Search Results: History Asia from Orchid Press

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2004. Since Cambodia's reopening to the world in the past dozen years, following its genocidal civil war, there has been a burgeoning interest in its history, art and architectural relics. In parallel with this growing popular interest has been a renewal of international scholarly work and corresponding publication on the Khmers. However, virtually without exception, these either have been aimed at the casual tourist, or alternately, have consisted of more or less esoteric monographs, highly focussed on specific aspects of Khmer culture. A comprehensive survey of the Khmers, broad enough in its scope to provide an overall view, both temporal and geographic, of Khmer civilization, while sufficiently in depth to satisfy the serious reader, has not been attempted in any language in the past half century, until now. In Angkor-Before and After, Professor David Snellgrove has provided a new cultural history of the Khmers covering the period from its very beginning in the 5th… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2006. Subtitle: 'According to Portuguese and Spanish Sources'. Groslier's seminal study of the accounts of early Spanish and Portuguese missionaries and adventurers in Cambodia was published in French in 1958, and is translated here into English for the first time. The reports of the Europeans record the earliest surviving first-hand accounts of Angkor, following the 'rediscovery' of the site by the Khmers, over a hundred years after its abandonment in 1432 CE, and four hundred years prior to the colonization of Cambodia by the French. While the accounts are fascinating in their own right, Groslier employs some of their key observations on the structure of Angkor in the 16th century to embark on further exploration of his own into the nature of Khmer civilization. Complementing his studies of the early accounts with the first aerial surveys of the site, Groslier reconstructs a broad picture of Angkorian civilization, its economy, the genius of its engineers… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2006. Subtitle: 'According to Portuguese and Spanish Sources'. Groslier's seminal study of the accounts of early Spanish and Portuguese missionaries and adventurers in Cambodia was published in French in 1958, and is translated here into English for the first time. The reports of the Europeans record the earliest surviving first-hand accounts of Angkor, following the 'rediscovery' of the site by the Khmers, over a hundred years after its abandonment in 1432 CE, and four hundred years prior to the colonization of Cambodia by the French. While the accounts are fascinating in their own right, Groslier employs some of their key observations on the structure of Angkor in the 16th century to embark on further exploration of his own into the nature of Khmer civilization. Complementing his studies of the early accounts with the first aerial surveys of the site, Groslier reconstructs a broad picture of Angkorian civilization, its economy, the genius of its engineers… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2003. While much has been published on Khmer civilization immediately preceding and during the Angkor period, the origins of this culture, deep in the Mekong Delta, remain relatively obscure. The results of initial explorations by French colonial archaeologists in the first half of the twentieth century were published in detail between 1959 and 1963 in editions which are now difficult to obtain. Interrupted by geopolitical factors until 1975, Vietnamese, Cambodian and foreign archaeologists have been active in this region since; however, aside from papers in specialized archaeological monographs, little has been published in western languages on the remarkable cultural remains that have been uncovered. The pre-Khmer culture of Fu Nan played an important role in maritime trade in southeast Asia as early as the first centuries of the Common Era. Abundant evidence exists for wide trade links within the region, with South Asia and extending as far as the Mediterranean. Chinese… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2000. The autobiographical account of the extraordinary career and travels of scholar/author David Snellgrove, spanning his explorations of Central, South and Southeast Asian cultures over a period of 56 years. 587 pp., 65 colour and 178 b&w plates, 17 maps. First Edition. Hard Cover. New/new. 24.5 x 17.5 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2004. When the author assumed a two year lecturing position in English language at a college in Mandalay in 1986, little did he realize that he was to witness the lead-up to one the most brutal political crackdowns in recent southeast Asian history. His highly personal account of life in Burma, the growth of unrest, the onset of massive pro-democracy rallies, and their ultimate failure after violent military suppression in 1988 is presented in heart-wrenching clarity. An appendix provides a translation of Mandalay students' records of the Sagiang Massacre, in August, 1988. ' . . offers the first detailed account in English-complete with map and photographs-of the . . Sagaing massacre of 9 August 1988, in which 218 people were gunned down by the police and local army units.' Bertil Lintner, Far Eastern Economic Review. viii, 193 pp., 20 colour and 4 b&w plates, map, bibliography. Second edition. Soft Cover. New. 21.5 x 15.5 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. A study of the Hindu elements in ancient Burmese religion, and their implications regarding early Indo-Burmese relations, based on the analysis of extant religious sculpture and images on cast coinage. An important work originally published in 1912, long out of print and until now, unavailable. 