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The Tragedy of Cambodian History: Politics, War, and Revolution since 1945 | 
 enlarge | Author: David P. Chandler
Publisher: Yale University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $28.00
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Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 951608
Media: Paperback
Pages: 408
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1
ISBN: 0300057520
Dewey Decimal Number: 959.604
EAN: 9780300057522
ASIN: 0300057520
Publication Date: September 10, 1993
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Product Description
This history of Cambodia from World War II up to the Vietnamese invasion in 1979 focuses on the devastating revolution that convulsed the country under Pol Pot between 1975 and 1979, and the civil war that preceded it. David Chandler offers an analysis of the chaos during the 1970s and an understanding of events in the previous quartercentury. Drawing on vast quantities of primary material (including his own reports for the US embassy while a foreign service officer in Phnom Penh), on interviews, and on the scholarly literature, Chandler considers why the revolution happened, how it related to Cambodia's earlier history and to other events in southeast Asia, why it took the course it did, who was responsible for it, and to what extent its ideology drew on foreign rather than Cambodian elements.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Very hard to follow and understand. Disappointing April 5, 2000
J. Gibson (Milwaukee, WI)
5 out of 23 found this review helpful
I had to read "the tradedy of cambodian history" by David Chandler for a history course at my university. The class focuses on genocide in the 20th century so I was very interested in Chandler's book because I knew little about the Cambodian Genocide by Pol Pot. So maybe it was because I went in with high expectations that made me feel disappointed afterwards. I expected this book to not so much be "easy" to read, but I thought I would at least be able to follow along with the main points. This is where I first found fault. Chandler uses SO many names and dates that really seem irrelevant in the scheme of the book. It made it very distracting because I was unsure which names and dates were actually of importance. Usually authors use names and dates to emphasize a point or event. Chandler just uses them all the time for every single, tiny event. I understand history is made up of names and dates, but the larger picture of history is better to gain than the names and dates. So I was extremely distracted and that was the first thing that made it hard to follow. The second reason I got lost easily was because Chandler switches back and forth between names. For example, Pol Pot was not Pol Pot's real name. So Chandler sometimes refers to Pol Pot by that name, or by his real name. He constantly switches back and forth with no real pattern. For a long time I could not figure out who this person was that Chandler kept talking about every now and then. Finally I figured out that it was Pol Pot's other name. Despite these negative aspects, I did appreciate the last chapter which gives eyewitness accounts of the Cambodian Genocide. It makes the entire book seem a little more personal and real. However, Chandler does not really delve deeply into the human aspects of emotions and feelings about the genocide. He reports the eyewitnesses' accounts but does not add any personal information. So again I really did not find myself too attached to these people. I empathized with them, but their accounts did not stand out as much as some Holocaust ones do. Overall I think if people are interested in just getting a basic overview of Cambodian history, this would not be the book for them. I am sure this is a wonderful book for people like professors and scholars on Cambodia, just not for average, or even above-average readers/students. Out of five stars I would have to give it a 1.8 if I was going on a strict point scale.
 Insightful Analysis June 19, 2006
beckra_giddon
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Chandler, the most eminent scholar of Cambodia, has provide an easy to follow and insightful account of Cambodia's recent history. Whilst perhaps not designed for those with no base knowledge in Cambodian history, a read of the relevant section of a general Asian history book will provide all the background knowledge necessary. The Tragedy of Cambodian History traces not only the significant events since 1945 but also, through doing so, traces the lives of people such as Nuon Chea who were to become instrumental in the disastrous events from April 17, 1975. I would recommend this to be read before either of Kiernan's major works on the topic as they provide more facts which new readers are liable to get bogged down in.
Perfect for those who feel the need to understand one of the worst cases of man's inhumanity to man.
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