"The tale of it is incredible; the wonder which is Angkor is unmatched in Asia." So begins Helen Churchill Candee's classic tale of Asian adventure. Today, readers can again experience the mystery of Cambodia's vast jungle temples through her eyes. Although Helen Candee is best known for surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic, she walked with kings, presidents, the wealthy and the powerful. entertaining, educating and influencing them. This independent woman championed feminine equality and fought tirelessly for woman's rights. And, as a single woman, she traveled the Far East with a keen eye for detail, an inquisitive mind, and a sensitivity for local culture. Helen Candee's travelogue remains one of the most evocative English language accounts of the ancient Khmer capital. This expanded hardcover edition marks the first reissue of her complete 1924 work with more than 100 antique illustrations, an index and bibliography. For the first time in print, this edition also features an original biography of Helen Candee by historian Randy Bryan Bigham, and a reprint of Candee's original account of the Titanic disaster itself.

Angkor the Magnificent - The Wonder City of Ancient Cambodia

Biographies & Memoirs

Candee, Helen Churchill

Bigham, Randy Brian

Community & Culture

DatAsia, Inc.

"The tale of it is incredible; the wonder which is Angkor is unmatched in Asia." So begins Helen Churchill Candee's classic tale of Asian adventure. Today, readers can again experience the mystery of Cambodia's vast jungle temples through her eyes. Although Helen Candee is best known for surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic, she walked with kings, presidents, the wealthy and the powerful. entertaining, educating and influencing them. This independent woman championed feminine equality and fought tirelessly for woman's rights. And, as a single woman, she traveled the Far East with a keen eye for detail, an inquisitive mind, and a sensitivity for local culture. Helen Candee's travelogue remains one of the most evocative English language accounts of the ancient Khmer capital. This expanded hardcover edition marks the first reissue of her complete 1924 work with more than 100 antique illustrations, an index and bibliography. For the first time in print, this edition also features an original biography of Helen Candee by historian Randy Bryan Bigham, and a reprint of Candee's original account of the Titanic disaster itself.

Angkor the Magnificent - Wonder City of Ancient Cambodia

Since the dawn of recorded history, Khmer royalty nurtured a sacred dance style unique to their Asian kingdom, yet instantly recognizable throughout the world. In 1913, George Groslier published the first Western study of this ancient art. For nearly a century Danseuses cambodgiennes anciennes et modernes has stood as the first significant historic account of Cambodia’s royal dance tradition.  This edition presents the first English translation of his pivotal work, beautifully typeset with all the author’s original drawings. It also includes the first personal account of Groslier's life by biographer Kent Davis, family photos, extensive background materials, a bibliography and index.  The first French child born in Cambodia in 1887, Groslier went to Paris to train as a painter before returning to Asia to become an archaeologist, historian, educator and novelist. A lifelong champion of Khmer arts, Groslier founded the National Museum of Cambodia and the School of Fine Arts.  After a life of adventure, contemplation, and instruction — traveling the Mekong, mapping the ruins of Cambodia's lost temples, sparking a revival of traditional Cambodian arts, and helping apprehend a young art thief named André Malraux — Groslier was tortured and killed by the Japanese army in 1945.  This book was the first in a series of works that he wrote about his beloved birthplace. Time would tame his prose but never his enthusiasm, which here leaps off the page.  REVIEWS  It is my pleasure to introduce new generations of readers to this classic account of Cambodia’s royal dance tradition. H.R.H. Princess Norodom Buppha Devi   You returned here as if marked by destiny, the most restless artist we had ever encountered to devote himself to Cambodian dancers and their secrets. Charles Gravelle - 1913  The first commentary in any language—Asian or European—on one of the world’s most refined performing arts..  Dr. Paul Cravath - Earth in Flower

Cambodian Dancers - Ancient and Modern

History

Groslier, George

Asia

George Groslier's artistic vision of Cambodia's ancient dance tradition with the complete contents of his rare 1913 publication. With a Preface by Her Royal Highness Princess Buppha Devi of Cambodia, this deluxe modern edition features more than 250 hand-drawn illustrations and photos, extensive background materials, a bibliography and index. In his Foreword, Dr. Paul Cravath, author of the award-winning Cambodian dance history "Earth in Flower", notes that this is "The first commentary in any language--Asian or European--on one of the world's most refined performing arts." The book also includes the first detailed biography of the author: "Le Khmerophile - The Art and Life of George Groslier". Working with the author's daughter Nicole Groslier and her previously unseen family photo archives, biographer Kent Davis recounts the life of the man who committed his life to serving Cambodia and her people.

