Search results for ""River Books""

Bobogyi: A Burmese Spiritual Figure is the first book dedicated to this Burmese nat, or guardian spirit, who features prominently in contemporary Burma (Myanmar). From an ethereal tree spirit to an established guardian at pagodas, the book examines the various trajectories of this ubiquitous figure. In the former capital of Yangon, bobogyi has been one of the main actors in the city's Buddhist landscape, beginning with the founding legend of the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda through his growing prominence since the 1990s following the city's recent urban expansion. With essays from two prominent scholars and a selection of detailed photographs that document the daily activities of worship and maintenance at bobogyi shrines, this charming book chronicles the history and modern-day relevance of bobogyi and also charts the ever-evolving nature of sacred narratives.

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Hue, the ancient, royal capital of Vietnam, is a city remarkable in its strive for greatness and to achieve breathtaking beauty. Despite its many dramatic historic events, from conflicts between ancient Vietnam and the now extinct kingdoms of Champa to the 19th and 20th century French occupation and becoming the victim of the Tet offensive in 1968, much of Hue's classical architecture survives. The exquisite royal lifestyle is still visible in the Imperial Citadel, still reflected in the Hue Museum of Fine Arts and vividly reproduced in Nguyen mausoleums in the Valley of the Tombs. Royal Hue traces the development of this magnificent imperial capital from its humble beginnings in the 14th century until its position as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1993. The book also documents the 143 years of Nguyen rule when under 13 emperors Hue was built and rebuilt, each time grander and more opulent than the last, until in 1945 the last emperor Boa Dai handed over his Royal Seal and Sword of Mandate to representatives of the new President Ho Chi Minh. With an authoritative and lively text by Vietnamese-British historian Dr Vu Hong Lien and evocative photographs by Paisarn Piemmettawat, Royal Hue is the perfect guide for the discerning cultural explorer to this world heritage site.

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Narrated by the eldest daughter of Sao Shwe Thaike, the Prince of Yawnghwe, The Moon Princess recounts both the story of her early life and at the same time provides a fascinating memoir of her father who, in 1948, became first President of the Union of Burma after the country gained its independence. She describes growing up in the Shan States and records the changes that occurred during the periods of British colonial rule, war and Japanese occupation, the return of the British administration, the troubled years after Burma's independence and finally, the military takeover in 1962. It is a personal account of a family caught up in political turmoil which led to the loss of a brother and a father, the first during the coup and the latter, in military custody. Studying at Cambridge, Sanda, met her English husband, Peter Simms and later they lived in Rangoon against a background of political upheaval until the end of democratic rule forced them to leave their home and their country, never to return. The Moon Princess is an important record of a tumultuous period in the history of a troubled country. It includes appendices of important political documents relating to the Shan states and tables of the ruling princes and family trees.

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"Rosalind Russell has written an extraordinarily beautiful, comprehensive and compelling story of Burma in a remarkably human way - essential reading for anyone interested in understanding Burma today." Benedict Rogers, author of Burma: A Nation At the Crossroads. "Burma's Spring is like nothing else written about Burma - compelling, charming and unique. No other book I know of has got under the skin of such a wide variety of Burmese, bringing them to life on the page." Peter Popham, author of The Lady and the Peacock: The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma's Spring documents the struggles of ordinary people made extraordinary by circumstance. Rosalind Russell, a British journalist who came to live in Burma with her family, witnessed a time of unprecedented change in a secretive country that had been locked under military dictatorship for half a century. Through her remarkable encounters as an undercover reporter, she unearthed the real-life stories of a rich array of characters and followed their fortunes over a tumultuous era of uprising, disaster and political reform. From the world-famous democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the broken-hearted domestic worker Mu Mu, a Buddhist monk to a punk, a palm reader to a girl band, these are stories of tragedy, resilience and hope-woven together in a vivid portrait of a land for so long hidden from view.

