This book not only got me around, but I learned a lot along the way.

Carl Parkes provides a great cultural education and writes well about Thai history. You'll be informed and your table manners won't offend your Thai hosts (they use forks and spoons but not the way that we do). More photos and maps would be nice (the D-K guide to Thailand will fill those gaps). But the big shortcoming with the book is the subject itself: Bangkok. Sophisticated and curious travelers to Thailand always say that their favorite spot is Chiang Mai in the north! You've got to fly through Bangkok to get there so you still may want to carve out a week to see Bangkok and environs. But do try to get to the north (Parkes also wrote the Moon Thailand Handbook, which will be useful if you do decide to visit Chiang Mai).

I first picked up the initial edition of Bangkok Handbook in 1992. As I worked in Bangkok for 7 years in the 1980s and I was a bit curious as to how deep this guide would go. While most guide books cover all the basic sights and things to do they often fall short in really getting under the surface. This book did indeed have things to teach me. I ended up taking some of the walking tours myself and used the map of the river stops extensively.

I like my guides to give my some good historical and cultural information in a concise but insightful manner. Take Thai temples. First time visitors are typically struck by their stunning beauty. But what do all the architectural forms mean? What aspects of Buddhism are contained within their design? You could read whole volumes on this at your local university. The Handbook, however has a two page spread that will get you up to speed fast with an understanding of the basic terminology and historical usage. To my mind this is what separates the Handbook from the more popular Lonely Planet travel survival guides. These "backpacker bibles" may be very good at where to get the cheapest rooms and meals, but really fall short on what you are really seeing while you are there.

Bangkok is both heaven and hell. It's city of fabulous restaurants, fantastic shopping, pristine temples and frantic sex. It's polluted, noisy, smelly, ill-planned and hot, hot, hot. And It's traffic is world famous. We used to joke that you could do anything you wanted in Bangkok; you just couldn't get there. (Over the last few years with the advent of many new tollways and since Dec. 99 the overhead trains this has really abated.)

I've used Parkes book a lot - along with my reprint of the "1928 Guide to Bangkok" which is great for my historical expeditions. And I have found myself in Thailand every year since I've left in 1990.

Daran Kravanh survived against all odds and, in this collaborative effort, his story unfolds. There is much more than suffering, though, in this story. Gently, simply, and beautifully, his life is described: in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge and during nearly unimaginable years of famine and deprivation. National history as well as that of his close large family, their culture, religion - including food, festivals, personalities, and a panoply of observations about nature and the animal (and spirit) world. Kravanh's deep attachment to music, specifically (and to this reader, surprisingly) the accordion, is a theme, and a source of sustenance in the years of his suffering.

There are countless themes that are reinforced in this story. His parents, especially the personality of his remarkable father are described rivetingly and memorably.

Lafreniere, Daran's collaborator in this work, describes their method in a prefatory note. "It is not," she writes, "a translation, an oral history, or an autobiography." Lafreniere goes on to write that it is the result of "the interplay of opposites," presumably those of herself and Daran. In my view, this is disconcertingly vague and isn't an adequate discussion of methodology. There was extensive collaboration, (no tape recorder), and the reader deserves a clear description of the method that produced such an amazing account. It's a shortcoming of this otherwise amazing, eye-opening, and soulful story.

This book is beautifully written! A very touching, even though tragic story. Bree's words are beautiful.

This is by far the most powerful story and inspirational book I have ever read! One word....BEAUTIFUL.

This volume gives us an interesting ethnography of an impoverished slum in Cotabato City called Campo Muslim. The author protracts his study of the slum to encompass anthropological contributions to understanding Gramscian hegemony, nationalism, colonial histories, formation of new, post-traditional elites, and subaltern resistance. Most useful in this book is the account of the construction of Muslim national identity and the account of the elections in the late 80s wherein the Muslim and Islamist participants made an unexpectedly poor showing giving most of the victories to Christian candidates. Parts of the book are uneven; however, the account is consistent to his methodology from the outside and he allows the information to lead him--always be circumspect that ideology or presuppositions don't lead his interpretations by the nose at least in matters of peasant politics. In other words, the peasant remains an autonomous political actor that doesn't merely parrot and conform to the requests of the socially more advantaged.

