The Khmers

The peoples of South-East Asia and The Pacific

by Ian W. Mabbett, David P. Chandler

This is a history of the Khmers, the people who for thousands of years inhabited the wooded interior of Cambodia. One hundred and fifty years ago the representatives of imperial France were astonished to find half-buried within the jungle the still magnificent ruins of vast temples. Justly described as one of the wonders of the world, these were the remnants of the once great Angkor empire. Since then archaeologists and historians have attempted to piece together its history. This book presents the result of these endeavours in the first account of the history of Khmer civilization to be published for many years.

Genres: History

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

Reviews

[GJ]

This books was tough going in parts, but otherwise simple and brisk. I found it really helpful for understanding religion and daily life—wished I’d read the mimesis stuff when I was younger. The kingdom geography and series of kings—I’ll be honest, I was lost and struggled to care. A good summary of research up through the 1990s, but I wish there was a newer book that summarized more recent LiDAR research etc.

[Legendeye]

this book is very good!

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there have been debates in Southeast Asian studies journals about some of the content, this volume is nonetheless incredibly helpful for making sense of the scattered English-language sources on the precolonial Khmer state.