A senior Thai politician, Sang Phathanothai, is skeptical of Thailand's Cold War U.S. connections. With the approval of the Prime Minister he sends his young son and daughter to grow up in China as a gesture of good will. The daughter, Sirin, recounts her life with Liao Chenghzi, Zhou Enlai and others forty years later.

Some absolutely fascinating glimpses of the Chinese elite (Zhou saying one thing in public while admitting to her that people are starving during the Great Leap Forward; Mao at a swimming pool with other leaders; Liao Chengzhi looking at the smashed remains of his house during the Cultural Revolution) as well as of Field Marshal Pibulsongkram, Pridi Phanomyong in exile from Thailand, and other Thai leaders. She also recounts an early proposal for Sino-American rapprochement from President Johnson, relayed to China for her father, and the painful consequences it entailed for her during the Cultural Revolution.

This is one of four great books which Norman Lewis wrote about his Asian travels. The author must have been pushing eighty when he embarked on his west to east journey through the 'Girdle of Emerald'.

The Dutch decribed the control they had established over a maritime empire consisting of more than 16,000 island as stretching 'from Medan to Merauke', and it is this itinerary that Lewis follows.

As usual he tries to stay away as far as possible from the beaten track. No Borobudur, Bali or Lake Toba here, instead the author and his companions decide to explore the northern tip of Sumatra, venturing into the troublesome Aceh province. The staunch Muslims of Indonesia's northern-most region are strongly independent. Even after decades of incessant warfare the Dutch had been unable to completely subjugate these Malay warriors. After independence the nationalist, Javanese-dominated government in Jakarta failed likewise.

Lewis then takes us to East-Timor, ravaged by the Indonesian military after the Portuguese withdrawal in 1975. Although political developments since Lewis' visits have changed the outlook of East-Timor dramatically, his account provides an interesting insight into the political situation of the territory just before the collapse of the Suharto-regime and subsequent granting of autonomy to East-Timor.

Finally the author visits the interior of Irian Jaya, the Indonesian-controlled half of New Guinea. A disconcerting portrayal of a traditional society on the verge of collapse is followed by a worrying report on the onslaught of greedy mining companies; Lewis makes us witnesses to an ecological disaster in the making.

'An Empire of the East' does not reach the level of his earlier books 'A Dragon Apparent' and 'Golden Earth' about French Indochina and Burma respectively. Written in the 1950s these two giants of 20th century travel literature established Norman Lewis as one of the greatest travel writers. Nevertheless, he has again been successful in presenting a cocktail based on his well-tried recipe: combining his highly original depictions of natural scenery with insightful portraits of the people he meets, and - above all - his penchant for unusual situations.

My husband and I went to Bali in April 2000, and used this book as a supplement to Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok. Essential Bali & Lombok is a lightweight book, with only 126 pages, and not quite small enough to fit in a pocket (it's about 7 inches long by about 5 inches), and due to it's size we didn't expect a whole lot from it, but we were pleased with it. The book gives quick, brief descriptions of some of the primary things to see and do. Certainly with it's the old publication date (1998), we didn't rely on it too much with regard to specific restaurants and hotels. It was good to have an abbreviated source to refer to, and we used to it to find some of the must-sees, especially those listed in the "10 Essentials" sections.

As I stood in the cafeteria line behind a Malaysian exchange student at Campbell University in North Carolina, I was so glad that I had read my Essential Malaysia. Remembering its warnings on the effects of pork on the digestive tracks of native Malaysians, I was able to bridge the great cultural divide that separates that pacific gem from rustic Buies Creek. When asked by the local food service preparation worker what my Malaysian cohort had said about the ribs she had served him, I gladly replied, "I think he said, 'The ribs make me juicy.'" Thus, a potentially sticky incident was defused.

The F-8 Crusader will go down in aviation history as a classic warplane, captured on TV and in print media as the chief aerial protagonist in a number of conflicts in the '60s. From the Cuban crisis, to the Vietnam war, the F-8 was the Navy's last single seat fighter - the 'Gunfighter' - until the F-18 appeared some twenty years later. Mersky is a veteran Crusader fanatic, with other like titles to his credit, and he continues to delve into the details of F-8s, and F-8 service. What makes this book a standout is the focus on the F-8 drivers, as well as the aircraft and units. For anybody who is interested in a unique period of US Naval aviation, this is a must! This book looks good, has great historical anecdotes and good illustrations. In Australia, it is a very expensive paperback, but still - no pay(n), no gain!

The authors give a through explanation of what is like to surf in Indonesia. Great pictures and nice descriptions of all the breaks. Well prepared and gives good and reliable advice on the whole surfing experience. I found that more explanations were needed on the less known places of Indonesia, Still a great book to have.

Jim Morris writes a very good book that for the first 150 pages sticks to the gallantry of the Special Forces and the hard work they did. After that though, it mainly gets into his parachuting experiences and talks he has with his friends. Overall though it is a very good book that I would recommend to anyone developing an interest in the Operations of the Special Forces.

Professor Strickland's book is an extremely thorough and engaging history of the Cherokee nation, and particularly a description and analysis of Cherokee law. This scholarship describes the legal aspects of modernization in a very specific setting, and is fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in Cherokee culture, or in comparative law.

Jerald T Milanich's "Florida's Indians from the Ancient Times to the Present" provides a comprehensive easy to read account of Florida's rich archaeological heritage. Milanich's style is entirely assessable to the general public without compromising the academic content. The book includes a temporal and geographic discussion of Florida's native peoples and key sites from the paleo period to the present. There is a 16 page section of full color photographs as well as several sections of sidebars that include information ranging from accounts of 19th century archaeologists to recipes for acorn cakes. The only signifigant problem with the content is that statements regarding agriculture in the area are not based on any direct evidence and, more importantly, the book lacks an index which makes its use as a reference source difficult. The book, however, relays a vast amount of information interestingly and efficiently. It would be a valuable entry to the library of both the amateur archaeologist and the academic.

A handy guide if you're interested in travel around the Southeast Asia region, particularly if you're undecided about your destination. Travel destinations are broken down by country and city, as well as "best-of" categories (eg., best resorts, best festivals, best markets). Beautiful color photographs in the front and back of the book. The hotel and restaurant guides are the excellent; they are categorized by budget and the recommended places are highlighted, with comprehensive descriptions.

As with any guidebook, be aware that some of the information may be incorrect or outdated. Took the book with me to Vietnam and found that some of the locations mentioned were closed (even though the book was published this year) and addresses incorrect. Also, a reference guide for health problems (including symptoms & possible illnesses) would have been helpful, in case you get sick. The Lonely Planet does a much better job in this category.

Would still recommend this book, particularly if you plan to travel to more than one country in SE Asia, and want to explore the best of the region.