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When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution
Award-winning journalist Elizabeth Becker started covering Cambodia in 1973 for The Washington Post, when the country was perceived as little more than a footnote to the Vietnam War. Then, with the rise of the Khmer Rouge in 1975 came the closing of the border and a systematic reorganization of Cambodian society. Everyone was sent from the towns and cities to the countryside, where they were forced to labor endlessly in the fields. The intelligentsia were brutally exterminated, and torture, terror, and death became routine. Ultimately, almost two million people—nearly a quarter of the population—were killed in what was one of this century's worst crimes against humanity.When the War Was Over is Elizabeth Becker's masterful account of the Cambodian nightmare. Encompassing the era of French colonialism and the revival of Cambodian nationalism; 1950s Paris, where Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot received his political education; the killing fields of Cambodia; government chambers in Washington, Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh; and the death of Pol Pot in 1998; this is a book of epic vision and staggering power. Merging original historical research with the many voices of those who lived through the times and exclusive interviews with every Cambodian leader of the past quarter century, When the War Was Over illuminates the darkness of Cambodia with the intensity of a bolt of lightning.
632 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1986
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About the author
Elizabeth Becker
16 books62 followersElizabeth Becker is a former New York Times correspondent and the author of When the War Was Over.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 1, 2018
As a recent Cambodian visitor I am grateful that this book exists. Not only selfishly because of the learning and perspective it gave me, but as a historical record that current and future generations can refer to and learn from.
I fell in love with Cambodia during my short stay of around two weeks there this past spring. Notably, my (heartbreaking) visits to the landmine museum outside Siem Reap and Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh made me want to understand more. This well researched and very readable account gave me exactly what I hoped to gain - and more.
I fell in love with Cambodia during my short stay of around two weeks there this past spring. Notably, my (heartbreaking) visits to the landmine museum outside Siem Reap and Tuol Sleng in Phnom Penh made me want to understand more. This well researched and very readable account gave me exactly what I hoped to gain - and more.
July 30, 2007
This must be the deepest, most document- and interview-rich study of the origins and operations of the Khmer Rouge regime that's out there. Becker manages to keep her evil subject at a distance to intellectually examine it, and she does that brilliantly. Her account of her 1978 Pol Pot interview is a let-down, and her too detailed history of the reasons for Vietnam's 1979 invasion and 10-year occupation was slow-going and a bit long, but always learned and never truly dull.
This is a 600 page tome, but if you want to understand the Khmer Rouge, look no further. With the genocide trials set to begin, this book's timeliness has returned 9 years after the KR movement finally collapsed in the jungle
This is a 600 page tome, but if you want to understand the Khmer Rouge, look no further. With the genocide trials set to begin, this book's timeliness has returned 9 years after the KR movement finally collapsed in the jungle
August 31, 2011
Now that I live here, I figured I kind of have to read up on the Khmer Rouge. Yay.
They seem to have run the entire country like a concentration camp, which as it turns out, doesn't work very well as a system of government. They reasoned that if people worked 20 hours a day and ate next to nothing, there should be huge rice surpluses. They also separated families for greater efficiency and generally culled the culture of all non-collectivist farmer oriented elements--useless things like science, art, religion, and so on. Given that this would be the most successful undertaking in human history, why not demand ever greater yields? Whenever these massive surpluses failed to materialize, and the Khmer Rouge's shoddily constructed public works projects fell to bits, it could only be the result of hidden enemies sabotaging the revolution. This led to even more purges and mass killings.
It's telling that the most accurate records of their experiment were the confessions meticulously filed away at the Tuol Sleng Incarceration Center. Each time a person was tortured they were asked to amend their previous confession, until it finally corresponded to what the Khmer Rouge wanted it to say, after which point they were killed. The torturers were to avoid feeding their victims the answers, as this was thought to taint the truth. In the end they would admit to something like destroying rice seedlings as part of a conspiracy between the CIA and communist Vietnam to lower agricultural yields.
For me, the portrait of this shadowy and delusional regime as rendered by its survivors (and non-) was the most compelling. I was going to say survivors and victims, but I guess the survivors are also victims. The author's eerie and gruesome visit on the eve of the regime's collapse was also pretty eventful (the propaganda effect of the Potemkin villages they set up was somewhat weakened when one of her two colleagues was gunned down). Less riveting was the complex factionalism within political movements in SE Asia. Some of it is important historical background, but at times the minute details of Indochina's rivalries seemed to belong in another book.
It's horrible that even after Vietnam toppled the Khmer Rouge, they still terrorized the countryside as guerilla fighters well into the 90's (and sadly, WITH the support of the US government, who wanted to stick it to the Vietnamese). Walking around present day Phnom Penh, it's all a little hard to imagine. Maybe part of the reason Cambodians are so cheerful and friendly now is that they have real perspective on just how bad it can get.
They seem to have run the entire country like a concentration camp, which as it turns out, doesn't work very well as a system of government. They reasoned that if people worked 20 hours a day and ate next to nothing, there should be huge rice surpluses. They also separated families for greater efficiency and generally culled the culture of all non-collectivist farmer oriented elements--useless things like science, art, religion, and so on. Given that this would be the most successful undertaking in human history, why not demand ever greater yields? Whenever these massive surpluses failed to materialize, and the Khmer Rouge's shoddily constructed public works projects fell to bits, it could only be the result of hidden enemies sabotaging the revolution. This led to even more purges and mass killings.
