysis is that it left out the Beijing angle. The Vietnam-Cambodian war was driven more from China than from Vietnam andthe Soviet.The CCP has a lot of influence and control over this war whichwas barely accounted for in this book.

There's also another problemwith an analysis based solely on ideological ground i.e. communist regimewages war because they can, because they are evil, warlike andundemocratic.Besides being not very useful in pedagogical terms, this ofcourse left out the more important historical analysis that Vietnam andCambodia has a long history of many small wars.And the Vietnam-Cambodianwar could be viewed as an attempt to continue Vietnam's territorialexpansion that began from the 17th century.

Mr. Morris assessments in thebook should be read in light of his other 'hysterical' pronouncement ofhaving found a document in Soviet archives showing that Hanoi had deceivedon POWs.The timing of his finding was also perfectly coincide with animpending congressional vote on improving US-Vietnam relationship.

T.N.

Many assumed 'facts' went uncheck
After so many years of digging through the Soviet archives, Mr. Morris forgot to double and triple check his supposedly 'facts' and got carried away with believing everything he read from the basements in Moscow.

The problem with Morris analysis is that it left out the Beijing angle. The Vietnam-Cambodian war was driven more from China than from Vietnam andthe Soviet.The CCP has a lot of influence and control over this war whichwas barely accounted for in this book.

There's also another problemwith an analysis based solely on ideological ground i.e. communist regimewages war because they can, because they are evil, warlike andundemocratic.Besides being not very useful in pedagogical terms, this ofcourse left out the more important historical analysis that Vietnam andCambodia has a long history of many small wars.And the Vietnam-Cambodianwar could be viewed as an attempt to continue Vietnam's territorialexpansion that began from the 17th century.

Mr. Morris assessments in thebook should be read in light of his other 'hysterical' pronouncement ofhaving found a document in Soviet archives showing that Hanoi had deceivedon POWs.

T.N.

Well-documented history followed by a bold assessment.
A scholarly analysis of the history behind the 1978-89 Vietnamese invasion and occupation of Cambodia, followed by the author's brutally frank assessment of the consequences.As the author states, a final assessmentis premature, but recent events do indeed cause the reader to wonder howlong the Vietnamese will continue to be pleased with the tactics of its"clients".Readers will also want to review "Falling Out ofTouch" by Goscha and Engelbert for another look at historicalrelations between the Vietnamese and Cambodian communists. ... Read more

Product Description
From Genocide to Freedom reflects one woman’s pursuit of success and harmony between a world torn by war and one celebrated by peace and freedom. How could a war widow with two small children achieve her goal in each of these two worlds? Surviving the genocide in Cambodia, Savan Prum struggles to live with her children in her homeland by escaping to several refugee camps. She learns English and eventually comes to Boston, Massachusetts. Then, with perseverance and patience, she earns an Associate of Science degree from Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, Mass.; a Bachelor of Science degree from Franklin Pierce College, Salem, New Hampshire; and a Master’s Degree of Education from Cambridge College, Cambridge, Mass. ... Read more