Saturday, August 1, 2009

Bookshelf news

Time for a sneak preview into what books are coming out, or one's that I've missed and are already in the public domain. Let's look first at the travel guidebooks on Cambodia and I see that the National Geographic Traveller Cambodia book, a first edition and edited by Trevor Ranges, will be out in February 2010 - 320 pages. Resisting the temptation to put Angkor Wat on the book cover, Nat Geo look to have gone for the ever-popular monk shot! The following month the first Frommer's Cambodia and Laos guidebook, edited by Daniel White will be published. 352 pages. Both editors live in Thailand I believe - couldn't they find anyone in Cambodia itself? A new historical fiction piece, about the US Navy's involvement in Cambodia in the early 70s, has been self-published by HL Serra via AuthorHouse. It's called NILO Ha Tien: A novel of Navy Intelligence in Cambodia. 400 pages, published this month. Another July release is Joshua Hallsey's 120 page attempt to produce a coherent narrative of US policies here titled US Foreign Policy in Cambodia 1945-1993. Last month, Isabelle Chan's 148-page thesis was published, titled Rethinking Transtitional Justice: Cambodia, Genocide, and a Victim-Centered Model. Another new book which most likely won't find its way to my bookshelf is Beyond Democracy in Cambodia: Political Reconstruction in a Post-conflict Society by Joakim Ojendal and Mona Lilja, only because I won't have time to read it.
A few books that I missed when they were published. In April, Tola Ferris, a high school student in the US, published her 85 page effort called My Life Far Away: Adventures in Cambodia, about her recollections from growing up in her homeland. In October 2008 Bangkok-based photographer Mat Roe self-published Dear Cambodia, 108 pages of his pictures documented from over a dozen trips here. Last but not least is a book by Jay Eric Kanter, a real life explorer and adventurer in the Indiana Jones mould (yeah right). In December of last year he published via Pre Saa press his 165 page book, Way Beyond Angkor: Exploring the Lost Temples of Cambodia in which he makes his way around Cambodia discovering a series of ancient temples, alongwith meeting various odd-balls en route. Talking of odd-balls, I'm surprised I've never bumped into him on my own travels. By the way he lives in New Jersey and Thailand when he's not unearthing all these temples in Cambodia.

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andy, I think authors needs to show Cambodia's fame Angkor temple more on their book covers so the first thing people see when they pick up a book on cambodia. Angkor temples should be world famous, and they are one of the biggest tourist attractions in cambodia. I think everyone ought to help cambodia to advertise them more so people will be interested seeing them in Cambodia. They shouldn't be hidden any longer from the entire world. I think Cambodia and its Khmer people deserve better now. Please advise the authors on travel books on Cambodia. You can help to make a difference for Cambodia, too. Thank you, Andy.

August 2, 2009 4:11 AM  
Blogger Andy Brouwer said...

Yes, a photo of Angkor does mean an immediate association with Cambodia but such photos of Angkor Wat, a Bayon face and monks for example are just too obvious. I want people to think there's more to Cambodia than those 3 images. I love pictures of beautiful Apsara dancers for example. Everyone will have their own opinion and rightly so.
Andy

August 2, 2009 12:20 PM  
Anonymous Tola Ferris said...

Hi Andy,
I just happened upon this blog and I noticed that you mentioned my book in it. (My Life Far Away: Adventures in Cambodia) I felt so honored. It's great to see that there are people out there who are interested in Cambodia.

August 11, 2009 4:13 AM  
Blogger Andy Brouwer said...

Hi Tola,
thanks for writing to me, and its wonderful that you have published your book about your life in Cambodia and beyond. I wish you much success with the book and in your future.
Andy

August 11, 2009 3:04 PM  

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