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Myanmar (Burma) exists in a timewarp and since recent political changes is becoming one of the most visited countries in the world. The country is eighty-seven per cent buddhist, studded with monastries, pagodas, dirt-track roads, oxcarts and elegant villages much as they were when the West intruded little more than 100 years ago. The country is still farmed by water buffalo, and its rituals remain true to their old-Asia form. Although tourism has increased significantly in the past 12 months there are many regions still off-limits. This book, in the form of a photo essay, captures an insider's view of a fragile and mystical aspect of Burmese culture. The curtain is drawn to reveal the backstage of the Burmese theatre; a world populated by animist spirit media (nakadaws), monsters from the Ramayana Buddhist texts, princesses (minthami) and princes (mintha). We go behind the scenes to see the preparations of these performers as they travel around the towns and countryside between temporary bamboo stages constructed for all-night festivals. With contributing essays from Professor Ward Keeler and U Ohn Maung, this book is both a visual and informative testament to Burmese performing arts.

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Written jointly by Graham Watts and Woranuj (Laem) Maneerungsee, both journalists in Thailand, in Thai and English under the pen name Tamlin Bea. This book draws on the famous Thai epic poem and imagines two young teenagers magically transported into the story of The Ramekin. Totsaken lands two contemporary Thai teenagers in the bewildering world of The Ramakien, in which Prince Ram, assisted by the wily Hanuman and his monkey army, seek to rescue Ram's wife Sida from the clutches of the Demon King. In this telling, they cannot do it without the help of the children, a girl with near superpower martial arts skills and a boy with nerdish technical skills and the courage of a lion. In the process they have to defend their own world from the rage of the Demon King.Totsaken is a fast-paced and exhilarating novel requiring no prior knowledge of the poem but brings the Thai epic vividly to life for a new generation.It''s a

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An emotive love story written by Tew Bunnag. Set in recent times, pre-pandemic, an ageing privileged writer, blocked and disillusioned, meets Yai Li, a healer from the slums, herself suffering from past trauma, and together they begin the gradual process of healing and discovering love.

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The collection of essays in this festschrift celebrates the extraordinary scholarship of Professor Piriya Krairiksh, the distinguished Thai art historian on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The collection was seen as the most fitting way to honour an esteemed mentor and colleague, who has dedicated his life to teaching and fundamental research on Thai and Southeast Asian art and archaeology is to support further scholarship and debate on the issues in these fields. The volume gathers together contributions from many of his colleagues, friends, students, disciples, and admirers in tribute to his gift to the world of his scholarship.

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In 1856, just months after Britain and Siam had finalised the historic Bowring trade treaty that would prevent the countries colonisation, the violent death of a Siamese official at the new British consulate threatens to scuttle the deal and lead to war. The King and the Consul explores UK and Thai archives to reveal the twists, turns and tensions of this little-known episode that pitted Thailand’s renowned King Mongkut, Rama IV, against the first British Consul, Charles Hillier. The crisis was resolved without war, but not without cost for the participants who suffered unintended tragic outcomes. By examining the background to this tragedy, the book reveals how history has often overlooked the importance of an issue that lay behind it the right of foreigners to own land in the country, and issue that continues to be a thorn in the side of Thailand’s foreign relations to this day. “The tragic deaths in 1856 of the first British consul to Siam and a Siamese official had an unusual impact on Thailand‘s property law and Britain’s diplomatic presence in the country. This intriguing book could only be written by someone with long residence in Bangkok, through knowledge of Thailand’s property law, and enthusiasm for history. Simon Landy gives us a slice of legal and diplomatic history with close attention to its human dimensions. An unusual and lovely read" - Chris Baker

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"Charles Higham - rugby player, talented excavator and one of the great archaeologists of his generation - is an engaging raconteur. His fast-moving autobiography tells of the life well lived, of a world authority on Southeast Asia’s past. This is a fascinating and adventurous journey complete with academic debates, serious archaeology, its triumphs and minor disasters galore. Read this book if you aspire to be an archaeologist. It will inspire you to great deeds." - Brian Fagan, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of California, Santa Barbara. "Higham charts an archaeological Odyssey from Roman Britain via the Bronze Age stock-breeders of central Europe to prehistoric Thailand and the origins of Angkor. This complements a personal journey equally eventful, from a double first and rugby blue at Cambridge to building a university department in New Zealand. Here is a life laden with academic honours and the thrill of discovery on a series of digs that have transformed understanding of the human past in a hitherto-under-evaluated part of the ancient world." - Professor Norman Hammond, Senior Fellow, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University. "Charles Higham presents a readable and often witty account of a golden age in archaeological excavation in Thailand, Neolithic to Iron Age, from his perspective as a fundamental contributor. A must-read for colleagues, students, and the interested public are like." - Emeritus Professor Peter Bellwood, Australian National University. In this unique memoir, Charles Higham, one of the great archaeologists of his generation, describes the inside story of how his many excavations have introduced Southeast Asia’s past to a worldwide audience. For over 50 years, he and his Thai colleagues have explored the arrival of early humans, the impact of the first farmers, the remarkable rise of social elites with the spread of metallurgy and the origins of civilisations. Once seen as a cultural backwater, Southeast Asia now takes centre stage in understanding the human past.

