Book Description
The recent murder of Anna Politkovskaya is grim evidence of the danger faced by journalists passionately committed to writing the truth about wars and politics. A longtime critic of the Russian government, particularly with regard to its policies in Chechnya, Politkovskaya was a special correspondent for the liberal Moscow newspaper Novaya gazeta. Beginning in 1999, Politkovskaya authored numerous articles about the war in Chechnya, and she was the only journalist to have constant access to the region.
Politkovskaya's second book on the Chechen War, A Small Corner of Hell, offers an insider's view of this ongoing conflict. In this book, Politkovskaya focuses her attention on those caught in the crossfire. She recounts the everyday horrors of living in the midst of war, examines how the Chechen war has damaged Russian society, and takes a hard look at the ways people on both sides profited from it. Now available in paperback, A Small Corner of Hell ensures that Politkovskaya's words will not be erased.
"[A Small Corner of Hell] skips harrowingly from year to year and place to place. The arch-villains are the Russian death squads, venal and brutal, and the complacent, lying politicians and generals who profit from the illegal trade in booty, oil, and captives. Her heroes are not the Chechen resistance—a gangsterish and ill-fed lot—but the long-suffering civilian population, whose natural grit and solidarity has gradually dissolved under the relentless brutality of daily life."
—Economist
"A personal, unblinking stare at the casualties of war."
—Jonathan Kaplan, Los Angeles Times
Customer Reviews:
Wow!.......2007-05-14
This book was a real eye-opener. Russia is up to it's old tricks and the rest of the world isn't hearing much about it. This is a very sobering, very human, perspective on the atrocities happening in and around Chechnya. I highly recommend this book. Given that Russia went in to Cechnya before the U.S. went into Iraq, you'll wonder what the hell we were thinking and why hasn't anyone learned from this?
Dispatch from Chechnya Review.......2007-04-04
Hard to read -- conditions/events so horrendous -- not for kids (obviously)...
This is Journalism!.......2006-12-09
This review applies to Small Corner of Hell and Putin's Russia. I read almost all of Anna's books and reports for Novaya Gazeta. It always struck me how dedicated and fearless (sadly she paid the ultimate price) she was to helping regular civilians living in Chechnya, and not just Chechens but Russians too. Her critics acuse her of being pro-chechen, but she also did plenty of reporting about Russian families who got stuck in the basements of Grozny during Russian carpet bombing campaign and for whom nobody in Russia really cared. She also wrote about regular Russian soldiers who are basically used as modern day slaves (Russian army is not voluntary).
If you are a Western reader trying to understand the roots of this conflict, Politkovskaya's books are probably a wrong choice. For that you have to read some history books addressing Russian history of the last 200 - 300 years. Start with Richard Pipes or something similar. Her books are reports of what's going on there now. As such they are great examples of what the REAL journalism should be. They also serve as a good source on what's really going on in Russia today. They would make a good foundation for a War Crimes Tribunal for both Russian and Chechen sides (or are they really just the same Gang), which hopefully will take place some day.
Finally, as others pointed out here the Publisher Weekly reviewer frankly does not know what he is talking about. He probably thinks Kim Jon Il is a legitimate ruler because 98% of North Koreans "vote" for him, too.
Biased?!!!.......2005-05-25
Yes, it is a shock therapy book. It is filled with some of the most cruel and bloody imagery. But this shock therapy is needed, both in Russia and in the West. Because that imagery is not a figment of somebody's imagination nor is it some particularly violent page of the world history book long turned over and forgotten. It's reality. It's happening right now, right at this moment. Even now, 3 years since the book's last interview with Akhmed Zakaev took place. And virtually nobody outside of Chechnya has a good idea what is going on there.
Yes, the author sympathizes with the Chechen CIVILIANS, and the word 'civilians' should always be emphasized. She has nothing good to say about the separatists/terrorists (which do you prefer, by the way?). Except the fact that she - and, upon reading this book, me too, by the way - can understand the ever-increasing number of people who are willing to fight the federal forces 'till the last drop of blood.