It's telling that the most accurate records of their experiment were the confessions meticulously filed away at the Tuol Sleng Incarceration Center. Each time a person was tortured they were asked to amend their previous confession, until it finally corresponded to what the Khmer Rouge wanted it to say, after which point they were killed. The torturers were to avoid feeding their victims the answers, as this was thought to taint the truth. In the end they would admit to something like destroying rice seedlings as part of a conspiracy between the CIA and communist Vietnam to lower agricultural yields.
For me, the portrait of this shadowy and delusional regime as rendered by its survivors (and non-) was the most compelling. I was going to say survivors and victims, but I guess the survivors are also victims. The author's eerie and gruesome visit on the eve of the regime's collapse was also pretty eventful (the propaganda effect of the Potemkin villages they set up was somewhat weakened when one of her two colleagues was gunned down). Less riveting was the complex factionalism within political movements in SE Asia. Some of it is important historical background, but at times the minute details of Indochina's rivalries seemed to belong in another book.
It's horrible that even after Vietnam toppled the Khmer Rouge, they still terrorized the countryside as guerilla fighters well into the 90's (and sadly, WITH the support of the US government, who wanted to stick it to the Vietnamese). Walking around present day Phnom Penh, it's all a little hard to imagine. Maybe part of the reason Cambodians are so cheerful and friendly now is that they have real perspective on just how bad it can get.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2025
من نوع الكتب التي تفتك العلامة الكاملة افتكاكا...
عودة على جذور ظهور الخمير الحمر السياسية و الاقتصادية و الاجتماعية و حتى التاريخية و العقائدية ... ثم ما تلاها من إبادة ذاتية (auto genocide) و دوافعها الأيدولوجية و النفسية وسط مناخ من البارانويا و الهذيان الجماعي... عقب ذلك محاولات السلام و الاستقرار اليائسة و دور المجتمع الدولي خاصة أمريكا و روسيا و الصين في طمس ملامح الإبادة و تجاهل التقارير حول الفظائع المرتكبة...
الكتاب كامل متكامل وقفت فيه كثيرا على دوافع نظام "بول بوت" في ما فعله و الحالة النفسية العامة له. كما استوقفتني شخصية الأمير سيهانوك المهزوزة و المتقلبة و التي جرّت على بلاده كل أنواع الويلات. و طبعا دور الطاعون الأمريكي في انكار الهولوكوست الكمبودي و طمسه في الخلفية كحدث هامشي نكاية في فييتنام (متعوووودة).
عموما لمن أراد الاطلاع على هذه الصفحة الحالكة من تاريخ الحرب الباردة و الشيوعية الستالينية/الماوية فهذا الكتاب (كما أكد أكثر من قرأه) يشكل مقدمة شاملة و متكاملة.
تمت
18 جويلية 2025
August 22, 2025
NTR/R
July 4, 2012
I have read numerous books about the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia, and studied the history and politics of Southeast Asia in the 1950'-70's, and found Becker's work in this text to be one of the definitive volumes of journalism and academic research ever written concerning this subject. As a correspondent for the Washington Post in the 70's, Becker closely followed the situation in SE Asia, becoming one of only two American journalists who visited Democratic Kampuchea immediately before it's fall to the Vietnamese in January 1979. She has an expansive breadth of knowledge and concern for the country of Cambodia.
As is the case with most histories, Becker dives into the background of the formation of the KR first, explaining the advent of communist parties in SE Asia following WWII and the defeat of the French colonialists. The reader is moved along at a very approachable pace concerning the development of revolution in Vietnam and Cambodia (two movements which are inextricably linked) and the demise of the bungling American war policy in the region. We witness the fall of the incapable and corrupt Lon Nol puppet regime in an increasingly starving Phnom Penh, and the rise and encroachment of the militaristic socialism of the KR.
Becker proceeds to describe the ensuing KR transformation of the country into one large prison camp with a both a journalistic and academic eye. She presents the familiar stories of and refugees and survivors combined with her own journalistic approach to exhaustive research. The narrative goes on to portray the growing, aggressive, maniacal paranoia of the KR leaders, which eventually leads them into provoking a suicidal war with longtime rival Vietnam.
Written in 1986, this work does not offer much information about the time following the fall of the KR, but that is not the intention. And there are parts, especially during the final few chapters, when some points are mentioned in redundancy, almost seeming like they have been added in subsequent editions without much regard for the overall continuity of the text. However, on the whole this is a must read book for any serious student of the history of communist Cambodia and students of the larger topic of the evolution of communism in Asia in the last half of the 20th Century.
January 11, 2010
Monumental in scope and depth, Becker's comprehensive survey of recent Cambodian history ranges from astonishing in its analysis and intensely moving in its portrayal of victims and survivors, to numbingly dull in its meticulous coverage of documents, meetings and people involved in the evolution of communism in Cambodia. It is required reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the origins of the Khmer Rouge, though, and one of Becker's arguments is that the Khmer Rouge were not merely a product of their time and place, but evolved through betrayal and hardship to become a monstrosity of brutal hatred. She argues that only through a series of accidents and incompetence did the Khmer Republic lose the war, which allowed the Khmer Rouge--themselves astonished at finding the country under their control--to take power. And she uses Cambodia's history of oppressive god-kings to explain the population's total acquiescence to a regime of murder and starvation.
