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Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
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Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 959.602
EAN: 9780500284421
ISBN: 0500284423
Label: Thames & Hudson
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 2005-02
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Studio: Thames & Hudson
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Editorial Reviews:
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The ancient city of Angkor has fascinated Westerners since its rediscovery in the mid-nineteenth century. A great deal is now known about the brilliant Khmer civilization that flourished among the monsoon forests and rice paddies of mainland Southeast Asia, thanks to the pioneering work of French scholars and the application of modern archaeological techniques such as remote sensing from the space shuttle. The classic-period Khmer kings ruled over their part-Hindu and part-Buddhist empire from AD 802 for more than five centuries. This period saw the construction of many architectural masterpieces, including the huge capital city of Angkor, with the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious structure. Numerous other provincial centers, bound together by an impressive imperial road system, were scattered across the Cambodian Plain, northeast Thailand, southern Laos, and the Delta of southern Vietnam. Khmer civilization by no means disappeared with the gradual abandonment of Angkor that began in the fourteenth century, and the book's final chapter describes the conversion of the Khmer to a different kind of Buddhism, the move of the capital downriver to the Phnom Penh area, and the reorientation of the Khmer state to maritime trade. Angkor and the Khmer Civilization presents a concise but complete picture of Khmer cultural history from the Stone Age until the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1863, and is lavishly illustrated with maps, plans, drawings, and photographs. Drawing on the latest archaeological research, Michael D. Coe brings to life Angkor's extraordinary society and culture. 130 illustrations, 22 in color.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: The original and greatest Southeast Asian Empire
Comment: With the experience of growing up watching the Vietnam War on color television, seeing the movie Apocalypse Now, seeing the movie The Killing Fields and always an admirer of the Angkor Wat architecture, this book seemed to BE the book I needed. It is. Looking at the high mannered architecture of Anghor Wat inspired me to select a book that provided enough history and background of the civilization that produced such an awe inspiring work of architecture. Again this book accomplished what I needed to know. The pages are of a high quality glossy paper that enables text, drawings, maps and photographs to be clearly read. I would have preferred the hard cover but it appears to not be in print at this time. The book is only 240 pages thick but that is deceiving. The content is compact but readable. The book is a nice balance of scholarly work, yet readable for the novice.
In terms of the content, the following are some of information that I found from this book.
-The zenith of the Khmer Empire known as the Classic Period (as defined by the author) 802-1327 lasted for five centuries and encompassed most of continental Southeast Asia.
-The Khmer Empire located between the great empires of India and China, chose India to model its empire. Specifically it chose Hinduism as its civilization model. China was not chosen most likely due to its all or nothing conquest policy.
-The Khmer Empire was simultaneously tolerant of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
-The geographical site of the Khmer Empire capitol city of Anghor was selected due to its location of its quarry (Kulen) and the Siem Reap River. Phnom Kulen being the Hindu version of Mahendraparvata, the Mountain of Indra, the King of Gods and the Siem Reap River whose source is Phnom Kulen being the Hindu equivalent of the Ganges. Phnom Kulen was a very holy place.
-During the Post-Classic period, the Thai Empire to the north expanded into the Khmer Empire and the Vietnamese expanded into the rich fertile Mekong delta. Thus Cambodia is a mere shadow of its Classic Period glory.
-Anghor Wat is a large temple complex in itself; part of the massive city of Anghor (Glory-Bearing City). The Khmer Empire built extensive Master Works of architecture in present day Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
If you are looking for a balanced book to cover the Khmer Empire through all periods, then this book is for you.
The author, Michael D. Coe includes many references to other books for further exploration into Southeast Asia.
From the Khmer proverbs, "Standing erect it is empty; prostrate, it bears seed."
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Comment: This is good read and the author does a great job of explaining the history of this area and the people, the pictures are great along with the quality of the publishing. I gave it four stars as it inspired me to go to angkor and see this magnificent place.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Superb Research but Where are the Mayas?
Comment: Strange that Michael Coe, one of the world's primary authorities on Maya culture, should devote this methodical and insightful research to the great Khmer capital of Angkor in Southeast Asia, without reviewing as well its astonishing architectural and cosmogonic parallels with the Maya of Mexico and Central America.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Angkor and the Khmer civilization
Comment: The title "Angkor and the Khmer civilization" is misleading in that sense this book treats the Khmer civilization from the prehistory to the 21st century in mainland South East Asia. In this specific context this is an interesting book. In the context of the Khmer civilization restricted to Angkor I would recommend Charles' Higham "The civilization of Angkor ".The Civilization of AngkorCambodian Architecture: Eighth to Thirteenth Centuries (Handbook of Oriental Studies/Handbuch Der Orientalistik)The Archaeology of Mainland Southeast Asia: From 10,000 B.C. to the Fall of Angkor (Cambridge World Archaeology)The Khmers (The Peoples of South East Asia and the Pacific)A History of Cambodia
Customer Rating:
Summary: A College Student's Review
Comment: Coe reaches surprisingly far in his pre-historical research. His findings are highly informative, and he conducted research beginning with the earliest traces of civilization in Cambodia. While at first this may seem to hold less relevance than a discussion of more modern times, he successfully seams different eras in Khmer civilization together, so that one understands Khmer history as a smoothly flowing story. In his descriptions of Khmer culture and artifacts, it is clear that Coe is steeped in anthropological and archeological knowledge, and he succeeds in his goal of providing such information clearly.
His style of writing is very clear and refreshing. It allows the reader to easily take in the vast information he presents. At just under two-hundred-fifty pages, Coe provides an abundance of information clearly and concisely. His writing is not dry or verbose, words that are all too often used to describe historical texts. Angkor presents all the information that an historical scholar could hope for, without presenting it in a lifeless manner.
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