The most glaring flaw in the book was what I personally found to be an over-identification with Muslim Filippinos over and against Christian Filippinos. Armed separatist movements are portrayed sympathetically, whereas 'Christian' efforts, whether in terms of national integration, militant attemtps to stop succession, and even charity are treated as all being pernicious acts directed against Muslims. One example was the characterization of Mother Theresa's charity for children in the city as being 'perverse' without any such acerbic criticisms for the vicious effects of separatism movement and the deaths it caused given. The same goes for foreign actors. In the work, American actions in the Philippines are sinister and undermine Philippine Muslim identity; whereas, Libyan, Saudi Arabian, and Egyptian interference are merely catalysts for social change.

I'd been flying to and from Cotabato City, the site of Mckenna's research, almost every month for last few months. I'm a Catholic, but the fact is, if you are on business in Cotabato City, you talk to and deal with Muslims. The Muslims I met, Maguindanaons for the most part, were personable and likeable. They're nothing like the vagabond bad guys I heard about from my elders in the 70s, my growing up years and the years of the war in Mindanao.

I also have Catholic relatives who've been there since the 1930s. In one of the early chapters of his book, McKenna wrote that many Christians in Cotabato City knew next to nothing about how Muslims really live and what Muslims really are because they choose not to know.

I believe he's correct since what my Christian cousins and friends say, which is sometimes patronizing and not at all complimentary, do not seem to mesh with what I know of the Muslims I've met in the course of work. In my conversations with my Muslim associates, they eagerly welcome inquiries about what Islam is all about but they are not about to insist that you convert to Islam.

But then again, my cousins and friends been living there for years on end so they should know what they're talking about, right? These days, Cotabato City is a city unlike any I've been to in the Philippines, even among the bigger cities in Mindanao. There is an almost equal number of Christians and Muslims and the physical features of the city reflect this.

I have yet to test this theory, but I think McKenna's book might prove provocative to Muslims who espouse separatism or federalism (as a "softer" form of separatism). McKenna traces the beginnings of a separate Muslim identity to gentle tending by American educators of young Muslim minds who went on to become national leaders and local datus.

I'll be sending a copy of the book to a conservative Muslim Maguindanaon who had some harsh words to say about the 1898 Treaty of Paris and the Americans who governed Mindanao thereafter. It would be interesting to find out what he thinks after reading Mckenna, who wrote mostly of his people, the Maguindanaons.

On another level, I believe this book should be required reading for all Filipinos. Our required history courses concentrate too much on Philippine history in Luzon and the Visayas. We Christian Filipinos hardly know anything about Mindanao except that our national hero, Jose Rizal, was exiled in Dapitan in Zamboanga. (Now, what we know is that Basilan, also in Western Mindanao is the site of the Balikatan activities of American and Filipino soldiers against the Abu Sayyaf, and that Zamboanga is the city center for the Americans.)

The reasons for the rebellion of Christian Filipinos against Spanish and American rule are analyzed to death in our history books and even given symbolic parallels to the Passion of Christ. But no narration even of the Mindanao rebellion against colonial rule is part of our required reading in Philippine history.

During one visit to Cotabato City, an old Maguindanaoan lady proudly told me, a Filipina Catholic from Luzon with a Spanish name and an American education, that her people had never been colonized unlike my forebears. I had nothing to say. But I would be honored if she considered me her countrywoman in spite of everything.

Just the other night, I watched a documentary feature of a battle fought to the death by Maranaos, another Muslim group, against the Americans in 1902 in the town of Bayang in Lanao del Sur. After the battle, only five Maranao men were left alive. Even women and children were killed, their bodies dumped in the trenches. Around 10 American soldiers were killed. American sources tell the story that towards the end of the battle, a white flag was flown outside the fort in Bayang. Thus, they say, the Maranaos surrendered. Actually, among Muslims, a white flag is flown to indicate a death.

Dr. McKenna has obviously spent a great deal of time and study in the southern Philippines. His insights are thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book.