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A Sino-Chinese family find their destiny is inseparably entangled with that of the country they have adopted as a home. Not long before the Communist revolution, Tong, sent by his peasant-parents in impoverished rural China to work with a relative in Siam, has risen to become a rice-trading tycoon in Bangkok’s Chinatown, married a former palace cook and built a large family in the town of Pad Riew. Haunted by the dream of returning to his true home in China, Tong, along with his wife and their five children, are swept along by the torrents of history as World War II breakout and China turns red, while the military strongman in Thailand act out the interminable cycle of power struggle, rebellion and coup d’état. Memories of the Memories of the Black Rose Cat, the award-winning second novel by Veerapon Nitiprapha, is a generations-spanning family saga that explores the roots of the Chinese diaspora in Siam and how the tragedy of ruined love, maternal betrayal and futile ambition shape the lives of Tong’s clan members, each of them hounded by their own ghosts and burdened by their own sins. All of this is played out against the backdrop of Siam’s mid-century social and political history, the most chaotic period the formation of the nation.

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Preah Bot are portable paintings on canvas which represent either single episodes from the life of the Buddha or from the Jataka tales, in particular the last ten stories, the birth tales of the Buddha. In the past they were presented by lay people to the monasteries during religious festivals as a means of merit-making. They may then have served as a substitute for murals in wooden temple buildings where murals were not possible. Following the acclaim for Buddhist Painting in Cambodia, Vittorio Roveda and Sotham Yem have sought to document both their aesthetics and their meaning before the use of Preah Bot in a strictly religious sense has disappeared. Instead today they are being produced purely as souvenirs for tourists or for collectors. The book is also intended as an encouragement to the Cambodian People to preserve and study their important Buddhist heritage.

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Thread and Fire is a fascinating journey through the centuries-old trade networks that developed across a group of archipelagos along the equator. Of the 18,000 islands, more than 900 are permanently settled by over 360 ethnic groups, speaking 700 languages and dialects. For centuries this vast and rich environment favoured local and regional exchanges, and it was only later that people visited from afar. New connections integrated these archipelagos with the distant civilisations of continental Asia: first India, later China and from the 13th century onwards, the Islamic world. Finally, with the arrival of Europeans in the early 16th century, global trade and connections grew rapidly. Spices and forest & sea products were the focus of foreign interests, and textiles were the currency for their acquisition. These imported textiles, complemented with ornaments and jewellery, soon became part of the region's social fabric, indispensable items of gift and exchange, essential markers for the indictment of ceremonies, rights of passage and signifiers of rank and prestige. Thread and Fire explores and illustrates those ancient connections and traditions through Indonesian and Timorese textiles, regalia and jewellery from the Francisco Capelo collection, assembled over a 20-year period and now part of the permanent collection of Casa Asia-Colecao Francisco Capelo in Lisbon.

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This catalog assembles sumptuous photographs of the world's leading collection of Cham sculpture, along with the most recent insights of Vietnamese and international scholars. The Champa culture thrived in magnificent temples, sculpture, dance and music along the central and southern coast of today's Vietnam from the 5th to the 18th century. A focused exploration here uncovers this brilliant yet almost lost culture to newcomers and experts alike. The Danang Museum has been recently expanded and refurbished to house what is generally considered the world's greatest collection of Cham Art.

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A young Malay imprisoned for rape reinvents himself as a Siamese aristocrat in royal service. A beautiful young Thai woman seizes control of the family casino and defies the king's ban on gambling to form an underground criminal operation. A guilt-ridden Thai-Chinese sailor seeks enlightenment and purpose as a wandering Buddhist monk. A former slave fights to escape the domination of a Chinese secret society gangster and rises in the increasingly powerful police force. A recreation of life in southern Siam at a time of wrenching change, Beads on a String weaves together these stories and others, immersing readers in a gripping epic, full of intrigue and insight.

