Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Vietnam, A Traveler's Literary Companion
by John Balaban, Nguyen Qui Duc
From rain forest and rural countryside to the cities, these 17 stories from Vietnam's finest writers explore its landscapes, myths and changing traditions.
Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & the Greater Mekong
by Nick Ray
This compact practical guide covers the entire Mekong from the heights of Yunnan to Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Cambodia's Curse, The Modern History of a Troubled Land
by Joel Brinkley
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joel Brinkley returns to Cambodia a generation after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime to report on the country's continuing struggle to recover from its past.
Art & Architecture of Cambodia
by Helen Ibbitson Jessup
In the World of Art series illustrated overview of Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei and lesser-known recent discoveries in the surrounding jungle.
Angkor and the Khmer Civilization
by David D. Coe
The author 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.
Communion, A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam
by Kim Fay
Fay recounts in savory detail a five-week journey with two friends from Hanoi to Saigon in search of the traditions, rituals and pleasures of food from local markets and street foods to haute cuisine.
Angkor: An Introduction to the Temples
by Dawn Rooney
Rooney’s Angkor is one of the most important and easy to understand guidebooks to the temples of Angkor. For those looking to gain some insight on the temples before they go, use the maps and legends to help them explore the temples’ features while in the park, or read after returning home to increase their understanding, this is the book to buy.
Arts of Southeast Asia
by Fiona Kerlogue
A handsome guide to the art, architecture, textiles and crafts of Southeast Asia.
To Cambodia With Love
by Andy Brouwer
In this insightful guide of works of 50 writers on the history, culture and attractions of Cambodia, including Khmer specialist Dawn Rooney (Odyssey Guide Angkor) and memoirist Loung Ung (First They Killed My Father).
The Eaves of Heaven, A Life in Three Wars
by Andrew X. Pham
Pham recounts the story of his father's life during the French occupation, Japanese invasion and the American War, weaving such momentous events with anecdotes from his childhood and details of family, friends, food and daily life.
Fire in the Lake
by Frances FitzGerald
A classic historical, political and cultural portrait of the Vietnam War, seen through the eyes of the Vietnamese. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, FitzGerald, a staff writer at the New Yorker and a reporter in Vietnam, presents a vivid image of a revolution and a clear-sighted case for why the U.S offensive was doomed from the start.
Vietnam, Rising Dragon
by Bill Hayton
The veteran BBC newsman covers the tangled politics, rapidly changing economy, culture, history and people of Vietnam with great insight in this timely portrait of a nation in transition.
The Gods Drink Whiskey
by Stephen T. Asma
Asma writes with verve and wit in this eye-opening account of his yearlong stint teaching at the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh. His account is both an overview of Theravada Buddhism and a down-to-earth portrait of contemporary Cambodia.
Vietnam Journeys
by Charles Fields
Photographer and traveler Charles Fields portrays the cultures and landscapes of Vietnam from the World Heritage Site of Hue and the Phung Hiep floating market to its forests and coastline in stunning color photographs.
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Map
by Nelles
A convenient, double-sided map of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam at a scale of 1:1,500,000, with city maps of Hanoi, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh City, Luang Prabang, and Phnom Penh. Includes the eastern portion of Thailand and Bangkok.
Birds of Southeast Asia
by Craig Robson
This authoritative, masterfully illustrated guide, featuring 140 color plates covering 1,270 species throughout the region, also includes Malaysia, Burma, Borneo and Indonesia.
The River's Tale, A Year on the Mekong
by Edward Gargan
A personal, probing chronicle of a 3,000 mile journey on the river from its source in China through Tibet, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
A History of Cambodia
by David Chandler
An excellent, scholarly history from early civilization through the rise of Angkor, French colonial period, Vietnamization of Cambodia, Khmer Rouge and Coup de Force of 1997.
The Quiet American
by Graham Greene
A classic, this is the most famous Western work of fiction on Vietnam. Greene writes of a love triangle between a war correspondent, his Vietnamese consort and an optimistic young American during the last days of French rule.
A Cambodian Prison Portrait
by Vann Nath
There are many myths about the Khmer Rouge's bloodthirstiness and brutality, but there was at least one place where they all were real: Security Prison 21, the secret police's killing machine. Of the 14,000 or so prisoners who were brought there for questioning, only a handful survived. One of them were the artist Vann Nath (1946-2011). In this thin little book, he describes his horrifying year behind the barbed wired walls of S-21. This book ranks among the most important and strongest witness-stories of world literature.
Temples of Cambodia, The Heart of Angkor
by Helen Ibbitson Jessup, Barry Brukoff (Photographer)
Jessup (Art and Architecture of Cambodia) provides the accompanying essays to this oversized portfolio of dazzling color images by Barry Brukoff, who has been photographing the monuments of Cambodia since 1963.
The Road of Lost Innocence
by Somaly Mam
Sold into servitude by her grandfather, Mam recounts the experiences of her early life, her awakening as an activist -- and work to rescue thousands of women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
A Dragon Apparent, Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
by Norman Lewis
A classic account of travels and adventure during the last years of French Indochina, strong on atmosphere and including wonderfully detailed descriptions of local cultures and archaeological treasures. First published in 1951.
Eyewitness Guide Vietnam and Angkor Wat
by Eyewitness Guides
Featuring innovative site diagrams, local maps and hundreds of color photographs, this handy companion introduces the culture, history and attractions of Vietnam.
A Traveller's History of Southeast Asia
by J.M. Barwise, Nicholas J. White
A compact history of the region, including the Khmer and the various ancient kingdoms that produced Borobudur, Angkor and other architectural marvels.
The Mekong, Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future
by Milton Osborne
A cultural history of the great river from prehistory to European exploration, colonial tensions and modern challenges. It's an engaging introduction to the history of Southeast Asia.
Golden Bones, An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America
by Sichan Siv
Full of determination and hope, this is a gripping memoir about author's family and idyllic childhood in Pochentong, and also, terrors of the Khmer Rouge and escape to freedom in America.