This book adds both novelty and inspiration to an otherwise dull coffee table or mind. More touristically, this is one of the special books that make you go to the place and find where the interesting buildings not in the travel guides are. The pictures are excellent, not cropping so much as to glamourise rubbish, and not putting things out of context: in short, well edited text and visuals. One note, it has nothing to do with the experience of being in a third world country, but it is for the visual pleasure only.

I own at least a dozen books in which the second word of the Title is "Style", but this is certainly one of the best. Well organized, informative and full of beautiful photographs. Looking through this book you can learn about the Architecture and Design of Myanmar. The book is divided into sections dealing with Religious and Secular Architecture, Early and Modern Architecture and Arts and Crafts. At the end of the book there is a section of Textiles and Costumes, and another entitled the Pagoda Market which shows photographs and gives descriptions of vendors of various types of handicrafts. Thus a cross section of the different aspects of the Myanmar Style are given, without adaptations by Western Interior Decorators. Some "Style" Books are misleading because they show the adaptations, primarily in the West, of Stylistic Elements. While these books are ok, I prefer to see the Style as it actually is in Myanmar, not a Architectural Digest type of interpretation. This book is free from this. The text is concise and informative. Not overloooked should be the quality of the photographs and the paper and printing, which in this case are all excellent. Some other books of this genre are not up to high quality. No worries here however. I highly recommend this book. It will make you want to visit Myanmar, or at least think about redesigning in your home.

Finally, a book on art and design in Myanmar/Burma that does justice to the living traditions as well as the colonial and pre-colonial empires. Superb photography, thoughtful text, and some quirky subjects, too, such as the chapter The Great Pagoda Alley. Enjoyable.

Excellent pictoral of the Viet Nam era. Would especially like the author's email and a contact address for Rod Macon who is featured in the "special operations" section of this book for the purpose of research in the history of the War. and need Mr. Macon for a consultant.

Great book, my dad's friend gave it to me to read, i couldn`t put it down, and most the time i hate reading, but it read it very quickly, the fastest i have ever read a book, its so vivid, i can picture it, just the best book i have ever read!

Its very well made, chapter 1 starts with how each soldier joined, to the final chapter when they came home, Not a book about the author, but the lives of many vets, and told word for word by the vets.

William Berry has written a well-detailed, although brief, look at his attempted escape and captivity after the fall of Correigdor. While not a scholarly look at these events, the author gives a good account of his capture, escape and trek through the jungle, recapture and liberation by American servicemen from Bilibid prison in Manila. He painfully recounts the agony these men went through as they were crammed, up to 13 men at one time, into a 10 by 10 cell and forced to sit, without flinching, and stare at the wall all day.

As a recaptured prisoner, Berry and his two comrades somehow survive the war, as the usual penalty for escape is execution. They were sent to the maximum security prison in Manila for "special prisoners", and many prisoners stopped here only long enough to be sentenced and shot. Berry, who was a fledgling lawyer before enlisting in the Navy, saw these skills save his life and the lives of his friends when being sentenced, not so much his arguments, of course, but rather how he shaped it to fit his audience (A Japanese tribunal)

This book does not take long to read, but it is an interesting tale, and well worth the time invested. But, if you want greater scope and detail of Americans in Japanese captivity, read "Prisoners of the Japanese" by Gavan Daws, an extremely informative and well-written look at the horrors these men had to endure daily.

The author of this book is my grandfather. I found this book to be inspiring as I am also a soldier. I am in the Army and found this book to give me a greater appreciation of my profession as well as bring a greater understanding of my grandfather's life and why he is so proud. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand what POWs in the Philippines went through. I have lent my copy of his book to several of my friends and they all gave it great reviews as well.

One of the few true to life books written by a WWII POW. As a history buff I find the first hand accounts in this book of the authors experiances and the others he came in contact a first rate story of America's darkest time. A must for all those who want to know more about POW's of the Japanese.

Having been stationed in the Philippines and traveled to Battan and Corrigidor it brought the meaning of those visits a little sharper in focus.

Thank you Sedgwick Tourison for shedding light on a group of South Vietnamese patriots I would have never otherwise known about. They truly paid a heavy price for their patriotism. I wish to God that some of their North Vietnamese captors could have been on the receiving end of the Geneva Convention.