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In 1930s Luang Prabang, the beautiful and demure Kham-Phiou was much admired. On a New Year's Day, the life of the aristocratic young woman changed when she caught the eye of a sophisticated older man - Prince Souvanna Phouma. The prince fell madly in love with Kham-Phiou and was determined to marry her against all odds. His family wanted a marriage within the dynasty, while her widowed mother feared Palace intrigues. After the wedding, life in the prince's family home was difficult, but Kham-Phiou began to adapt until the prince decided they should move to Vientiane for the sake of his career. The tale of the tragic love story spans over half a century and is set against the little-known backdrop of old-world Laos where ancient customs and superstitions still held sway. In this charming and moving personal account incorporating the social history of Laos, Manisamouth, granddaughter of Kham-Phiou, brings her grandmother's untold story to life, accompanied by evocative black and white photographs, family trees of the Luang Prabang Royals and Kham-Phiou's lineage, and includes a section on Lao history.

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After the first Thai comic strip was published in 1907, comics flourished in Siam and developed in uniquely Thai ways. With diverse and leading artists working in each generation there is a wealth of material to consider. Gory horror tales, anti-communist propaganda and socially-engaged graphic novels bear witness to the country's darker years. From 1990, Thai comics struggled to compete with the sudden influx of unlicensed Japanese manga and went through a hiatus, making a comeback in the late '90s with a new and alternative scene that deserves wider recognition. Each page of The Art of Thai Comics opens a unique window onto Thai society - a distilled vision of its hopes, fears, delights and horrors. From 20th century interpretations of Jataka tales, which replay the Buddha's various reincarnations, to tales of modern-day millennial angst. Thai comics past and present offer an entertaining and enlightening viewpoint onto the country's history, culture and enduring creativity.

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The photographs of these journeys form one of the most extensive records of any region taken in the 19th century. The range, depth and aesthetic quality of John Thomson’s photographic vision mark him out as one of the most important travel photographers. Thomson arrived in Siam in 1865 and with the help of the British Consul in Bangkok, he was able to gain an audience with King Mongkut who granted him permission to take some formal portraits of the King, his royal family and chief ministers, as well as recording important ceremonies and travelling to Ayutthaya, Petchaburi and the surrounding countryside. Staying in Bangkok for several months he photographed many aspects of the city, river scenes, its surrounding countryside and people, before journeying to Cambodia and the amazing Angkor Wat ruins. After an arduous and dangerous journey, Thomson became the first photographer to document Angkor Wat before returning to London. Between 1868-1872 Thomson turned his attention to China, making extensive trips to Guangdon, Fujian, Beijing and China’s north-east travelling down the Yangtze river and covering nearly 5,000 miles. In China, Thomson’s photographic skills reached their zenith and his portraits of women are particularly remarkable. His collection of over 600 glass negatives form a unique archive of images, which are today housed in the Wellcome Library, London.

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This stunning black and white photographic book takes us on a journey through the forgotten backstreets and hidden neighbourhoods of Bangkok revealing the fragile beauty and faded charm of the city that is about to disappear forever beneath a tidal wave of development. From the splendid Old Customs House perched on the banks of the Chao Phraya river to the vibrant communities of Chinatown and sleepy canals lost in time, it evokes a city that despite successive waves of modernisation still boasts an extraordinarily rich and diverse cultural heritage.

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Yangon Echoes welcomes readers behind the façades of heritage buildings to offer intimate views on life in the cosmopolitan city formerly known as Rangoon, Burma. An unprecedented work of oral history, Yangon Echoes is a rich anthology of fascinating life stories exploring notions and values of heritage and home. This popular history of buildings charts social space and urban folklore, linking past to present via living memories. The storytellers speak of joy and tragedy, simple pleasures and aching issues, candidly sharing their thoughts and feelings of living through Yangon’s emergence from decades of stagnation to engagement with a rapidly spinning world. Told with courage and charm, these informal stories record everyday life through domestic connections to old places. "The rich tapestry of multicultural Yangon is reflected wonderfully in this brilliant book, a fusion of intangible and tangible heritage that is often overlooked in architectural studies of cities." William Logan, Professor Emeritus, Deakin University, Melbourne "This is a precious and intimate history of buildings." Prof. Su Su, Department of Architecture, Mandalay Technological University "Yangon Echoes gives voice to resilient people caught in a whirlwind of urban change. Their captivating stories breathe life into the places they’ve called home and transform ordinary buildings into extraordinary repositories of families lives." Jeff Cody, Senior Project Specialist, Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles

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A Night Full of Stars is an award-winning novel by V.Vinicchayakul, one of Thailand''s most foremost novelists, and the author of over 100 novels, many of which have been adapted for TV and film. Set against the backdrop of the 1932 revolution, this beautiful novel deals with universal themes of love, loyalty, greed, anger, lust and jealousy which, whilst giving a unique insight into Thai way of life, will resonate with readers worldwide.