It is unfortunate that Becker felt the need to include three ponderously dull chapters on how Cambodia went to war with Vietnam in 1978, since this topic is somewhat alien to her discussion of Pol Pot. I ended up skipping much of the last third of the book.
Her own personal experiences in Cambodia in 1978, weeks before Vietnam invaded, are fascinating and vividly told, including the bizarre murder of her colleague Malcolm Caldwell. Becker witnessed first-hand the nature of the Pol Pot regime just as it was about to pass into history.
Sadly, Becker does not use footnotes or references and gives only a skeletal bibliography, making this book decidedly less useful to researchers.
It is unfortunate that Becker felt the need to include three ponderously dull chapters on how Cambodia went to war with Vietnam in 1978, since this topic is somewhat alien to her discussion of Pol Pot. I ended up skipping much of the last third of the book.
Her own personal experiences in Cambodia in 1978, weeks before Vietnam invaded, are fascinating and vividly told, including the bizarre murder of her colleague Malcolm Caldwell. Becker witnessed first-hand the nature of the Pol Pot regime just as it was about to pass into history.
Sadly, Becker does not use footnotes or references and gives only a skeletal bibliography, making this book decidedly less useful to researchers.
June 5, 2022
An exasperating read. I should have DNFed this a long time ago. Persevered reading because I wanted to know more on the Khmer Rouge - Pol Pot regime.
As much as the history is grim, tragic and depressing, the writing itself was dreary. Breathless and an information overkill. Pointless detailing. I wish this book went through strict vetting and some form of editing on the syntax. I'm sure this would have made a better historical read. Gruelling experience instead.
As I flipped the final page, I sighed, reflected and questioned the gods. Was sitting on this since 25 March. To a point it became a dry read to induce sleep. The writing sucked my soul out. Never again.
That being said, the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge era is an essential read for history buffs. Word of advice: break up this read over a month, approach it strategically, treat it as a textbook, simulataneously engage in other books that keep your soul happy, and if all else fails -> #DNF
#Cambodiaandthekhmerrougerevolution #whenthewarwasover #elizabethbecker
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#penguinindia #travelwriting #politics #bookblogger #bookrecommendations #book #booksofinstagram #sgbookstagram #whatareyoureadingsg #Read #essay #bibliophile #bookworm #kobolibrah2o
As much as the history is grim, tragic and depressing, the writing itself was dreary. Breathless and an information overkill. Pointless detailing. I wish this book went through strict vetting and some form of editing on the syntax. I'm sure this would have made a better historical read. Gruelling experience instead.
As I flipped the final page, I sighed, reflected and questioned the gods. Was sitting on this since 25 March. To a point it became a dry read to induce sleep. The writing sucked my soul out. Never again.
That being said, the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge era is an essential read for history buffs. Word of advice: break up this read over a month, approach it strategically, treat it as a textbook, simulataneously engage in other books that keep your soul happy, and if all else fails -> #DNF
#Cambodiaandthekhmerrougerevolution #whenthewarwasover #elizabethbecker
#nonfiction #igreads #bookstagram #sgbookstagram #bookstagrammers #readersofinstagram
#penguinindia #travelwriting #politics #bookblogger #bookrecommendations #book #booksofinstagram #sgbookstagram #whatareyoureadingsg #Read #essay #bibliophile #bookworm #kobolibrah2o
January 2, 2020
This book does an excellent job of detailing the events that occurred from a foreigner looking at the events of the Khmer Rouge. I don't think it should be used alone though. There are other books that do a better job of telling this story from the point of view of those who lived it, in the context of the opinions of the actual time.
One of the things that bothered me was the depiction of Tiananmen Square. This showed a lack of understanding of the 9 months that led to the actual event; and suggests to me that the author perhaps may have certain biases. While I think some governments are truly evil, it's very hard to change or figure out what went wrong if you paint each government so black and white.
I do think she didn't do this in her depiction of the Vietnamese or Cambodia as much as was done with foreign affairs surrounding what happened with these nations.
I would say that relative to many books that attempt to recant history, this book was very engaging. I definitely enjoyed reading the work; which was expertly written. If I felt I could trust the author more, I would have given 5 stars.
One of the things that bothered me was the depiction of Tiananmen Square. This showed a lack of understanding of the 9 months that led to the actual event; and suggests to me that the author perhaps may have certain biases. While I think some governments are truly evil, it's very hard to change or figure out what went wrong if you paint each government so black and white.
I do think she didn't do this in her depiction of the Vietnamese or Cambodia as much as was done with foreign affairs surrounding what happened with these nations.
I would say that relative to many books that attempt to recant history, this book was very engaging. I definitely enjoyed reading the work; which was expertly written. If I felt I could trust the author more, I would have given 5 stars.
February 8, 2019
Οι θηριωδίες των Ερυθρών Χμερ μέσα από ιστορίες Καμποτζιανων και η προσπάθεια εξήγησης και τοποθέτησης της γενοκτονίας μέσα στην πολύπαθη ιστορία της Καμπότζης. Must read.
June 4, 2019
This book is an incredible smooth and well-written journey. Becker's many personal accounts to her experience in Cambodia really add a flavour to an otherwise historical account to the recent history of Cambodia.
