An Illustrated History of Cambodia- Interview With Philip Coggan
Australian author and historian Philip Coggan has a new book out. “An Illustrated Cambodian History” covers the story of Cambodia from the stone age right up to the first months…
The First British Tourists- Kennedy & Thomson, 1866
H.G. Kennedy and John Thomson, 1866 In January 1866 Henry George Kennedy of the British embassy in Bangkok and pioneering photographer John Thomson set off on an overland expedition to…
The Unknown Origins Of The ‘Napoleon’ Pavilion
Napoleon Pavilion -I think this was part of LIFE magazine’s coverage of Cambodian independence, 1953. Very, very little is known for sure about the history of this building. The story…
Who killed Malcolm Caldwell? December 23, 1978
Malcolm Caldwell, left-wing activist and supporter of revolutionary movements everywhere, was murdered in Phnom Penh on 28 December, 1978. To this day nobody knows just who did it, or why. He…
Early Travels: Monsieur Brau At The Royal Palace, 1885
Marie François Xavier Joseph Jean Honoré Brau de Saint-Pol Lias arrived in Phnom Penh from Saigon onboard the steamer Mouhot on Sunday 8 February 1885, en route to Angkor. He…
History: Between The Elephant And The Dragon, Part 1
As great powers fall, others shall rise in their place. The Khmer empire, at its peak controlled or had under vassal, much of mainland Southeast Asia, from southern China to…
70 Years Of US-Cambodia Relations In 100 Dates
The United States of America and Cambodia have had a complicated history during the years before and after independence. From goodwill and development to war and destruction and later aid…
Sunday History: Prince Sisowath And His Retinue
This photo by Emile Gsell is of Prince Sisowath and his retinue , date uncertain but possibly January 1868, for reasons which will be clear from what follows. If it…
19th Century Photo Of Phnom Penh
Taken from a Facebook post. These photos are of Phnom Penh from either 1866 or 1886. *According to history buff Philip Coggan it is from ‘1873, taken from a park…
Febr(eview)ary 2019
February, the shortest month didn’t disappoint news fans. There were bombs on the border, white men loosing their shizzle and a massive dru operation was found inside an Okhna’s disco…
The Prince Who Fought Pol Pot
Norodom Chantarangsey was an uncle of Norodom Sihanouk. By 1973 Chantarangsey had denounced his nephew Sihanouk, renounced his Norodom name, and joined Lon Nol’s anti-royalist army. He was a Brigadier-General…
Positioning Of Royal Palace: A Hypothesis
Phnom Penh: Every academic article, let alone ever tourist brochure, says that the palace in Phnom Penh faces East: but it does not. East is a bearing of 90 degrees…
Dark History: Human Sacrifice, Black Magic & Cannibals
The Last Royal Sacrifice The year is 1877, and for some reason you decided to join a rebel army put together by a minor prince named Siwotha. King Norodom is…