Of course there are secret operations; every country and military has them. But guess what, US Military "Secret Operations" in Vietnam is an oxymoron just like the term "Military Intelligence". Screwed up from day one, the various hare-brained schemes of the ninty-day wonders and fast-rising young turks in Saigon swiftly became more and more silly, more compromised, and eventually, worthless. This book is well written, informative and gives those of us who were in Vietnam an insight into one more reason we were not able to win the war. If you have any interest in how military secret operations are done these days, read this book. They may have tried to do a "Operation Double Cross" like the British did so well in 1940, but internecine politics, inter-service rivalry, and just plain pig-headedness got in the way. Buy the book and read it, now! That's An Order, Soldier!

I really enjoyed this book. It was very informative.

I bought this book because I am going into the Air Force Reserves as a C-130 pilot. I, of course, found it very interesting and informative, but I don't think I would recommend it to any non-pilots and would hesitate to recommend it to a non-airlift military pilot. A lot of people would find the topics he discusses very boring as compared to a fighter or bomber type memoir book. Nevertheless, I thought the stories he told were awesome - he talks about almost every mission the Hercules performs - hauling mail, booze, troops, dead bodies, ammo, and medical litters of injured troops. He also details the short-field capability of the C-130 flying into all of those fields in 'Nam. There are several hair-raising stories that he depicts where they are supplying the Marines at Khe Sahn during Tet and others where he is landing in bad weather, runways with craters, dirt strips, etc. He also mixes up the book with some details of the social life in Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines (he parallels the airlifting stories with stories about a chick he "hangs out" with in Bangkok.)

Anyway, I thought it was a great read, but I doubt most folks would think so unless they were very into the C-130 - like me.

I found David Kirk Vaughan's book about his experiences as an airlift pilot in Vietnam impossible to put down. His descriptions of action in and out of the cockpit are done such that they are very easy to understand, even if one is not a pilot. Yet, even the experienced military aviator will find some intriguing action there for him too.

Vaughan's description of landing at the "golf course" is but one example. Written in such a manner that the novice can appreciate the extreme difficulty of such a task, an aviator will nearly be in disbelief, especially after seeing the landing strip in one of the several photos that the author took during his tour and which are included in the book.

Of course there is plenty of action outside the cockpit, too. Again, I found Vaughan's descriptions superb as he related his travels throughout Thailand, Vietnam, the Phillipines and back "home" in Taiwan.

If one wishes to have a better understanding of the life of a military transport pilot or to have a record of Vietnam war airlift action, then this is a must buy!

Runway Visions is a memoir of a young pilot who volunteers to go to SE Asia and fly Hercules C-130 supply missions during the Viet Nam war.

David Vaughan tells a compelling tale, one that haunts me. It is not a story full of heroic rescues, though there is a little of that. It is the tale of a man looking back at himself and trying to make sense of what he did and saw. He holds little back.A difficult book to describe, but one that this reader found very satisfying. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

This is 1 of the 2 tour guides I recommend for Hong Kong besides Fodor's. As a local who grew up and used to live in Hong Kong, I was both surprised and excited about how much foreigners can dig deep through this city. Post-colonial Hong Kong still preserves the heart-beat of Chinese heritage underneath the burgeoning veneer of high-tech development and finances.

The official airline of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific unveiled its newest operation logo couple of years back with slogan "Heart of Asia". The Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) strived to revive tourism that was correlated with the regionwide stock market plunge in 1997 by launching the campaign "Hong Kong: City of Life" in 1998 to attract visitors. Featured was a 7-day-6-night package from the US including airfare and hotel for $899 including tax.

Dubbed "Heart of Asia" and "City of Life", this volume of "Hong Kong Handbook" will surely be your pocket guide to explore this exotic capital of Asia. The book included history and remarkable events associated with this newest Chinese SAR (Special Administrative Region), along with its rich mixed cultures and lifestyles.

