Our recommendations for a Cambodian read
A HISTORY OF CAMBODIA
By David Chandler
Perhaps no historian knows Cambodia better than David Chandler. In this updated fourth edition, released in 2023, the US-born professor and former diplomat expands upon a book that has been praised by the Journal of Asian Studies as “an original contribution, superior to any other existing work.” While returning to the earliest foundations of Khmer civilisation, the new revision carries readers through the turbulent 19th and 20th centuries and the decades of Hun Sen’s leadership. It includes an analysis of Cambodian politics and sociology and a discussion of the growing challenges of becoming a key player in the modern Asian world.
ESSENTIAL CAMBODIA:
A Guide for Foreign Entrepreneurs, Investors & Managers
By Allen Dodgson Tan
Rather than fighting the system, aspiring expatriate entrepreneurs must explore and accept the nuances of the Cambodian business environment before starting their venture. That’s the message brought by Allen Tan, former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia. Essential Cambodia emphasises the importance for new residents to consider cultural differences before leaping into the business world. That understanding may be more important than the finer legal aspects of operating a business, says Tan, who bases his advice on personal experience and interviews with Cambodian and foreign industry leaders.
SOPHANNARITH:
Icon of the Contemporary Cambodian Painting
By Dr Philippe Smolarski, Din Saron, Dr István Zelnik
Sophannarith Thu (born 1960) is among the best-known of contemporary Cambodian painters, having trained at the Royal Academy of Art before adapting his Impressionist style to traditional Khmer subjects and the natural environment. His distinctive style is notable for its use of quick strokes of a palette knife upon a thick layer of paint. This Belgian volume illustrates the most important assemblage of Sophannarith’s work, drawn from the famed Southeast Asian art collection of Dr Istvan Zelnik, with commentary by Asian art experts Dr Philippe Smolarski and Din Saron.
THE CULINARY ART OF CAMBODIA:
A Cambodian Princess’ Cuisine Guide
By H.R.H. Norodom Rasmi Sobbhana
Princess Rasmi Sobbhana (1898-1971) never married. The great-aunt of H.M. King Sihamoni dedicated her life to service, education and empowering young women. Credited with creating the modern Apsara dance form, she also published L’Art de la Cuisine Cambodgienne with about 300 recipes in 1960. That book was expanded and republished in 2021 by Siem Reap’s Angkor Database and Templation Angkor Resort, with photographs of her life and influence on contemporary Khmer culture. Book sales proceeds support the Samdech Rasmi Sobbhana Women’s Foundation, established in 1995 as a crafts training centre for war orphans and refugee children.
A NEW SUN RISES OVER THE OLD LAND:
A Novel of Sihanouk’s Cambodia
By Suon Sorin Translated by Roger NelsonPublished in Khmer in 1962, A New Sun is considered an iconic work of modern Cambodian literature. Reflecting upon the nation’s struggle during the transition from French colonialism to self-rule, it tells the story of Sam and Soy, refugees from Battambang who must compromise their altruistic principles as they fall into poverty in Phnom Penh. It is the only known work of Suon Sorin, thought to have perished under the Khmer Rouge. The book was only published in an English edition in 2019 after its translation by Nelson, curator of Singapore’s National Gallery, and won a major prize from the Association of Asian Studies in 2022.