That being said, I read this book in the context of research on Vietnam's intervention in 1979 in Cambodia. Becker omits quite a lot of detail on the possible reasons why Vietnam intervened in Cambodia. Her reasoning is the cultural differences between the two communist states and doesn't even consider the frequent Khmer Rouge military incursions into Vietnam, killing thousands off innocent Vietnamese civilians in often cruel ways.
The problem is that the fact that her account of Vietnam's intervention is barely researched, poorly sourced and badly argumented makes me wonder about the many other parts of her book. as someone else mentioned here, she barely included source documents.
as a read on Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge, it is fascinating. However, as a source document for academic research, it is virtually useless.
That being said, I read this book in the context of research on Vietnam's intervention in 1979 in Cambodia. Becker omits quite a lot of detail on the possible reasons why Vietnam intervened in Cambodia. Her reasoning is the cultural differences between the two communist states and doesn't even consider the frequent Khmer Rouge military incursions into Vietnam, killing thousands off innocent Vietnamese civilians in often cruel ways.
The problem is that the fact that her account of Vietnam's intervention is barely researched, poorly sourced and badly argumented makes me wonder about the many other parts of her book. as someone else mentioned here, she barely included source documents.
as a read on Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge, it is fascinating. However, as a source document for academic research, it is virtually useless.
March 24, 2018
This was a journey and a half. I knew very little about the Khmer Rouge revolution before opening this book save from what I’d learnt about the Vietnam war and from watching the Killing Fields in high school.
Elizabeth Becker’s narrative is by no means a short one. It is about 600 pages spanning over 20 years. Nevertheless, despite this and the minimal divisions made by chapter titles or themes, Becker weaves a highly readable story. This history had high potential to be extremely dry and drab but Becker’s intricate knowledge shines through and she brings in the individual narratives of Cambodians to bring life to the book. From the first chapter, it is clear that Becker’s understanding of Cambodia is profound and she does its dark story justice by not glossing over anything.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the Khmer Rouge revolution, but particularly how external factors drove the decisions made by the Khmer Rouge. Part of Becker’s strengths is importing an understanding of the bigger picture. A truly engrossing read.
Elizabeth Becker’s narrative is by no means a short one. It is about 600 pages spanning over 20 years. Nevertheless, despite this and the minimal divisions made by chapter titles or themes, Becker weaves a highly readable story. This history had high potential to be extremely dry and drab but Becker’s intricate knowledge shines through and she brings in the individual narratives of Cambodians to bring life to the book. From the first chapter, it is clear that Becker’s understanding of Cambodia is profound and she does its dark story justice by not glossing over anything.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the Khmer Rouge revolution, but particularly how external factors drove the decisions made by the Khmer Rouge. Part of Becker’s strengths is importing an understanding of the bigger picture. A truly engrossing read.
September 29, 2014
When the War Was Over is the work a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who also spent a great deal of time in Cambodia. Given the rather extraordinary nature and destruction of the Khmer Revolution, there is no relevant material in the archives that will be one day be made available to academics so they can write a definitive history of the period. It is entirely possible that Ms. Becker's book is the best one that will ever be available on the period.
Pol Pot's biographer Philip Short thinks that When the War Was Over is a great book. Don't wait for something better to come along. Start reading this book today for a superb account of a dreadful chapter in world history.
Pol Pot's biographer Philip Short thinks that When the War Was Over is a great book. Don't wait for something better to come along. Start reading this book today for a superb account of a dreadful chapter in world history.
June 1, 2017
Outstanding. Everything you want to know about the Khmer Rouge is here -- up to 1985, that is. The book was published in 1986, so you are kind of left hanging. Nevertheless, it is a beautifully written, (almost) all-encompassing tome about what may be the most confounding and horrific political movement of the 20th century.
April 30, 2016
Read it three times. Never gets stale. Informative, moving, historical, personal, the narrative is spellbinding. Must read not just for Cambodia enthusiasts, this book is compulsory reading for all observers of human nature.
July 22, 2023
Borrow.
Essential, intimate, and detailed reading for understanding the history of modern Cambodia. There is a lot here you won't know but after reading a lot of gaps start to be filled. Becker really opened my eyes to the motivations of US, Soviet, Chinese and especially Vietnamese policy over the past few decades.
As for Cambodia, it remains a tragic story ruled and oppressed by dark forces to this day.
When it comes to my rating, points were lost here because of how the book was structured. It never really flows, although it is very readable. Also, Becker can find herself digging into the minutiae of what felt like less interesting subtopics while ignoring others that deserved more coverage - such as what happened to Pol Pot after he was overthrown.
Essential, intimate, and detailed reading for understanding the history of modern Cambodia. There is a lot here you won't know but after reading a lot of gaps start to be filled. Becker really opened my eyes to the motivations of US, Soviet, Chinese and especially Vietnamese policy over the past few decades.
As for Cambodia, it remains a tragic story ruled and oppressed by dark forces to this day.
When it comes to my rating, points were lost here because of how the book was structured. It never really flows, although it is very readable. Also, Becker can find herself digging into the minutiae of what felt like less interesting subtopics while ignoring others that deserved more coverage - such as what happened to Pol Pot after he was overthrown.
January 11, 2018
Heart-Breaking history.
July 4, 2025
Incredible detail and insight into this country’s history. Gave me such a deeper understanding of how the Khmer Rouge came to power, how it impacted its citizens, and how it eventually fell apart.
