John Burgess

John Burgess is an American writer and journalist who's been fascinated by the great stone temples of Cambodia's lost Angkor civilisation since he first saw them as a teen-ager. His new book, "Angkor's Temples in the Modern Era: War, Pride, and Tourist Dollars," is rich in rare photographs and traces a contemporary history that began with the temples' reintroduction to the world by French colonialists in the mid-nineteenth century. Early archaeology, steamboat tourism, and conflict as rival armies vied for control of Angkor are all part of the story.

His novel "A Woman of Angkor" recreates life in the temples' twelfth century golden age. The idea for the central character came from a inscription stone describing a prominent lady of the times: "Of great beauty and devotion, she had a divine nature that was not disputed."

John is also author of "Temple in the Clouds," an ancient and modern history of Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple, and "Stories in Stone," which recounts the recovery of Angkor's forgotten history through the decoding of inscriptions stones. His second novel, "The Stairway Guide's Daughter," set like his first in ancient Cambodia, was published in 2017.

Follow John on Instagram at www.instagram.com/johnburgess_writer. Or check out his website at www.john-burgess.net.