Yes, the author is somewhat biased. But, then again, who isn't. And it's hard to be unbiased when you see a 6-year-old boy helping gather the remains of a man who stepped on a landmine into a plastic bag that was bought from those same people who put the landmines there in the first place.
Disregard the (so obviously Russian) naysayers - if someone's brainwashed, it's them. Putin's puppet media does wonders, trust me. Read this book, read something that presents an alternative point of view, and form your own opinion.
Flawed But Few Alternatives.......2005-04-16
In looking for substantive reporting on the Chechnya conlict, one quickly finds that there is simply not much out there of note. Titles tend to range from academic histories of the region to cursory reporting (though in the last year or so, this seems to be changing a bit). It was with this in mind that I picked up this book. While the author clearly has invested her time and labor in the region, the book does not have any coherent narrative flow and doesn't provide much background or context for the events being covered. Also, one gets the sense that the translation may be much too literal, losing the author's passion and intended meanings in the process. It is a disciplined read, but given the paucity of alternatives, probably worth the effort if you are interested in the conflict and the region.
Book Description
The ancient city of Angkor has fascinated Westerners since its rediscovery in the mid-nineteenth century. A great deal is now known about the brilliant Khmer civilization that flourished among the monsoon forests and rice paddies of mainland Southeast Asia, thanks to the pioneering work of French scholars and the application of modern archaeological techniques such as remote sensing from the space shuttle.
The classic-period Khmer kings ruled over their part-Hindu and part-Buddhist empire from AD 802 for more than five centuries. This period saw the construction of many architectural masterpieces, including the huge capital city of Angkor, with the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious structure. Numerous other provincial centers, bound together by an impressive imperial road system, were scattered across the Cambodian Plain, northeast Thailand, southern Laos, and the Delta of southern Vietnam. Khmer civilization by no means disappeared with the gradual abandonment of Angkor that began in the fourteenth century, and the book's final chapter describes the conversion of the Khmer to a different kind of Buddhism, the move of the capital downriver to the Phnom Penh area, and the reorientation of the Khmer state to maritime trade.
Angkor and the Khmer Civilization presents a concise but complete picture of Khmer cultural history from the Stone Age until the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1863, and is lavishly illustrated with maps, plans, drawings, and photographs. Drawing on the latest archaeological research, Michael D. Coe brings to life Angkor's extraordinary society and culture. 130 illustrations, 22 in color.
Customer Reviews:
Angkor and the Khmer civilization.......2007-05-29
The title "Angkor and the Khmer civilization" is misleading in that sense this book treats the Khmer civilization from the prehistory to the 21st century in mainland South East Asia. In this specific context this is an interesting book. In the context of the Khmer civilization restricted to Angkor I would recommend Charles' Higham "The civilization of Angkor ".The Civilization of AngkorCambodian Architecture: Eighth to Thirteenth Centuries (Handbook of Oriental Studies/Handbuch Der Orientalistik)The Archaeology of Mainland Southeast Asia: From 10,000 B.C. to the Fall of Angkor (Cambridge World Archaeology)The Khmers (The Peoples of South East Asia and the Pacific)A History of Cambodia
A College Student's Review.......2006-11-02
Coe reaches surprisingly far in his pre-historical research. His findings are highly informative, and he conducted research beginning with the earliest traces of civilization in Cambodia. While at first this may seem to hold less relevance than a discussion of more modern times, he successfully seams different eras in Khmer civilization together, so that one understands Khmer history as a smoothly flowing story. In his descriptions of Khmer culture and artifacts, it is clear that Coe is steeped in anthropological and archeological knowledge, and he succeeds in his goal of providing such information clearly.
His style of writing is very clear and refreshing. It allows the reader to easily take in the vast information he presents. At just under two-hundred-fifty pages, Coe provides an abundance of information clearly and concisely. His writing is not dry or verbose, words that are all too often used to describe historical texts. Angkor presents all the information that an historical scholar could hope for, without presenting it in a lifeless manner.