109 pp., 30 b&w plates, index. Soft Cover. New. 19 x 13.3 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2000. This is a richly illustrated book on the outrageous behaviour of the British government, driven largely by merchant and missionary interests, toward the Kingdom of Burma, the events surrounding the three Anglo-Burmese wars (1824-26, 1852, 1885-86) and the mysterious disappearance of the fabulous riches in gold and precious stones so shamelessly looted from the Mandalay Palace. 166 pp., 27 colour and 49 b&w plates, 5 maps, bibliography, index. A new/unread copy.. First Edition. Soft Cover. New. 21.5 x 15.2 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1998. The sensitive account of a political prisoner in Burma in the 1950's, with portraits of teenage fellow prisoners and the impact of incarceration on young lives. The original Burmese edition won a UNESCO prize in 1958. Foreword to the new edition by H. K. Kuloy. viii, 144 pp., 16 b&w drawings, 1 b&w plate (Malay language edition also available - please enquire.). Soft Cover. New. Illus. by U Wa Thone. 21.5 x 15.2 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. Masson was one of the most courageous and resourceful early British explorers in Central Asia, wandering over the Punjab, Baluchistan and Afghanistan between 1827 and 1840, usually alone and on foot. During his lengthy sojourn in Kabul, he collected a vast number of coins which revealed previously unknown Graeco-Bactrian and Kushan monarchs, excavated a significant number of ancient Buddhist monuments, and became a reluctant participant in the Great Game. Masson developed a great affection for and rapport with Afghans at every level of society. His descriptions of factional fighting and intrigues in Afghan society are remarkable in their similarity to descriptions of conditions within this fragmented country today. No. 3 on William Dalrymple's list of "Top 10 on Afghanistan". 200 pp., 5 colour and 9 b&w plates, 3 maps, bibliography, index.. Second edition. Hard Cover. New/new. 21 x 15 cm..

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1986. A compendium of Chinese creativity, as it was applied to the implements of war. The author, a renowned Sinologist, traces the origins and development of a wide array of weaponry. Reprint of the Shanghai 1932 edition. vi, 102 pp., including 59 pages of b&w illustrations. Soft Cover. As New. 26 x 19 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2003. "The civilization of the Tibetan people is disappearing before our very eyes, and apart from a few gentle protests here and there, the rest of the world lets it go without comment and without regret. Many civilizations have declined and disintegrated in the past, but it is rare that one has the opportunity of being an informed witness of such events." (from the Preface) This revised edition of the classic work on the rapidly vanishing civilization of Tibet traces the evolution of Tibetan culture from its origins to Tibet's fall to the Chinese Communists in 1959 and the subsequent relocation of Tibetan culture and many Tibetan people. The authors illuminate the many facets of Tibetan culture, including the geography of Tibet, religion, artistic and literary development, and contemporary Tibetan politics. In discussing the history of this rich Central Asian civilization, they draw parallels with developments in historical Western Europe as well as detail the… Read More

Bsngkok: Craftsman Press, 1993. A stirring personal account of a Dutch soldier's internment by the Japanese in WWII and his subsequent assignment to the Allied slave labour gangs who constructed the infamous Burma Railway and the bridge at the River Kwai. Dubbed the 'Railway of Death' due to the horrific mortality rate of those assigned to perform the construction with little more than their bare hands (an estimated 90,000 deaths in 16 months), survival alone was a major accomplishment. Quickly learning to speak Japanese, the author acted as a POW interpreter during his imprisonment, allowing him to gain unique insights into the tragedy, from the points of view of both his fellow prisoners as well as of his Japanese captors. Following the end of the war, Evers was active in the Allied War Crimes Commission, a position in which he once again had to relive the entire ordeal. A new and insightful account of one of the most senseless acts of barbarity perpetrated by the Japanese Imperial… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2004. In