December 4, 2024
Haven’t learned so much from a book in a really long time. Both harrowing and matter of fact.
April 2, 2025
I came to this from Blowback, and was especially interested in the story of Becker's visit to Cambodia. Somehow I got the impression that this would be more of a memoir. The story is there, of course, at around page 400, and is easily the most compelling part of the book. The rest is very straightforward historiography concerning Cambodia, "Indochina", the cold war etc. And it's ok but it's not great.
Firstly, Becker is very much a Washington reporter and it shows. Secondly, she often gets lost in the narrative, repeating herself, trying to expand the scope to explain things but not really managing. There is very little rhyme or reason to what gets a detailed account and what is barely mentioned, other than maybe her bias. Is a detailed account of the Tiananmen incident really relevant here?
Also, there is a sense that Becker set out to try to understand why what happened (in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge) happened. And I don't think she really succeeded, and importantly, I don't get the sense she actually understands the country quite as well as she lets on. She doesn't speak the language and there is a kind of Orientalism in her perspective:
"Any crowd or small group of Cambodians had the beauty of a procession; the women and men in the countryside wore sarongs and walked with the flatfooted grace of an elephant, swaying with their often bare feet solidly but lightly planted to the ground. The colors woven and worn by the people rivaled the hot true colors of the landscape."
And in case this is the only thing you read on the events, here's what the US actually did (from The Myth of American Idealism):
"Over a seven-year period, U.S. and South Vietnamese aircraft flew 3.4 million combat sorties. From 1965 to 1968, the United States dropped 32 tons of bombs per hour on North Vietnam. Twenty-five million acres of farmland were subject to saturation bombing, and 7 million tons of bombs including 400,000 tons of napalm were dropped in Southeast Asia (including Laos and Cambodia) during the conflict. This is more than three times as many tons of bombs dropped in all of World War II, and the combined power of the explosives amounted to more than 640 Hiroshimas."
Firstly, Becker is very much a Washington reporter and it shows. Secondly, she often gets lost in the narrative, repeating herself, trying to expand the scope to explain things but not really managing. There is very little rhyme or reason to what gets a detailed account and what is barely mentioned, other than maybe her bias. Is a detailed account of the Tiananmen incident really relevant here?
Also, there is a sense that Becker set out to try to understand why what happened (in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge) happened. And I don't think she really succeeded, and importantly, I don't get the sense she actually understands the country quite as well as she lets on. She doesn't speak the language and there is a kind of Orientalism in her perspective:
"Any crowd or small group of Cambodians had the beauty of a procession; the women and men in the countryside wore sarongs and walked with the flatfooted grace of an elephant, swaying with their often bare feet solidly but lightly planted to the ground. The colors woven and worn by the people rivaled the hot true colors of the landscape."
And in case this is the only thing you read on the events, here's what the US actually did (from The Myth of American Idealism):
"Over a seven-year period, U.S. and South Vietnamese aircraft flew 3.4 million combat sorties. From 1965 to 1968, the United States dropped 32 tons of bombs per hour on North Vietnam. Twenty-five million acres of farmland were subject to saturation bombing, and 7 million tons of bombs including 400,000 tons of napalm were dropped in Southeast Asia (including Laos and Cambodia) during the conflict. This is more than three times as many tons of bombs dropped in all of World War II, and the combined power of the explosives amounted to more than 640 Hiroshimas."
January 31, 2019
Incredible sum. Thorough in every sense of the word ! I'm glad I once stumbled upon the mention of Elizabeth Becker and the tragic death of Malcolm Caldwell, which I had never heard about before. That got me interested on who E. Becker is, and this book eventually.
What a tortuous history, with a terrifying psychological backdrop very well rendered by the author, of a whole people descending into hell, a hell that started way before the KR time in power. What is so striking is the paranoia and betrayal potential of most of the characters and countries involved. The 1st word that comes to my mind when thinking of it is "master-manipulation" that ends up as a "master failure" with a small country crushed by superpowers and a party gone sour to toxic from the beginning.
I especially enjoyed the comparison of Cambodia with Vietnam in terms of culture, history and perception of each other. Though complicated and demanding from the reader, I thought the full story of the party, in the overall context of colonization and the ensuing wars is very intriguing if tortuous.
I guess it's common but I still don't understand Sihanouk's thinking. I heard once from a historian that he admitted all that guided his actions was that he "didn't want to die"... He appeared as particularly twisted (and it's hard to guess what the author actually thinks of him). Yes he survived, but I doubt the theory that he was so bright and talented.
What a tortuous history, with a terrifying psychological backdrop very well rendered by the author, of a whole people descending into hell, a hell that started way before the KR time in power. What is so striking is the paranoia and betrayal potential of most of the characters and countries involved. The 1st word that comes to my mind when thinking of it is "master-manipulation" that ends up as a "master failure" with a small country crushed by superpowers and a party gone sour to toxic from the beginning.
I especially enjoyed the comparison of Cambodia with Vietnam in terms of culture, history and perception of each other. Though complicated and demanding from the reader, I thought the full story of the party, in the overall context of colonization and the ensuing wars is very intriguing if tortuous.
I guess it's common but I still don't understand Sihanouk's thinking. I heard once from a historian that he admitted all that guided his actions was that he "didn't want to die"... He appeared as particularly twisted (and it's hard to guess what the author actually thinks of him). Yes he survived, but I doubt the theory that he was so bright and talented.