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"This book serves as a celebration of the textiles made by various Tai subgroups and non-Tai minority groups encountered during the authors' journey." — Hali Magazine This lavish, large format art project is the culmination of 20 years research of Tai culture throughout Southeast Asia, beginning with Napajaree Suandduenchai's vast 1,500 piece silk collection which has remained private until now. All 230 photographs were shot on sheet film to bring out the most intricate details of the textiles. Over the last 20 years, Mrs. Suanduenchai and photographer Hans Roels visited all the major Tai subgroups in their towns and villages to document their weaving traditions, culture and individual stories - their belief of who they are and where they came from. Roels' photography captures both the intricacy of the Tai weaving arts as well as the people behind the textiles. As of 2022 at least 75% of the villages that Suanduenchai and Roels visited no longer produce traditional Tai textiles, leaving the reader as the last eye-witnesses to a spectacular culture.

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In the 1950s and 1960s, movie theatres across Thailand were important architectural statements and centres of social and cultural life. At a time when few houses had electricity, the local movie theatre was where people came together, irrespective of class or occupation. In today's era of shopping-mall multiplexes and movies streamed on personal devices, the popularity of the standalone cinema has become a thing of legend; few remember the once-familiar scenes of overflowing crowds spilling out onto the streets or frantic ticket buyers thrusting fists full of cash through small ticket windows. In 2008, Philip Jablon (who now resides in Philadelphia, PA), then studying for a Master's degree in Thailand, began recording the demise of the country's standalone cinemas. In bringing together his poignant photographs and the ephemera of a vanished culture, such as highly collectable hand-painted Thai movie posters, this book records an irreplaceable slice of social, cultural and movie history. It is introduced by Kong Rithdee, writer, documentary film-maker, and long-time movie critic for the Bangkok Post newspaper.

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... With its hundreds of beautiful photographs and outstanding research, it is a magnificent and eye-opening contribution that tells not only the story of the silver and gold items fashioned by Malay artisans but the Malay peoples themselves.''Seif El Rashidi, Islamic scholar, author & Director, Barakat TrustThis ground breaking new book is the first study of Malay silver and gold to take chronology and place production into serious consideration, leading to a much more nuanced understanding of developments across Southeast Asia. The exciting findings include the identification as Malay of certain exquisite gold filigree pieces held in august collections worldwide.''Annabel Teh Gallop, Head, Southeast Asia Department, British LibraryAt last, here is an excellent publication that does full justice to the scope and beauty of Malay silver and gold...''Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Author?

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Thai silver and Nielloware display exquisite craftmanship and design that rivals better-known genres of silver from Asia. However, there has to date been little written about this fascinating subject. Examining the history and scope of specified Thai silver and Nielloware production dating from the early 19th century to the present, as well as the various forms and designs utilised, long-term collector Paul Bromberg provides a single reference source for both newcomers and seasoned collectors alike.

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In twelfth century Cambodia, a young woman called Jorani earns her living guiding pilgrims up a two thousand-step stairway to the magnificent cliff-top temple, Preah Vihear. One day, she accidentally witnesses the furtive burning of sacred palm-leaf documents, and is drawn into a succession struggle at the temple. She is forced to choose between loyalty to family and to the son of the abbot, with whom she forms an unlikely bond. Set in the golden age of Cambodia's Angkor civilization, The Stairway Guide's Daughter brings to life a temple that is one of humankind's most remarkable creations of faith and architecture and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also available by John Burgess: A Woman of Angkor ISBN 9786167339252

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German photographer Birgit Nieser travelled across Burma on timber trucks and motorbikes capturing a way of life that is fast disappearing. Her stunning black and white images capture the essence and heart of this breathtaking country.

