Books : Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)
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Binding: Turtleback
Dewey Decimal Number: 915
EAN: 9789622177277
ISBN: 9622177271
Label: Odyssey
Manufacturer: Odyssey
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 488
Publication Date: July 29, 2005
Publisher: Odyssey
Sales Rank: 51791
Studio: Odyssey
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
The great legacy of the ancient Khmer civilization, the temples of Angkor, cover an area of over 77 square miles in north west Cambodia. These monuments, built between the ninth and 15th centuries—the classic period of Khmer art—are unrivaled in architectural greatness. They are, undoubtedly, one of the wonders of the world, astounding in their splendor and evoking a real sense of awe.
Contains background information on Khmer history, religious beliefs and legends depicted on the bas-reliefs, as well as descriptions of the decorations and architectural features. Detailed, monument-by-monument guide to the sites, including detailed maps and plans, plus four newly accessible temple-complexes accessible by helicopter! - Phnom Penh section profiles the National Museum, and highlights of Cambodia's capital
- Tongle Sap essay on flora and fauna around the great lake
- Comprehensive background information on Khmer art, religion and cultural traditions
- Detailed architectural descriptions and extensive accounts of all the temples as well as several pre-Angkor sites
- Written by an art historian steeped in the region's art and culture
- 92 color photographs
- 30 maps and plans
Average Rating: 
Rating: -
This is, without doubt, THE must-have guide to the Angkor area. Dawn Rooney writes with clarity, thoroughness and a balanced view of the monuments without talking down to (or over the head of) the reader. Some books on this area read like travel brochures, others like snobby scholarly textbooks. Ms. Rooney's book strikes the perfect balance between the two.
I'm a research-aholic about my travel, and collect guide books by the dozens. This is one of the best I've read anywhere, about any area.
This revised edition features tons of full-color photographs, good maps and many, many touring tips. I especially liked the fact that she talks about when to visit certain areas, where the best photography opportunities are, along with what makes each temple/monument unique.
The first portion of this book gives a "just-the-right-depth" overview of the history of the area, plus overviews of the artistic styles, royal lineages, construction methods, restoration efforts, etc. Then the second portion goes into detail about each monument - grouped into logical touring sequences.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you've been searching for a guide book to the Angkor area - end your search now. This is the one.
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After 6 days in Siem Reap with a licensed guide, this book is 'Cliff Notes' to what the guide tells you. I don't recommend touring the temples without a licensed guide, unless you want a quick, superficial tour. The only book that contains info on the temple Koh Ker (3 hours from Siem Reap, built in 900 AD) & the Preak Toal Bird Sanctuary (2.5 hours by boat across Tonle Sap Lake). If you want to truly enjoy & understand the carvings, the history (Buddhist & Hindu) & culture of what you seeing, read this book before you depart (it's too heavy to take), hire a licensed guide (not a driver who cannot legally take you inside the temples) who is trained to explain how the temples were built (different materials & methods) & what the carvings depict (Hindu mythology, Buddhist kings). Then when you return, reread the sections on the temples you visited... and it will bring back a flood of images & memories. Floor plans are confusing, pictures scant, but her historical descriptions & distances are accurate, lesser known, less touristy temples are included for the adventurous or art lover.
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Excellent, up-to-date info. on all sites; very detailed and accurate text on history and culture. Very informative for architects, historians, and other people interested in more profund knowledge/ facts. Far better than the other guides I've read!
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One of the best guides that I have read. Very good background, history, religion,and description of the sites. In short, a great book.
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This book is an absolute necessity for visiting Angkor, at least if one has an interest in archaeology. In fact, knowing what I know now, I would have skipped hiring a guide and just rented a bicycle with this book as my guide. It is comprehensive, well-illustrated (although the illustrations are not always tied to the adjacent text--my most serious complaint about the book), and has the right balance between academic and popular interest. It is well-worth the extra weight involved in taking it along to Asia (I wish they had used cheaper paper and binding to make it lighter, but then the pictures wouldn't have been so inviting). Maps and organization make it easy to use, although the index sometimes is off by a page or two--perhaps they didn't update it all from the 4th ed. At any rate, it is far superior to all other guides I found on the subject.
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