April 21, 2014
It's hard to overstate how fascinating - and, at times, sickening - this book was. The author gives a good overview of the origins of modern Cambodian nationalism, and ties that in to the origins of the Khmer Rouge. Then she shows how the Khmer Rouge isolated themselves and persuaded themselves into a self-destructive paranoid frenzy. And then we - the United States - supported the Khmer Rouge once they lost power, because China thought it was a good idea, and once you threw in a bunch of shitty Cold War logic, it added up to the U.S. supporting mass murderers in order to get back at the Vietnamese for fighting against our troops and our regime. Jesus, this shit is fucked up.
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September 28, 2014I find it impossible to rate this book on Goodreads' scale. Was it well-written? Very much so. But did I like it? I can't say that I did; this book was emotionally very difficult to read. Becker doesn't flinch from the brutality and horror perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge regime. The interviews in particular are heartrending and chilling. While I highly recommend When the War Was Over for researchers and scholars, and for those interested in how a society can be turned upside down almost overnight, I advise those with a tender heart or a weak stomach to pass.
January 4, 2008
Not only an excellent overview of Cambodian history, but a superb place to begin learning about the complex and interconnected histories and relations of all the nations of Southeast Asia. Becker's book stretches from geopolitics to personal stories to explain how the Khmer Rouge rose to power and how their reign affected the Cambodian people. Dense, but lucidly written, and a compelling read.
February 1, 2008
Not the best-written book I've read, I found some of the prose, especially early in the book, to be repetitive and/or awkward. The last third of the book is more about the diplomatic relations between Cambodia and other countries, while the first part of the book is about how the Khmer Rouge era impacted individuals. An important part of world history.
October 8, 2024
I had the privilege of visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2015 on a short school trip. However, at the time, I was both innocent and unaware of the country’s deep cultural and historical significance. It wasn't until after the trip, during my history class, that I began learning about Cambodia’s Cold War-era history. During the visit, I was captivated by the beauty of Angkor Wat, finally seeing it in person after mistakenly thinking it was a Thai religious site during a geography contest the previous year.
To this day, many of my peers only associate Cambodia with the Angkor Wat temples. But on this recent trip, I gained a much deeper understanding, putting Cambodia’s geopolitical and economic challenges into perspective. After flying into Phnom Penh, my journey began on a small island near Ream, a few kilometers from Sihanoukville, the town named after Cambodia’s former prince and king. In Sihanoukville, much of the recent construction had been aimed at building casinos, primarily catering to Chinese tourists and businessmen (as I observed from the Mandarin characters on the billboards), leaving the area empty and economically fragile after the global pandemic.
After this quiet island retreat, with limited internet access, I embarked on an eight-hour car journey to Siem Reap. Along the way, I reflected on a book I had read after my first visit, and finally understood the routes used by Khmer Rouge forces during their advance to Phnom Penh, when they evacuated the entire city and forced its people into brutal labor camps under an extremist communist regime.
The book explores these events through political, anecdotal, and military lenses. The author provides not only a sweeping overview of the unfolding events but also focuses on the personal stories of several individuals, making the hardships faced by many Cambodians more relatable and poignant. It highlights the nation's suffering not just from the moment the Khmer Rouge seized power, but also starting from Cambodia's war for independence against the French after World War II. The author offers a thorough account of Cambodia during that time and delves into its ancient history. This historical perspective, especially regarding the Angkor kingdom, remains deeply relevant to the messaging of all Cambodian political parties today. Angkor Wat, featured on the national flag, symbolizes the enduring strength of the kingdom.
Interestingly, the book has shaped much of the current Western media narrative on Cambodia, using seminal literature to support its arguments. While dense, the book remains accessible to readers. The author was one of only three journalists to visit Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. The latest edition, with its updated epilogue, emphasizes how modern history continues to intertwine with current affairs. For instance, the ongoing rivalry between Cambodia and Vietnam was vividly and passionately expressed by my tour guide at Angkor Wat. The book also reveals how many key figures in today's administration were deeply involved in the last half-century of Cambodian history, contributing to the lack of a more comprehensive understanding of that complex era from foreigners. It truly is messy, but this author manages to untangle most of the knots.
It's hard not to give this book a 5 for its effort and depth, especially as it's my first major read on Cambodian history. However, given the complexity of the subject, I’m aware the author could unintentionally introduce some bias, which is often hard to avoid in such topics. Despite this, it remains a valuable and engaging perspective.
To this day, many of my peers only associate Cambodia with the Angkor Wat temples. But on this recent trip, I gained a much deeper understanding, putting Cambodia’s geopolitical and economic challenges into perspective. After flying into Phnom Penh, my journey began on a small island near Ream, a few kilometers from Sihanoukville, the town named after Cambodia’s former prince and king. In Sihanoukville, much of the recent construction had been aimed at building casinos, primarily catering to Chinese tourists and businessmen (as I observed from the Mandarin characters on the billboards), leaving the area empty and economically fragile after the global pandemic.
After this quiet island retreat, with limited internet access, I embarked on an eight-hour car journey to Siem Reap. Along the way, I reflected on a book I had read after my first visit, and finally understood the routes used by Khmer Rouge forces during their advance to Phnom Penh, when they evacuated the entire city and forced its people into brutal labor camps under an extremist communist regime.