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Tracing human interactions with the world's most famous tropical timber species, The Social Life of Teak maps worlds revolving around teak forests, trees and wood.What gives Tectona grandis such a powerful aura, stoking desires and capturing imaginations? How has teak shaped people's lives, driving fortunes and impacting futures? What has happened to the teak forests and what is their destiny?In this illustrated anthology of oral histories, people connected personally or professionally to teak speak of survival, change and learning, creativity and destruction, growth and demise. Woven together, these experiences bring to light the ways that teak has been sought, crafted, cultivated, traded and prized over time.Animist beliefs, creative expression, scientific invention, economic viability, imperialist expansion, peak luxury, violent repression, ecological disaster and the regenerative power of nature all find a home in this gl

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Walter Irvine’s account places his personal experiences against the political and cultural changes that surrounded the Lao and Cambodian revolutions of the 1970s and 80s, giving particular attention to refugee movements and the impact. Irvine’s professional involvement as teacher in Laos, social anthropologist in Thailand and UNHCR official in Argentina gives him an insiders understanding of the specificity of culture, the dynamics of political change, the realities of forced exile, and the challenges of refugee work. His description of revisiting Indochina in 2016 puts the account of the early period into perspective.

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1941. War is raging in Europe and now sweeps through Southeast Asia. In Bangkok, Kate Fallon, an American nurse, who came to Thailand to leave her past of poverty and a broken heart behind, and Lawrence Gallet, a wealthy English journalist, are trapped in the chaos of conflict, believing their love can overcome their differences before being torn apart. Lawrence flees to China to escape the advancing Japanese army, while the net closes slowly around Kate, who has remained behind, increasingly threatened and forced to hide her identity. A sweeping saga moving from a Thailand uneasily poised between Japan and the west to the ravaged battlegrounds of Burma and India, from the charity ward of the Bangkok hospital to bombed airfields, from the Thai domestic resistance movement to the deadly jungles of the Arakan, Bangkok in Times of Love and War is the story of life and death, passion, loyalty and loss, and of a man and a woman caught up in the upheaval of history.

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To many the words Hill Station are evocative of an exotic and exciting vision when the subjects of the British Colonial Government gloried in the Hill Stations of India and Burma. Beautifully constructed holiday towns built at 3,000 feet or more where people flocked to escape the heats of the plains. High up the Shan hills of east Burma stood Maymyo. This book tells the stories of the people for whom Maymyo really was a heaven 'lost on the clouds'.

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A century ago, northern Thailand (or Siam as it was then known) was home to small communities of Westerners, many of them British diplomats and foresters (like Reginald Le May and Reginald Campbell) or American missionaries (like Lucy Starling and Mary Lou O’Brien). Though few in number, they left behind a considerable written legacy. The writing is invariably personal and often vivid, describing their hopes and aspirations, the challenges they faced in their work and daily lives, and their attachment to this enchanted land. This book makes a selection of that writing accessible to a wide readership, much of it for the first time. The texts are illustrated by 65 evocative photographs, many of them contemporary.

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Documenting an alternative history and social commentary by Bangkok's graffiti and street artists, this insightful and thought-provoking book offers fresh insight into Thai subcultures. Not given a platform elsewhere, street art and graffiti gives artists the opportunity to protest the social injustices they encounter. Through their art, they speak out against dictators and the political elite, as well as the extensive gentrification sweeping Bangkok. In addition, this book is the only visual record of (what was sarcastically named) "Thailand's Stonehenge": standing pillars covered in graffiti along the abandoned Hopewell elevated rail line that was supposed to link the city to the airport, a $3 billion dollar project begun in 1990 and mired in corruption. The pillars - the only part of the project that was built - represent the overwhelming corruption that marks the past 20 years in Thailand. They are scheduled to be demolished this year.

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Author and photographer John Lander takes the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage sites of Japan as a starting point for exploring the country's architecture, history, customs and festivals. Lander, who has lived in Japan for 35 years, travelled to almost all the country's UNESCO sites: from well-known places like Mount Fuji to hidden temple gardens and hard-to-reach wild islands. This book also includes cultural elements listed as intangible world heritage, providing intimate portraits of Japanese cuisine, crafts and performance arts. With a lyrical preface by Pico Iyer and illustrated with over 180 full-colour photographs, World Heritage Japan is Lander's personal photographic tribute to a diverse and ancient culture - a stunning visual journey across Japan.