In 1296 AD, Chinese traveler Zhou Daguan visited Angkor-capital of Cambodia's powerful Khmer Empire-as a member of a diplomatic mission sent by Emperor Temur Khan. Today, Zhou's written record of his residency is the only surviving eyewitness account of that extraordinary and mysterious time and place. Zhou shared intriguing aspects of the country's complex society, blended with subtle details of its customs, religion, flora and fauna. Today, his words offer the most credible glimpse of Cambodian life at the end of the 13th century. This illustrated color edition offers an original translation of one of the earliest records of Zhou's voyage. Based on their personal knowledge of Chinese and Cambodian culture, language and geography, Solang and Beling Uk's insights clarify linguistic puzzles that have been unresolved for centuries. For the first time, unidentified places, titles, plants, animals and other details come to life, giving readers a more accurate vision of the ancient Khmer Empire through Zhou Daguan's eyes. Renowned author Amir D. Aczel contributed the foreword. An early translation of Zhou's text led him to Cambodia, resulting in his best-selling book "Finding Zero: A Mathematician's Odyssey to Uncover the Origins of Numbers."

Customs of Cambodia - Zhou Daguan

In 1898, the 23-year-old Guillaume Henri Monod traveled to French Indochina to seek his destiny in the exotic Kingdom of Cambodia. Located at the crossroads between the great civilizations of India and China, the fabulous Khmer Empire blossomed here more than a millennium ago.   Monod befriended many Cambodians while pursuing his passionate study of their ancient culture. One friend, Governor Khieu of the Pursat Province, shared his land's rich legends with Monod, inspiring him to record them for future generations in 1922.   In this new edition--translated to English for the first time by Cambodian author and scholar Solang Uk--you'll find that the wit, wisdom, humor and morals of these lively tales comes in many forms, never failing to surprise, perplex and amuse spellbound audiences. As a bonus for language students and scholars, this book includes the complete original French text.  Through imaginative twists and turns you'll meet simple villagers living deep in the jungle, kings and princesses in fabulous palaces, angels and gods of the Hindu heavens...and you'll even confront fierce pirates hiding in island lairs!   Who knows what you will discover in the tales of this ancient land? Just open the book begin your adventures!

Women's Wiles - Cambodian Legends Collected by G. H. Monod

Literature & Fiction

World Literature

Based on a 19th century Cambodian palm leaf manuscript, “Vorvong and Saurivong” dramatizes the personification of the last Buddha in several of his many incarnations. In 1898, a local scholar entrusted Auguste Pavie, one of France’s greatest explorers, to copy, translate and publish the antique Khmer folk tale. Subsequent Khmer and French editions consolidated the original color and black-and-white illustrations. The tales later formed the basis of a contemporary Khmer ballet.
The story revolves around the challenging lives of two princes, brothers, who were mistakenly expelled from the royal court by their father the king. Separated from each other, they wandered for a decade while facing incredible hardships and vicissitudes including defeating a giant in a cave, suffering the betrayal of the hermit Vorvongby, using magic rings and crystal balls, and repeated interventions by the gods. Finally, they are rejoined to do battle against their wicked stepbrother in a dramatic attempt to enlighten the king to the injustice they suffered, restore their titles, and bring peace and harmony to the kingdom.
This first English translation is an important contribution to the cultural history of Cambodia. The full color edition featuring 51 illustrations was translated from the French by Marie-Helene Arnauld, with Jim Mizerski and Joel Montague providing the introduction and commentary.