In addition to the usual tips on fine dining, hotels from 5-star to no-star, shopping bargains and transportation, this handbook devotes incredible amount of pages on almost all the districts within the city. It would be a tremendous loss for any Hong Kong visitor to stay in central (downtown) area and the usual tourist spot like The Peak, Ocean Park and Po Lin Monastery. This handbook guides you to local areas like Mongkok, Yaumatei, and even outlying islands Po Toi Island, Tung Ping Chau, and Cheung Chau. One of the preserved wildlife area, Sai Gung Peninsula, is illustrated with lucid photos. You might wish to allocate 3-4 days hiking through the trails that provides panoramic view of the South China Sea.

The Hong Kong Handbook offers more than just a packaged tour can satisfy. You might completely stay away from urban areas and venture through monasteries or explore one of the biggest man-made water reservoir Plover Cove. The border with mainland is just 15 miles from the main financial center. The guide would be a must-have for those who wish to see the other side of Hong Kong.

Anyone planning a trip to Hong Kong would be wise to pick up a copy of this book. I recently returned from a two-week exploration of the SAR, and I found this book to be invaluable. Not only did it give me maps and all the essentials, but it gave me insight into the people and culture that surrounded me. The only thing I found lacking was the glossary of Chinese phrases.

While the book is older than some, and may be in some regards a bit out of date (hint to publisher - bring out a revised version), for instance some of the restaurants no longer exist, I found this to be the best book (and I brought many with me). The recommendations are solid, the highlighted points of interest are the most consistant (and often off-beat) and the essays and comments are the best (this is the only book for instance that explained why bamboo is used as scaffolding),

Otto Lehrack has edited a vast compilation of recollections of the front line grunts who fought the war up close and personal. The good, bad and grotesque are equally represented. Unlike the REMFs who conducted the war from air conditioned offices in the rear or in Washington, Lehrack talks with the foot soldiers who suffered, lost their buddies and were forever changed by their experiences. Perhaps most prominent is the unique sense of brotherhood embodied by these story tellers. Driven together by the senselessness of the Vietnam conflict they come together out of need for one another.

This book hits home because of the clear message it sends; the troops didn't always know what they were fighting for but it was clear that they had to support one another if they were going to get home. As Capt John Ripley, winner of the Navy Cross in 1972 on his second tour puts it, "The worst that can be said about a Marine is that he wasn't around when we needed him, that we couldn't count on im. That was absolutely unthinkable to him." The Marines who recount their tale in this book provide a clear understanding of what it was like to spend thirteen months in-country with the enemy trying to kill you each and every day.

Perhaps if Americans at home understood what was going on sooner this war might have had a different outcome. By the end of No Shining Armor, the reader will certainly have a new respect for the tremendous sacrifices made by those who chose to honor their country by serving in Vietnam.

These are the words and reflections of Marines from one unit which saw a lot of combat action west and north of DaNang. The author has done a wonderful job of interviewing a good cross-section of officers and enlisted men and organizing their stories chronologically from 1966 to 1970. The pride of the Marines and these mostly young soldiers is evident even 30 years after the war. This is the "grunts" story told in their own words with humor, pride, and passion. J.Kratz, US Army, Vietnam '66-67, '70-71.

Everyone, regardless of whether they were "for" or "against" the Vietnam War should READ THIS BOOK! It gives an unflinching, brutal and grim portrayal of ground combat by the men (specifically U.S. Marines) who know it best because they were there, they experienced it, and they lived to tell others about it. It shows what heroism and duty to country really are and it shows by the examples of these men. I've read many, many books, both fiction and non-fiction on the war, and none come close to giving the sense of how it really was for these men in ground combat in Vietnam.

Many veterans are still paying the price in physical, psychological and/or emotional terms for doing their duty as American citizens. And most non-participants will never realize the sacrifices these citizens/soldiers made. Personally I have no knowledge myself since I was only 17 when the war ended in 1975, however, I am still un-nerved by the treatment these men received by fellow-countrymen then, and to some extent now (even though it is now "OK" to be a Vietnam veteran).

Read this book and see how it truly was for these brave men in their own words (and for those of all the other services involved, as well). Whether you thought this war was good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral...READ THIS BOOK and see how it truly was for the soldiers fighting on the ground.