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Celebrity chef Corran Brook scours the globe for the world's best recipes and foods, for his ambitious compendium, 'The Story of Food'. But when traveling through Asia and chancing on a rare and extraordinary meal he cannot decipher, his struggle to unravel its secrets draws him deeper into a mystery of corruption and intrigue, it proves difficult to extricate himself from. A Dangerous Recipe is a salutary story of greed, infatuation, and obsession. But more than a hunt for perfection and the sublime, the book is also an insight into western attitudes to world culture; whether a bug, monument, fossil or dish, there's a compulsive need to control, curate and make it one's own.

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U Thong, 100 or so km north of Bangkok, has been an important site for over 2,000 years, as witnessed by the discovery of a 3rd century Roman coin. The moated city was connected to the Chin river, thereby gaining access to international trade routes. The inhabitants of the early centers of Classic Southeast Asian civilization were already wealthy enough to own large quantities of ornate jewelry such as imported beads from India and carved stone from Taiwan. They had so much gold that central and western mainland Southeast Asia including the U Thong area was known in Sanskrit as Suvarnabhumi, the Golden Land. This publication brings a new perspective to the study of ancient gold from U Thong. The author is a trained research metallurgy scientist, and these skills have been brought to bear on the highly significant corpus of early gold artifacts found in and around the moated city, the largest accumulation of such artifacts from any of the ancient muang of Thailand. The goldsmiths were as highly skilled as those anywhere else in the world, but almost all previous studies have been written by people who can only study the outer appearance to draw conclusions regarding its age and place of origin.

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The sacred sites of Burma are amongst the most beautiful and spectacular in all of Asia. However, the fame and sacredness of these holy places rests almost solely on the myths and legends that surround their founding and the origins of their relics. The Buddha himself presented strands of his hair to two travelling merchants in Bodh Gaya, India. The pair returned to Burma where these 'living hairs' are venerated as the country's most sacred relics, now enshrined in the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. It appears that this myth arose amongst the Mon but today it is known throughout the land. Similar myths and legends abound in Burma, always in connection with a sacred site, whether it be the cast bronze Mahamuni Buddha in Mandalay, the Buddha footprints found at Magwe or curious geological phenomena such as the Golden Rock at Kyaik-hti-yo. These Buddhist tales can arise and evolve with astounding speed and creativity drawing on a variety of sources ranging from local folklore to Sri Lankan chronicles. The author uncovers the evidence for and traces the development of these intricate myths across a wide spectrum of Burmese sacred sites ranging from the Mon State in lower Burma to those dotted around the city of Yangon, to Pagan and Mandalay in upper Burma as well as considering the areas of Shan influence around Inle lake. Furthermore, the author illustrates how sacred sites can emerge with remarkable frequency in our own time with only those that possess myths catching the imagination of the Buddhist faithful having any chance of long term survival. This book therefore is an essential read for anyone interested in the development of Buddhism in its many aspects and facets, be they its art, archaeology, history or belief.

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A tsarevich, Nicholas visited Bangkok in 1891 as part of his Eastern Tour, celebrating the opening of the eastern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Lavishly entertained by the Thai monarch, the two become close and an enduring friendship ensued. The king's son, Prince Chakrabongse, was invited to study in St Petersburg at the Tsar's court, and his 8-year stay was paid for by Nicholas. He was treated as a member of the family and had a unique insight into Tsarist Russia. His letters home to his father, the king, are insightful, full of observations and news about the Russian court. The king was equally candid in his replies, making for a revealing read for anyone with an interest in this period of history.

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Perched atop a five-hundred-meter cliff in the far north of Cambodia, Preah Vihear ranks among the world's holiest sites. It was built a millennium ago as a shrine to Hindu god Shiva by the same civilization that gave the world Angkor Wat. Sadly, it has been transformed recently into a battlefield prize, first with Cambodian factions during the Cambodian civil war, and later (to present) it has been the focus of sometimes violent border disputes with Thailand. In Temple in the Clouds former Washington Post foreign correspondent John Burgess and author of two previous books on Cambodia, draws on extensive research in Cambodia, Thailand, France and the United States to recount the cliff top monument's full history, ancient and modern. He reveals previously unknown legal strategies and diplomatic manoeuvring behind a contentious World Court case of 1959-62 that awarded the temple to Cambodia. Written in a lively, accessible style, Temple in the Clouds brings new insight to one of Southeast Asia's greatest temples and most intractable border conflicts. With 50 photographs, plans and maps. Also by John Burgess: Stories in Stone: ISBN: 9786167339016; A Woman of Angkor ISBN: 9786167339252

