Sihanouk: Prince of Light, Prince of Darkness - Softcover

Osborne, Milton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0824816390 ISBN 13: 9780824816391

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press, 1994

Synopsis

Sihanouk: Prince of Light, prince of darkness is the first full-length English-language account of one of the most remarkable and controversial Asian leaders of the 20th century. This critical, unauthorised biography, gives due credit to the achievements of Norodom Sihanouk but also looks behind the myths of his claims to have ruled a 'fairytale kingdom' that was an 'oasis of peace'.
In 1941 Norodom Sihanouk ascended the Cambodian throne, supported by the French with the intent that he be their puppet king. Milton Osborne traces the complete background leading to this event, and then follows Sihanouk's remarkable growth to political maturity: his transformation from a dilettante king to a vigorous and sometimes ruthless politician. Fully acknowledging his remarkable energy, the book shows how the early years of Sihanouk's successes turned sour as, unwilling to share responsibility, he gradually alienated politicians on both the left and the right. Convinced that he alone knew what was best for Cambodia, his repression of dissent became more vicious and led finally to his overthrow in 1970. Then, while Pol Pot's tyranny gripped Cambodia, Sihanouk languished as a prisoner and an exile in Phnom Penh and Peking.
In the 1990s Norodom Sihanouk emerged from exile to take an increasingly active role in the new leadership of his country, culminating in 1993 with his ascension, once more, to the Cambodian throne.

About this title

From Library Journal

Australian diplomat and writer Osborne provides a lucid narrative history of modern Cambodia as he traces the political career of Norodom Sihanouk from his ascension in 1941 as king up to the pres-ent when he once again occupies that throne after an exile of 20 years. This work is a critical, unauthorized biography that blends personal anecdotes with insightful analysis of the societal turmoil Cambodia has experienced over these decades. Presented on a sound academic basis, it nonetheless provides a compelling human tale in which Osborne judges Sihanouk to be a "Prince of Tragedy." A valuable work on a nation that has been in and out of the headlines, it is more accessible than Marie Alexandrein Martin's Cambodia: A Shattered Society (LJ 6/15/94) and belongs in both large public and all academic libraries.
James Rhodes, Luther Coll., Decorah, Ia.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0824816390
• ISBN 13: 9780824816391
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304