Surprised and pleased to see Coe knows Angkor!.......2006-07-17
I was at the SF Asian Museum seeing what turned out to be a not-great exhibit this weekend, and wandered into the book store thinking I'd pick something up in advance of a trip to Cambodia in the fall. Shock of shocks, I found that Coe, whom I've read avidly for his great coverage of the Maya, knows the Khmer as well.
This book is as readable yet comprehensive as is his great work on the Maya, which I've absorbed over the past five years during a Maya obsession. I had a spare three hours this afternoon, and comfortably plowed through five detailed chapters. How frequently can you say that about an academic's work (other than the work in geology of my father-in-law, Dave Alt, and I guess Witold Rybczynski . . . .).
Now I guess I need to pull out the Chocolate book (another surprise--written by Coe's wife and edited by him after her death) and delve back into that---
Great Research Text.......2005-10-11
The most thoroughly researched text that I found regarding the temples and historic context of the "Classic" Khmer period. Not the best guide once you get to the site -- that would be Laur's illustrated guide. If you miss the boat on ordering both of these texts prior to your trip, you can get them both in the bookstore in Seim Reap. Some of the street vendors at the temples peddle illegal copies of the Coe book. Info as of 10/05.
Angkor and the Khmer Civilization.......2003-11-16
The great Khmer Empire, best known for its astonishing temples at Angkor, has long fascinated visitors, arm-chair tourists, and scholars alike. In his new book, "Angkor and the Khmer Civilization," archaeologist Michael Coe has written what I believe is, simply, the best current (2003) presentation of the history and culture of this wonderful (literally: full of wonders) ancient civilization. Reading Coe's book is like having a delightful one-on-one conversation with a first-rate thinker, scholar, and teacher. Coe's writing is superbly well-organized, logical, fascinating, concise, and comprehensive. The book is enhanced by numerous high-quality photo illustrations and maps, fully referenced bibliography and notes, and a better-than-average topical index.
Most importantly, this book is obviously a labor of love. Coe, a well-known Mayanist, returns here to his first love, the archaeology of southeast Asia; although political circumstances (e.g.: the Vietnam War, the Pol Pot regime) prevented him from digging in the field, Coe has mastered the literature and walked the sites; his book illuminates the full chronological sweep of Khmer history and culture, from its prehistoric beginnings through the post-Classic period, as never before. It is intellectually exciting, a pleasure to read, and sure to delight anyone from the casual tourist to the experienced professional. Put it together with Freeman and Jacques' "Ancient Angkor," and you have the perfect companions for your next trip to Angkor.
Book Description
In the late sixteenth century a mythical encounter was reported during an elephant hunt in the dense north of the Tonle Sap, or Great Lake of central Cambodia. King Satha of Cambodia and his retainers were beating a path through the undergrowth when they were halted by stone giants and a massive wall. The King, the fable reported, ordered six thousand men to clear away the forest overgrowth around the wall, thereby exposing the city of Angkor--"lost" for over a century.
Subsequent reports from Portuguese missionaries described its five gateways, with bridges flanked by stone figures leading across a moat. There were idols covered in gold, inscriptions, fountains, canals, and a "temple with five towers, called Angor." For four centuries, this huge complex has inspired awe among visitors from all over the world, but only now are its origins and history becoming clear.
This book begins with the development of the prehistoric communities of the area and draws on the author's recent excavations to portray the rich and expansive chiefdoms that existed at the dawn of civilization. It covers the origins of early states, up to the establishment, zenith, and decline of this extraordinary civilization, whose most impressive achievement was the construction of the gilded temple mausoleum of Angkor Wat in the twelfth century, allegedly by 70,000 people.
Drawing on the latest research on prehistoric archaeology, epigraphy, and art history, Charles Higham has written a clear and concise history of this remarkable civilization.
Customer Reviews:
Primer to my Cambodia trip.......2006-01-26
The Civilization of Angkor draws on the latest research on prehistoric archaeology, epigraphy, and art history to reconstruct a detailed chronicle of a remarkable civilization. The book serves as a primer, in addition to the tour guide's word-of-the-mouth information and perfunctory Lonely Planet coverage, to my recent trip to Angkor Wat and the associated monuments. It illuminates the unique architecture and structural motifs that were dictated by religious influence.
Higham focuses on civilization of Angkor, which was established on the northern shore of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap) in Cambodia, and progressively controlled the Mekong Valley to the delta, the Khorat plateau of northeast Thailand and much of central Thailand. Traces of ruins with Khmer influence are found today in the ancient Siamese capital Ayuthaya, also part of my itinerary.
The Civilization of Angkor traces the origin and developments through four distinct phases, beginning about 500 BC in the prehistoric Iron Age, which saw the origin of rice cultivation. It was significant because domestication of rice represents one of the most profound changes in the human past of Southeast Asia. The second phase (100-550 AD) witnessed a swift transition to organized states in the Mekong delta that was fuelled by participation in a burgeoning international trade network. The third phase (550-800 AD) afforded formation of series of states in the low-lying interior of Cambodia, an area well suited to an agrarian economy. Flood retreat agriculture replenished with silt could provide the necessary rice surpluses to sustain the social elite. Thus the period saw the creation of wealth and establishment of social hierarchy.
My trip to Cambodia focuses on the architectural style quintessential of and the temples erected during the fourth phase (800-1400 AD) of Angkor civilization. Establishment of capital at Angkor was followed by major construction of temples that for four centuries have inspired awe among visitors from all over the world. Higham has highlighted the unique architectural motifs and elaborated on the royal and religious influence that have dictated such motifs.
Temples were usually kings' enduring mausoleums. Kings who ruled for a significant period of time would have a state temple constructed, initially in the form of a raised pyramid to house a linga (representation of a phallus, usually in stone, that was used as an object of veneration) named after themselves and Shiva (major Hindu god of creation and destruction), which embodied the power of the state. Angkor Wat represented Mount Meru, the home of the Hindu gods, just as the walls and moats symbolized the surrounding mountains and oceans. Kings installed divinized images of their ancestors, whose names were again subtly combined with those of the gods, and worshipped them.
Kings' remains were placed in the central tower of Angkor to animate their images. Worship of the dead king ensued once his soul entered his stone image, thus permitting contact with the ancestors of the dynasty. Within this mortuary tradition, Angkor Wat is the preserve of the immortal sovereign with Vishnu, the supreme god who descended to the world of mortals in many guises. Vishnu is often seen with Shiva, whose representation is most remarkable at the nearby Preah Khan, where a linga, an erect stone phallus is tugged within a yoni, or vulva.
Most of the Angkor temples share a common layout Higham deftly portrays. A gorupa (entrance pavilion or temple gate) pierces the outer walls. Long rows of galleries sometimes divide up a platform from which a flight of steps leads up to a terrace containing brick towers and laterite structures. Further set of steps flanked by stoned animals lead to the uppermost towers. A maze of shrines and passageways often cluster around the central temple.
A closer look at the central towers at these temples will reveal the difference in architectural style dictated by religious preference: the contention between Hinduism and Buddhism. Cessation of preference for Buddhism led to relentless destruction or modification of every image of the Buddha, including the great statue that once graced the center of Angkor at Bayon Temple. Many smaller shrines at this once-gilded tower were swept away and the site was modified to become a temple to Shiva. Therefore, Bayon contains asymmetric towers: lotus-shaped and linga. The outer closing wall contains eight cruciform entrance towers, and is covered in bas-reliefs that depict battle scenes and the daily activities of ordinary people. The central shrine, unusually, is circular and must originally have been gilded. A deep shaft under this tower contains the broken parts of a large image of the Buddha, a find reflecting the reaction against Buddhism after the king's death. On the upper level, one is confronted by the multitude of towers and profusion of enormous heads (smiling faces) gazing serenely into the distance. These are the few intact images.