this lively and engaging new work on conceptions ofTibet in Western European and American societies, anthropologist Brauen paints a damning portrait of misinterpretation, trivialization and political and commercial exploitation of a rich and ancient culture. Starting with idealistic adventurers in search of a Himalayan Utopia from the 17th century onward, Brauen's most disturbing portrayals are the distortions of 20th century neo-Nazis, Hollywood moguls and the commercial-industrial complex. The author analyses and describes the cynical exploitation, up to the present, of Tibetan Buddhism--a fundamental objective of which is the elimination of human greed--to further Western commercial aims. Nor does Brauen absolve Tibetans themselves in the use of the more benign, even flattering, of these distorted images as they strive to draw the world's attention to their politically and socially tenuous situation. Illustrations include a diverse and at times shocking… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2016. Maugham's tale of travel through Burma, Indochina and Siam in the 1920's, told with all of the empathy and sharp-eyed observation of human nature for which the author eventually became legendary. Reprint of the 1930 edition with new introduction by H. K. Kuloy. 254 pp.. Reprint. Soft Cover. New. 20 x 13.3 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1998. The first comprehensive history of Burma and now a classic reference, it draws on both Burmese written records and the narratives of European travellers and residents prior to the end of the nineteenth century. Reprint of the 1883 edition. 312 pp., 3 monochrome illustrations, 3 maps, appendices listing the kings of Burma and Pegu, index. Soft Cover. New. 19 x 13.3 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2006. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a decisive factor in the defeat of American forces in the Vietnam War. At the peak of its 16 years' operation, the Trail ran through North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Despite an estimated 4 million tons of US bombs, efforts to stop the transport of supplies to the North Vietnamese Army over the Trail failed, and by 1975 over a million tons of supplies and 2 million troops had traversed the Trail. The author and photographer, the first Westerners to traverse the entire length of the Trail, trace the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands who designed, built, used and fought along it. Interviewing villagers along the Trail, as well as key military and political figures on both sides of the conflict, including the mastermind of the trail, General Vo Nguyen Giap, they present a fascinating account of this most remarkable feat of engineering and tactical warfare of the Vietnam War era. 196 pp., 109 colour and 24 b&w illustrations, 11… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1986. Reprint of the 1880 first, and now very rare, edition of this grand compendium of the archaic and traditional weaponry of South and Southeast Asia, Text includes an overview of the military history of India from prehistoric times (ca 2000 BC) to the 19th century. Catalogue section illustrates and provides detailed descriptions for some 816 different implements of war, including swords, daggers, kris, bows and arrows, spears, battle-axes, maces, as well as various types of armour and firearms. Spine sunned, bottom of rear cover scuffed with small loss of surface. Interior clean/unread. 162 pp., 2 colour plates, 48 b&w plates and figures, 6 of which are fold-out, one fold-out colour map, index;.. Soft Cover. Very Good. 26 x 19 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2005. Subtitle : The record of an Arduous Journey of Exploration and Research through the Unknown Frontier Territory of Burma and Tibet. Records the 1914 expedition of Kingdon-Ward, the famed plant-collector and explorer, along the eastern branch of Burma’s great Irrawaddy River. A classic travel and botany account, told in the author’s inimitable style, with much vivid description of both the populace and flora of this still remote region. Reprint of the 1921 Seeley first edition -- one of Kingdon-Ward’s scarcest titles. 192 pp., 2 maps, 23 b&w pl., appendices, index. Second edition. Soft Cover. New. 21.5 x 15.2 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2005. The artist Sappho Marchal was the daughter of the renowned French conservator of Angkor, Henri Marchal. She spent the early years of her life in Cambodia, surrounded by the magnificent ruins of the Khmers, and produced the present study at age 23. Her fine line drawings present the myriad details of ornament and costume depicted on the stone reliefs of Angkor Wat with a clarity that could not be captured, even then, on film. Since that time, many of the stone carvings have severely deteriorated, rendering Marchal's drawings all the more valuable as a record for present-day students and restorers of Angkor. A translation, by Merrily Hansen, of the 1927 French edition. 128 pp., 44 b&w plates including numerous line drawings. . First English Edition. Hard bound. New. 21 x 15 cm..