The book explores these events through political, anecdotal, and military lenses. The author provides not only a sweeping overview of the unfolding events but also focuses on the personal stories of several individuals, making the hardships faced by many Cambodians more relatable and poignant. It highlights the nation's suffering not just from the moment the Khmer Rouge seized power, but also starting from Cambodia's war for independence against the French after World War II. The author offers a thorough account of Cambodia during that time and delves into its ancient history. This historical perspective, especially regarding the Angkor kingdom, remains deeply relevant to the messaging of all Cambodian political parties today. Angkor Wat, featured on the national flag, symbolizes the enduring strength of the kingdom.
Interestingly, the book has shaped much of the current Western media narrative on Cambodia, using seminal literature to support its arguments. While dense, the book remains accessible to readers. The author was one of only three journalists to visit Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. The latest edition, with its updated epilogue, emphasizes how modern history continues to intertwine with current affairs. For instance, the ongoing rivalry between Cambodia and Vietnam was vividly and passionately expressed by my tour guide at Angkor Wat. The book also reveals how many key figures in today's administration were deeply involved in the last half-century of Cambodian history, contributing to the lack of a more comprehensive understanding of that complex era from foreigners. It truly is messy, but this author manages to untangle most of the knots.
It's hard not to give this book a 5 for its effort and depth, especially as it's my first major read on Cambodian history. However, given the complexity of the subject, I’m aware the author could unintentionally introduce some bias, which is often hard to avoid in such topics. Despite this, it remains a valuable and engaging perspective.
June 4, 2023
The subject of this book is fascinating, but the book itself is a curious mixture of the superficial and over-detailed. On the one hand, we get startlingly little insight into how the Khmer Rouge took over, how they did what they did, and - most importantly - why. The author's favourite words for describing their actions and ideas are 'mad' and 'insane', but people who are mad/insane do not launch revolutions that topple governments and build regimes that govern every aspect of the population's lives. It is both wrong and intellectually lazy to attribute what they did to mere 'madness' - a sheer cop-out.
We also hear very little about how the genocide actually took place. While nobody wants 400 pages of unrelenting ghoulish voyeurism of slaughter, the author appears almost squeamish about tackling just how awful the regime really was. This drains her book of much of its potential emotional heft. In the hands of (say) Max Hastings, judicial use of eyewitness testimony would have vastly enhanced the drama of the story throughout. In Becker's book, we get a smattering of this, but not much, and retold in oddly detached paraphrases.
Yet, on the other hand, while When the War Was Over is so light on insight and emotional investment, we get vast swathes of information about factional conflict among communist revolutionaries in Indochina and meandering chronologies of frankly irrelevant events that bog the reader down in what often seems to be extraneous detail. The story of the Cambodian genocide, one would have thought, would be intrinsically riveting, but Becker's version is strangely dreary and dull, and frequently rather a chore to read.
I learned a great deal from this book, and nobody would suggest that the topic is not of immense importance and criminally overlooked. But ultimately, it just isn't very well-written or executed: too light on human interest, and far too heavy on chronology for its own sake.
We also hear very little about how the genocide actually took place. While nobody wants 400 pages of unrelenting ghoulish voyeurism of slaughter, the author appears almost squeamish about tackling just how awful the regime really was. This drains her book of much of its potential emotional heft. In the hands of (say) Max Hastings, judicial use of eyewitness testimony would have vastly enhanced the drama of the story throughout. In Becker's book, we get a smattering of this, but not much, and retold in oddly detached paraphrases.
Yet, on the other hand, while When the War Was Over is so light on insight and emotional investment, we get vast swathes of information about factional conflict among communist revolutionaries in Indochina and meandering chronologies of frankly irrelevant events that bog the reader down in what often seems to be extraneous detail. The story of the Cambodian genocide, one would have thought, would be intrinsically riveting, but Becker's version is strangely dreary and dull, and frequently rather a chore to read.
I learned a great deal from this book, and nobody would suggest that the topic is not of immense importance and criminally overlooked. But ultimately, it just isn't very well-written or executed: too light on human interest, and far too heavy on chronology for its own sake.
May 21, 2025
Reading this book reminded me of something that happened a few years back. I saw on the news that there was a controversy about Trump's insensitive comments about a member of the Special Forces who died in the Central African Republic. The media at the time was focused almost exclusively on the nature of the comments, but I found myself thinking, "why do we have military forces in the Central African Republic?"
I found myself in a similar situation reading this book. Going in, I figured myself as fairly educated on the subject of Cambodia and its context within the wider Indochina wars. After reading this, I have come to realize that I understood just about nothing, and was hardly more educated than someone who can just about point to Cambodia's general location on a map.
The dramatis personae of this tragicomedy are what kept me coming back. From the machinations of Sihanouk and the Chinese, to the farcical paranoia of Saloth Sar and his clique, the author paints in broad strokes the events and histories preceding the most significant self-genocide of our time.
What's more is that within this overarching narrative, the author accomplishes something which few other contemporary historians have had the luxury to do. That is, she is able to connect the thousands of individual stories within the stories of these "great" men to finally give adequate context to the reasoning behind the paranoia inherent in Democratic Kampuchea, something which joins together the traditional historical and biographical narratives into something approaching understandability.
