The Kingdom of Cambodia

Book Categories: The King, Khmer, Architecture, History, Fiction

King Norodom Sihanouk

Sihanouk: Prince of Light, Prince of Darkness by Milton Osborne. A biography of Norodom Sihanouk, father of the current king of Cambodia.

War and Hope: The Case for Cambodia by Norodom Sihanouk, translated by Mary Feeney. This book, written by the father of Cambodia's king, was published in 1980. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

My War With the CIA: Cambodia's Fight for Survival by Norodom Sihanouk and Wilfred Burchett. Published in 1974. Sometimes available from Alibris.

Shadow Over Angkor This is Volume 1 of King Sihanouk's memoirs, translated from French by Julio Jeldres. Covers the years from His Majesty's birth until the formation of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea in June 1982 but omits the period between December 1975 and January 1979, when His Majesty was a prisoner of the Red Khmers. That period is documented in Volume II. Sometimes available at Amazon.

Fiction

The Terrible But Unfinished Story of Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia by Helene Cixous. A play about the king.

Khmer Empire (Angkor)

Khmer: The Lost Empire of Cambodia by Thierry Zephir. Who were the Khmer people? Where did they come from, and what happened to bring their world to an end? Well illustrated.

The Civilization of Angkor by Charles Higham. Covers the origins of early states, up to the establishment, zenith, and decline of this extraordinary civilization.

Angkor and the Khmer Civilization by Michael D. Coe. A concise but complete picture of Khmer cultural history from the Stone Age until the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1863. Lavishly illustrated with maps, plans, drawings, and photographs.

Images of the Gods: Khmer Mythology in Cambodia, Laos & Thailand by Vittorio Roveda. Illustrated with over 1,800 color images in text and on a supplementary CD.

Architecture

Sanctuary: The Temples of Angkor by Steve McCurry. Over 100 photos of the temples of Angkor, among the world's most impressive monuments.

Cambodian Architecture: Eighth to Thirteenth Centuries by Jacques Dumarcay, Pascal Royere, Michael Smithies.

Saving Angkor by C. M. Bhandari, preface by His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk. A chronicle of the massive restoration of Angkor Wat, published in 1995. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

More on Cambodian History & Royalty

Murder and Mayhem in Seventeenth-Century Cambodia: Anthony Van Diemen Vs. King Ramadhipati I by Alfon Van Der Kraan. About a dispute between a Dutch colonial governor and a Cambodian king.

A History of Cambodia by David P. Chandler. An overview of all of Cambodian history.

When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution by Elizabeth Becker. Captures the essence of a nightmare: a capital city emptied, with everyone sent to the fields; the intelligentsia of the old society hunted down and often killed; and a population ruled by terror.

The Tragedy of Cambodian History by David P. Chandler. Politics, war, and revolution since 1945.

Monarchy in South East Asia: The Faces of Tradition in Transition by Roger Kershaw. The history and contemporary role of South East Asian monarchy, including Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Laos.

The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh and Cambodian Royal Life by Julio Jeldres and Somkid Chaijitvanit. This book sheds light on the king's ancestral home and offers glimpses into court life. It includes illustrations from the king's private albums. Published by Post Books of Bangkok in 1999.

"The Royal House of Cambodia" by Julio A. Jeldres. Published in May 2003, this is the only illustrated book in the English language about the royal house of Cambodia. It provides information about past monarchs and the current royal family, and includes genealogical charts and an explanation of royal titles. Not available at Amazon, but you can purchase this book directly from

Fiction

The King's Last Song by Geoff Ryman. Kidnapped archaeologist Luc Andrade translates an ancient Cambodian manuscript for his captors, who are still loyal to the Pol Pot regime. The result is a glimpse into the story of King Jayavarman VII (1125-1215) and Cambodia's golden age.