Vorvong and Saurivong: A Cambodian Tale

Religion & Spirituality

Buddhism

THE CAMBODIAN DANCE DRAMA Since the dawn of recorded history, Khmer royal families nurtured a dance style unique to their Asian kingdom. Spiritually, these graceful dancers embody the essence of the Khmer race, ritualistically effecting the mystical regeneration of their land. For more than a thousand years they ensured fertility, life and growth; the dancers truly were and always will be the realization of Cambodia's earth in flower.A POLITICAL TWIST OF FATE In 1970, a military coup deposed King Sihanouk; the state seized full responsibility for the ancient royal dance tradition. Even surrounded by war, and in the midst of a civil war, the newly formed Khmer Republic desperately sought to preserve this cultural treasure. In 1974, their Ministry of Culture engaged University of Hawaii researcher Paul Cravath to document the esoteric history of the Royal Cambodian Ballet.EXTRAORDINARY ACCESS Cravath arrived in Phnom Penh as an ever-tightening circle of war gripped the capital city. He became one of the only Westerners in history to gain access to archives, teachers and the royal dancers themselves. In earlier times, this privilege was unthinkable; the dancers were the king's personal property. Contact by anyone outside the royal household was forbidden, under penalty of death.LOST HISTORY REVEALED In April 1975 Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, initiating one of the worst genocides in human history. Cravath, one of the last Westerners to leave, escaped with his research intact. After 10 years of preparation, he submitted his study as his doctoral thesis in 1985. Only a handful of scholars saw the document. More than two decades later, at the dawn of the Khmer Renaissance, this historic knowledge is available to the public for the first time as Earth in Flower.

Earth In Flower: The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama

Cravath, Paul

An extraordinary account of Southeast Asia's most esoteric female performing art: the ancient Cambodian ballet. Since the dawn of recorded history, Khmer royalty nurtured a spiritual dance unique to their kingdom. Today, people worldwide instantly recognize the style, mistakenly associating it with Siam and Thailand. In fact, the Siamese captured the mystical dancers and their secrets upon conquering the Khmers in the 15th Century. In 1975, another wartime twist of fate gave University of Hawaii researcher Paul Cravath rare access to the formerly sequestered troupe of royal dancers, their teachers, theater and archives. The author thoroughly covers the topics of choreography, musicology, costuming and stagecraft. More surprising is learning how profoundly these women affected regional history for a millennium, as goddesses, priestesses, queens, concubines, hostages and diplomats. Earth in Flower gives new insights into this beautiful art, its dancers and how their rituals balance the Khmer relationship between heaven and earth.

Earth in Flower - The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama

Dramas & Plays

"Ren van Landsberg stood alone on the deck of the steamer ...there could be no turning back to Europe now. This was Java--the end of his journey--and he was a little frightened at all that the suave, exotic name implied."In search of his future, a young Dutchman travels south of the equator to join his older brother supervising a sugar plantation on Java, circa 1900. From the day he arrives, he struggles to adapt to social, cultural and sexual mores that are alien, even contradictory, to all his previous life experiences.Despite having a "girl back home", Ren soon encounters several young ladies of both his own race and Javanese. There, the complexities begin, not the least of which is Grandmother Dassam..."I have three packages," her whining voice went on to the girl. "This one," holding up a small package, "will kill a healthy person in one hour... This second one will kill more slowly--about a month--and this one will take several years, but he'll suffer much and die in the end."When in Java, expect the unexpected.***Born in Holland in 1879, author Baron Schwartzenberg also worked on Java as a young man. Three decades later he was driven to enlist journalist Mary Bennett Harrison to help him tell this story. How many vignettes, characters or women he drew from actual experiences is unknown. But as you'll discover, this highly credible colonial romance rings true.After a 90 year hiatus, literary archaeologist Kent Davis revives the Baron's 1931 novel as an expanded modern edition with nearly 300 period photos showing Javanese people and places featured in the text. Plus appendices with publisher's notes; author bios; Davis' article "Javanese Women in Photos: Emerging Technologies and World Views"; excerpts from the 1912 travel guide, Isles of the East, and the 1929 book Malay Poisons and Charm Cures; a glossary of Indonesian terms; and regional maps.

Java Girl: A Romance of the Dutch East Indies

Schwartzenberg, Baron Willem Herman

Harrison, Mary Bennett

Romance

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Angkor the Magnificent - The Wonder City of Ancient Cambodia

Angkor the Magnificent - Wonder City of Ancient Cambodia

Cambodian Dancers - Ancient and Modern

Cambodian Dancers - Ancient and Modern

Customs of Cambodia - Zhou Daguan

Women's Wiles - Cambodian Legends Collected by G. H. Monod

Vorvong and Saurivong: A Cambodian Tale

Earth In Flower: The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama

Earth in Flower - The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama

Java Girl: A Romance of the Dutch East Indies