This is one of those books that many people should read, if only to gain a better insight into modern geopolitics, but whose message will, unfortunately, never be processed by those who wield the levers of power.
I found myself in a similar situation reading this book. Going in, I figured myself as fairly educated on the subject of Cambodia and its context within the wider Indochina wars. After reading this, I have come to realize that I understood just about nothing, and was hardly more educated than someone who can just about point to Cambodia's general location on a map.
The dramatis personae of this tragicomedy are what kept me coming back. From the machinations of Sihanouk and the Chinese, to the farcical paranoia of Saloth Sar and his clique, the author paints in broad strokes the events and histories preceding the most significant self-genocide of our time.
What's more is that within this overarching narrative, the author accomplishes something which few other contemporary historians have had the luxury to do. That is, she is able to connect the thousands of individual stories within the stories of these "great" men to finally give adequate context to the reasoning behind the paranoia inherent in Democratic Kampuchea, something which joins together the traditional historical and biographical narratives into something approaching understandability.
This is one of those books that many people should read, if only to gain a better insight into modern geopolitics, but whose message will, unfortunately, never be processed by those who wield the levers of power.
June 1, 2025
The first third of this history of the Khmer Rouge is quite dense, covering a hundred years of politics before the Khmer Rouge came into power. Not having a background in political science, I found it slow-going. Once the book reaches the 1960s, it moves more quickly.
This book is an excellent, in-depth look at the rise of the Khmer Rouge, its devastation on the people of Cambodia, and the generations of repercussions so difficult to surmount. It’s based on the author’s years as a correspondent in Cambodia specifically and Southeast Asia in general, multiple interviews she conducted, and thousands of pages of documents left behind when the Khmer Rouge was defeated by the Vietnamese.
In one way, it reminded me of Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking. The actual events are horrific but what happened afterwards was just as bad but in a different way. Greater international powers - the Soviets, China, and the US - fought back and forth for many, many years with no thought to the people affected by their negotiations. To the big countries, politics outweighed the miseries of famine, epidemics, forced resettlement, and the horrors of refugee camps.
China never had any justice because the US backed the non-Communist Japan after WWII and refused to condemn their atrocities. The people of Cambodia never had any justice because of similar high-level squabbles. The mortification of the US loss in Vietnam added to the resentment and inflexible attitude.
Overall a depressing account of man’s inhumanity to man.
This book is an excellent, in-depth look at the rise of the Khmer Rouge, its devastation on the people of Cambodia, and the generations of repercussions so difficult to surmount. It’s based on the author’s years as a correspondent in Cambodia specifically and Southeast Asia in general, multiple interviews she conducted, and thousands of pages of documents left behind when the Khmer Rouge was defeated by the Vietnamese.
In one way, it reminded me of Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking. The actual events are horrific but what happened afterwards was just as bad but in a different way. Greater international powers - the Soviets, China, and the US - fought back and forth for many, many years with no thought to the people affected by their negotiations. To the big countries, politics outweighed the miseries of famine, epidemics, forced resettlement, and the horrors of refugee camps.
China never had any justice because the US backed the non-Communist Japan after WWII and refused to condemn their atrocities. The people of Cambodia never had any justice because of similar high-level squabbles. The mortification of the US loss in Vietnam added to the resentment and inflexible attitude.
Overall a depressing account of man’s inhumanity to man.
November 20, 2025
This book felt interminable at times, but I am very glad I read it. Becker was one of the first journalists allowed into Cambodia after the Khmer Rough took over. The detailed account of the modern political history of Cambodia and Indochina is astounding.
I really enjoy reading about the stories of people, and this book was very heavy on the politics. I hesitate to complain, because it's essential to understand. I just really liked reading more the personal stories more and the account of Becker's visit to Cambodia post-Khmer Rouge. However, I understand that important of documenting everything especially when writing about a country that absolutely decimated by an oppressive, sadistic, and delusional regime.
A good book in my opinion always make you want to read more. And this book definitely did that. I would like to understand a lot more about how people survived the atrocities and how they think now about the past and about the present.
For me, this history was personally important, because a close friend and roommate for two years in college was the daughter of parents who had fled Cambodia. I visited their home, and she showed me old photos from her parents' life in Cambodia and in the refugee camp. I had no understanding back then, and I wish I could go back to that moment now after having read this book. I would have been a better friend to her, too, with more compassion for how she grew up under the legacy of trauma and cultural annihilation.
So much cruelty and so much injustice.
I really enjoy reading about the stories of people, and this book was very heavy on the politics. I hesitate to complain, because it's essential to understand. I just really liked reading more the personal stories more and the account of Becker's visit to Cambodia post-Khmer Rouge. However, I understand that important of documenting everything especially when writing about a country that absolutely decimated by an oppressive, sadistic, and delusional regime.
A good book in my opinion always make you want to read more. And this book definitely did that. I would like to understand a lot more about how people survived the atrocities and how they think now about the past and about the present.
For me, this history was personally important, because a close friend and roommate for two years in college was the daughter of parents who had fled Cambodia. I visited their home, and she showed me old photos from her parents' life in Cambodia and in the refugee camp. I had no understanding back then, and I wish I could go back to that moment now after having read this book. I would have been a better friend to her, too, with more compassion for how she grew up under the legacy of trauma and cultural annihilation.
So much cruelty and so much injustice.
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