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Two lives, fatefully interlinked; two sets of memories, in danger of being lost. Clare Stone's past has suddenly caught up with her. When a long-suppressed memory comes vividly alive, she finds herself being pulled back to the place of its origin: Bangkok. There she meets Tarrin Wandee, the writer whose book unsettled her. But have they met before, all those years ago, when she was young, idealistic and dangerously naïve? And so their stories unfold in a steady rhythm between the past and the present, fiction and reality, in relief against the pulsating backdrop of Bangkok itself. All our lives are linked; it's just a question of how. Moody and atmospheric, Curtain of Rain is a story of politics, power and greed, and the search for meaning, and redemption.

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"What the historian must describe factually, Gee Svasti brings to life through the experience of Chai, Sumet and their comrades who traveled to war-torn Europe to bring honor and glory to their king. This is history made intimate, written in a gripping and heart-warming style." Stefan Hell, author of Siam and World War One. France 1918: with the war entering its last, critical chapter, a company of Thai drivers is late to the scene. Commanded by the prudish Captain Sumet and his hard-pressed deputy, Chai, their missions see them thrown into the chaos of the Meuse-Argonne front, delivering shells to the artillery batteries and Grand Cru vintages to the high command and medicine to beleaguered platoons, before their trucks are stolen by an American tank courts. Last to the Front is about the clash of empires, and social and historical change. It is also a personal story of the lives of young Siamese soldiers, thousands of miles from home, thrown into the world's most brutal catastrophe, battling language, prejudice and intolerance, as much as shells bayonets and machine guns. Chai, wounded in Germany, goes back to Bangkok more sanguine and wiser, but he also leaves behind deep friendships and love.

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The area centred around the Grand Palace bordered by the Chao Phraya river on the west and Khlong Khu Muang Doem on the east is undoubtedly Bangkok's cultural centre. Known as Rattanakosin Island, it is home to most of the city's most important temples - Wat Pho, Wat Rajabhopit, and Wat Mahathat, to mention just a few - as well as Museum Siam and the recently renovated National Museum. To the south of this iconic area is the famous flower market, while to the north is the tourist mecca of Khao San Road. Exploring Old Bangkok takes the visitor around all the most important sights as well as explaining the meaning of lesser-known landmarks such as the Pig memorial or the Monument to the Expeditionary Force. The guide also includes iconic sights on the west bank of the river such as Wat Arun and the royal barge museum. With the opening of the magnificent metro station, Sanam Chai, access to this centre of culture and Thai art has never been easier. Alternatively, visitors can reach the area via the ever-popular tourist boats and maybe take a khlong trip from Tha Chang. Exploring Old Bangkok also features two fascinating walks and a pull-out map with suggestions of where to stay and where to eat.

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Rabbit Cloud and the Rainmakers is an endearing folktale brought to life in the 21st century. An engaging quest on one level, it introduces themes of social responsibility and environmental issues.

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A rich and deeply personal journey into the labyrinth of the Thai past, following spectres and vanished landmarks across present day Bangkok. Chariot of the Sun relates the history of Siam to that of the author's family story; the Bunnags came from Persia in the early 17th century and through daring, cunning and good fortune were to hold commanding positions of power during the 19th century. Shane Bunnag's family saga weaves an ancient prophecy with Siamese history to give us a rich and deeply personal account of both his own family and Thai history. "Shane Bunnag's artful merging of text and photographs creates an alternative history of Thailand laced with nostalgia and laden with stories - an evocative, dream-like foray into the past that is both enchanting and enlightening." - Emma Larkin, author of Finding George Orwell in Burma

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When the British colonised Burma, they brought with them the latest technology in cameras and photographic reproduction, and since these were introduced to Burma as early as the middle of the 19th century, the country is richly catalogued and photographed. The new technology was first popularised by western practitioners (Germans, Italians, and, of course, the British) and upper-class patrons, but then spread to the mass market. Thai scholar Thweep Rittinaphakorn (Ake) has written and lectured widely on Burmese culture, whilst collecting and/or inspiring groups of photographs. Unseen Burma takes readers on a stunning visual journey from the beginning of Burma, its colonial era, through to the hopeful first years of independence.

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