Travel Happy

  • Bangkok
  • Thailand
  • Myanmar
  • Vietnam
  • Cambodia
  • Indonesia
  • Laos
  • Travel Tips

Angkor: Heart Of An Asian Empire

A small pocket book from art publishers Thames And Hudson provides a dazzling visual introduction to Angkor’s history that’s easy to understand and quick to read

I’m currently reading Bruno Dagens’ Angkor: Heart Of An Asian Empire, which is part of Thames and Hudson’s New Horizons series. They are small glossy paperbacks, packed with high quality photos and illustrations interleaved with an authorative, easy to read text. If this Angkor book is representative of the series (in which there are over 80 titles), I’m going to be reading a lot more. The temples of Angkor have had a magnetic attraction for me before I even visited them – and now I’ve seen them, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about them.

With ancient history, especially Asian ancient history, I find myself glazing over a lot of the time. Because so much of Khmer culture is originally derived from Indian culture, there is no end of unfamiliar names, places, people and concepts to get to grips with. I find I can read about this stuff over and over again without actually taking it in and comprehending it – whereas this little Angkor book provides a superb short, broad sketch of Angkor’s mysterious origins and centuries=later rediscovery by the French. It’s fascinating stuff, and the illustrations drawn by the first explorers to stumble over Angkor temples and the photos taken by the first photographers who got there are spectacular.

The visual elements of this book are not simply a pleasant addition to the text but a vital part of it – they help orientate the reader so much quicker in terms of the history than the words can do by themselves. The book overall is an invaluable synthesis and summary of previous accounts of Angkor, right up to the present day. I’d love to see the other ones in the series on Underwater Archaelogy and The Forbidden City.

In an interesting literary footnote, French novelist and the country’s first Minister of Culture Andre Malraux was arrested during his time in Cambodia as a young man for trying to smuggle a bas relief from Angkor’s Banteay Srei temple out of the country.

More Useful Cambodia Travelling Info: (View all Cambodia travel tips)
Phnom Penh Quick Guide
Siem Reap Quick Guide
Angkor Temples: A Quick Guide
How Much Money Do I Need For Cambodia
Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Start Planning Your Cambodia Trip Now!

:: Find available Cambodia hotels on Booking.com and Agoda.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.

:: Find the cheapest flight with Skyscanner - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.

:: Book an airport transfer to take you hassle-free direct from the airport to your hotel with the driver meeting you in Arrivals.

:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Cambodia

:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.

:: Book bus and domestic flight tickets in Cambodia with 12Go - easy to use website that lets you check timetables and buy tickets online.

:: Need inspiration? Check our Cambodia Itineraries for ideas of where to go and what to do.

:: Explore our Cambodia Travel Guide for more Cambodia must-see destinations.


Cambodia Map: Plan Your Trip

Cambodia mapClick For Cambodia Highlights

Cambodia Itineraries

  • Cambodia 1 Week Itinerary
  • Cambodia 2 Weeks Itinerary
  • 2 Weeks In Thailand And Cambodia Itinerary
  • 3 Weeks In Thailand, Cambodia And Vietnam Itinerary 2025

Cambodia Quick Guides

  • Can I Travel To Cambodia? June 2025 Update
  • Angkor International Airport Opens October 2023
  • How Much Money Do I Need For Cambodia
  • Packing List For Cambodia 2025
  • Angkor Wat From Bangkok
  • Siem Reap Quick Guide
  • Phnom Penh Quick Guide
  • Sihanoukville Quick Guide
  • Battambang Quick Guide
  • Angkor Wat, Cambodia – A Brief Guide
  • Phnom Penh, Cambodia: The Ghost City Come Back To Life
  • Do I Need Travel Insurance For Cambodia?

Travelhappy Travel Guides

  • Myanmar Travel Guide
  • Singapore Travel Guide
  • Thailand Travel Guide
  • Vietnam Travel Guide
  • Travel Tips

Travelhappy Travel Guides

  • Bangkok Travel Guide
  • Living In Bangkok Guide
  • Cambodia Travel Guide
  • Hong Kong Travel Guide
  • Indonesia Travel Guide
  • Laos Travel Guide

Disclosure

travelhappy.info is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Travelhappy may be compensated for any bookings made through Agoda.com, Booking.com, Skyscanner.com, WorldNomads.com, GAdventures.com and any other commercial travel organisation featured on this website.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

© 2005–2025 travelhappy.info. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy