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Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors | 
 enlarge | Author: Dith Pran
Creator: Kim Depaul
Publisher: Yale University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.50
Buy Used: $8.36
You Save: $11.14 (57%)
New (25) Used (21) from $8.36
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 293431
Media: Paperback
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 0300078730
Dewey Decimal Number: 950
EAN: 9780300078732
ASIN: 0300078730
Publication Date: April 10, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: corners nor spine creased, no markings, clean
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Amazon.com Review
Dith Pran, the Cambodian photojournalist portrayed by Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields, compiled this collection of eyewitness accounts to the genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot's regime from 1975 to 1979. All of the survivors who recount their stories here were children when the Khmer Rouge took power, and the horrific images from a time when an estimated third of the Cambodian population died of disease, starvation, and execution remain fixed in their minds to this day. The bleakness of evil made commonplace permeates these testaments. "There was a man who was friends with a woman, and they had a friendly chat under a tree," one woman writes. "Pol Pot saw them and accused them of having an affair... Pol Pot tied them up on a cross and then told everyone to watch the couple being questioned and hit. The lady was pregnant and was hit until she lost the baby and died. The man was also beaten to death." As Cambodians struggle to rebuild their lives and nation, books such as this make sure that they--and we--will never forget the depths from which they have been forced to rise.
Product Description
This extraordinary book contains eyewitness accounts of life in Cambodia during Pol Pot's genocidal Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979, accounts written by survivors who were children at the time. The book has been put together by Dith Pran, whose own experiences in Cambodia were so graphically portrayed in the film The Killing Fields. The testimonies related here bear poignant witness to the slaughter the Khmer Rouge inflicted on the Cambodian people. The contributors -- most of them now in the United States and pictured in photographs that accompany their stories -- report on life in Democratic Kampuchea as seen through children's eyes. They speak of their bewilderment and pain as Khmer Rouge cadres tore their families apart, subjected them to harsh brainwashing, drove them from their homes to work in forced-labor camps, and executed captives in front of them. Their stories tell of suffering and the loss of innocence, the struggle to survive against all odds, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Testimony to Pol Pot's failure and America's great promise. June 6, 2000
R. ARANT (Lanesville, Indiana USA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
Twenty-nine essays compiled by Dith Pran, each written by a Cambodian who was still in childhood when Cambodia fell into Pol Pot's hands. Ben Kiernan ties the collection together so well in his introduction: "Children had to work like adults. Adults, given instructions like children, were treated like animals." As Kiernan notes, Pol Pot's efforts to build his twisted revolution on the backs of these children certainly backfired! The accompanying photos of the contributing authors and the details of their successful new lives in America will make any American recognize what a 'promised land' our country still remains. In so many many ways America has failed the Cambodian people, but most of those fortunate few who reached our shores have made successful lives for themselves and their families. The difficulties confronting those who remain in Cambodia today are seemingly insurmountable. As has been said so many times, every Cambodian has a story to tell, and a river of ink could not describe their nation's suffering. Dith Pran has once again served his people proudly with this touching collection.
Stories of the soul January 19, 2003
E. B Rush (cranston, rhode island United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I read a lot of books Cambodia. This is yet another collection of stories about people who survived the holocaust. My heart is always touched by such stories. These types of books are always similar even though the stories are specific to individuals there are common themes. If you are interested in more personal accounts there are 2 others which I would recommend. "When Broken Glass Floats," and "First They Killed My Father."
 An interesting redundant account. January 5, 2000
Dean Lofquist (Chicago, IL)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
An interesting but horrid book. It tells the reader the Khmer Rouge's atrocities in layman's terms. There are many disturbing, unforgettable images throughout the book. The short accounts, however, quickly begin to go in circles as many of the stories are similar. The education level of the victims' writing, also diminishes from the book. Dith Pran's decision to take the actual written accounts of these refugees proves to be a double-edged sword. Obtaining more accounts of Cambodians, who actually perpetrated in the persecution end of the "Angka Experiment", instead of the ongoing "victim's point of view," would have made this book much better. Also, the obvious lack of editing detracts from the book credibility. Nevertheless, it is difficult to be so judgmentful, considering the subject matter and the horrible experiences all these people faced. I believe Dith Pran left all these essays intact largely to show respect for the all victims. I give it 3 stars because, despite the flaws, it remains a capitvating book based on its truth. Children of Cambodia's Killings Fields is an important book. On a world view, the general public remains largely ignorant of what happened there, and what the mentality of Cambodia was like at the time. It answers a lot of important questions, albiet inefficiently.
A sad story. January 13, 2002
alainviet (Indianapolis, IN United States)
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
These are the collected accounts of children who suffered untold atrocities under the Pol Pot regime such as torture, rape, starvation, beating, and killing. People were buried alive or thrown into a pot and cooked like fish or poultry. Others had their gallbladders and liver removed to serve as meals for the Khmer Rouge. This is the story of a revolution going haywire and of ruthless men who, in the name of distorted and senseless ideologies, inflicted pain, fear, terror, and death on their countrymen. Power not backed by strong moral values could only lead to barbarism.
Touching acount of the killing fields March 5, 1999
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book really moved me. Sometimes the writing was not great, but most of the time I was intrigued by what had happened to these people. The best acount in my mind is the last one, "The Tonle Sap lake massacre. If you are interested in Cambodia, or in tales of survivors, get this book.
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