Drawing from archaeological research, Higham deduces a tower of bronze that used to rise even higher than the gold tower of Bayon Temple. This temple is part of the Baphuon Temple, which is now shrouded in scaffolding. The Royal Place that lay to the north is now reduced to just two huge barays (reservoirs) and a few slabs of concrete outlining its foundation. To the east, a once golden bridge flanked by gilded lions led to a pavilion supported by stone elephants. The terrace of elephants is a 300-meter long raised platform. Opposite this parade ground are twelve small towers known as the Prasat Suor Prat. The nearby Ta Prohm is laden with rubbles. Trees have taken hold the temple, enveloped the interior and roots split apart the walls.
The Civilization of Angkor is an academic history of a cluster of cities and their associated monuments that lie between the Great Lake and the Kulen Hills in present Cambodia. Higham traces this unique civilization that began in the prehistoric past and explores Angkor from its earliest foundations. Through the inscriptions and carvings so well preserved that they could have been done yesterday, the book recovers scenes of daily lives and the vicissitudes of the kingdom and deduces causes of its decline and abandonment. The book answers many of the questions pertaining to architectural style and its association to religious preference and I shuttled between temples. Higham's account allows me to grapple with Angkor's history, religion, and philosophy in a more strenuous and self-conscious way than the usual come-and-go sightseeing can offer. It gives personal meaning to the whole journey.
A No-Frills, Academic History.......2003-06-15
This book packs a lot of information into a relatively few pages (192 pages, including the index). It begins at the beginning, with the prehistoric communities of Southeast Asia, and continues through the early states of Funan and Chenla,
Jayavarman II and his successors (800 A.D. - 1000 A.D.), Suryavarman I, the major 12th century builders at Angkor (Jayavarman VI, Suryavarman II, Jayavarman VII), and the later decline of Angkor until its sack by Thai invaders in 1431. A later episode of restoration is not discussed in the book (the last relief in Angkor Wat was carved in 1564), perhaps because Angkor was no longer politically important at that time.
The main sources for this history, in addition to archaeology, are carved inscriptions on temples and stelae, which the author quotes extensively in translation. Political history is emphasized throughout, with not much consideration of artistic and religious matters; the style of writing is terse, and rather dry. Because of this, the book reads more like an academic history (textbook and reference) than like a popular history. The book focuses on the synthesis of known facts into a historical narrative. Within this scope, the book can be relied upon to provide as much information as is currently known about the political history of Angkor.
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The arts and civilization of Angkor
Bernard Philippe Groslier
Manufacturer: Praeger
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The Ancient Civilization of Angkor
Christopher Pym
Manufacturer: Signet
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- Why I wrote this book
- What a strange idea for a book
- A book about the life, not the art of the Khmer Empire
- Poor Treatment of Fascinating Data
- Best explanation of ancient Cambodian society
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Angkor Life
Stephen O. Murray
Manufacturer: Bua Luang Pub Co
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ASIN: 0942777158 |
Customer Reviews:
Why I wrote this book.......2005-12-14
When I was finally able to visit the ruins of the medieval Khmer capitals (Roluos and Angkor Thom) in 1993, there were no books other than coffeetable photography books available in America about Angkor. (Note that the books-which are not about the life of the capital empire-listed by one reviewer all postdate my book's first edition). I wrote the book that I wanted when it became possible to go to Cambodia in the mid-1990s.
The Siam Society's translation into English of the French translation of the account by Zhou Daguan, the Yuan-dynasty visitor to the Khmer capital) runs to 73 pages, of which more than half are illustrations. Zhou's account is the only eyewitness account (and I dedicated the book to his memory and that of George Coèdes who translated inscriptions on Khmer buildings into French). Zhou did NOT write about Angkor Wat (the great temple nearby, but outside the walls of the capital, Angkor Thom, as a glance at the maps in either my book or the Siam Society Zhou would show).
Besides going back to the original Chinese text of Zhou, I put the medieval Khmer kingdom in a wider perspective of cosmology, ecological destruction, and peasant exhaustion that Zhou could not have had, but that a comparative sociologist now can. The second edition of my book includes discussion of Mannikka's astronomical/numerological theses about the temple Angkor Wat. It is a contribution to the study of architecture rather than social history (and heavy both in weight and in technical prose).
The records of the Khmer Empire were written on palm leaves that long ago disintegrated, so that Zhou's account is the only one of someone who observed the empire (already in decline), and my indebtedness to it is literally upfront (in the book's dedication).
What a strange idea for a book.......2004-04-04
This book is based on the 13th-century Chinese document currently published as "The Customs of Cambodia." This original document contains about 85 pages of commentary and description, all concerning life in old Angkor Wat.
The author of the present book apparently decided that he could write a sort of "fantasy" based on this ONE surviving document. After he had completed his magic, he wound up with 111 pages.
The choice is yours: would you rather have the genuine, original document, or its "fantasy interpretation" by some American professor of sociology?
A completely disposable book!
A book about the life, not the art of the Khmer Empire.......2001-10-18
I don't think that there is a logical ordering of the material written by the one eye-witness of the Khmer Empire, but Murray's book which draws heavily on that hodgepodge builds to a consideration of the base of Khmer society and art: harvests of rice and how the surplus was depleted over time.
Although there are many books of beautiful pictures of the ruins, and the intriguing mathematical/astronomical analysis of the great temple of Angkor Wat, Murray's book is the best available account of what the society that built the temples was like.
If the previous reviewer knows of some important new breaktrhoughs in understanding SOCIAL LIFE he or she should specify what it is. A book published in 1996 was presumably written in 1995, but I am not aware of any new archaeological interpretations of the Khmer Empire.
Poor Treatment of Fascinating Data.......2000-03-06
The Chinese description of Angkor life at the end of the thirteenth century provides fascinating and important information on this culture. Unfortunately, the author of this book presents the information in an unorganized format with no sense of what is important what is not. Piling up a bunch of details without a structure or theme does little to convey the nature of Angkor society. The book is poorly written; contradictions abound; and the abundant scholarship on Angkor is unacknowledged. Very disappointing.
If you want some good books on Angkor, try these:
Dumarçay, Jacques and Pascal Royère
2001 Cambodian Architecture, Eighth to Thirteenth Centuries. Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section Three, South-East Asia, vol. 12. Brill, Leiden.
Higham, Charles
2002 The Civilization of Angkor. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Jacques, Claude
1999 Angkor. Könemann, New York.
Mannikka, Eleanor
1996 Angkor Wat: Time, Space, and Kingship. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.
Best explanation of ancient Cambodian society.......2000-02-07
There are many superb books on Khmer art. This book looks at what life was like in the society that created the art and built ther stupendous temples. It necessarily relies heavily on the one surviving (Yüan-dynasty Chinese) account by a visitor to the Khmer Empire after its peak, but also draws on French archaeology and the author's considerable comparative knowledge of societies and religions. The book is succinct, readable, reasonably priced; although not an art book, it has interesting line drawings and photographs. It also has a comprehensive bibliography.
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ANGKOR: ART AND CIVILIZATION
Manufacturer: Thames and Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GP07ZC |
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Revolutions in the Earth: James Hutton and the True Age of the World
Stephen Baxter
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The Seashell on the Mountaintop
ASIN: 0753817616 |
Book Description
In 1650, the theologian and scholar Bishop James Ussher announced that the world was created on 23rd October 4004 BC. This date had been carefully calculated by adding together all the ages and reigns of the monarchs recorded in the Bible. In the late eighteenth century, James Hutton set out to prove him wrong. A gentleman farmer with legal and medical training, Hutton was fascinated by the natural landscape and in particular by rock formations. He was also surrounded by some of the most brilliant men of his day - Erasmus Darwin, Adam Smith, James Watt and David Hume. Looking at the irregular strata in the layers of the earth, Hutton deduced that the world must be much, much older than Ussher's prediction. His revelation was blasphemy - but it was also one of the most extraordinary defining moments in history, forming the framework for Darwin's theory of evolution, and shaping our modern view of the world and our place in it.
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