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History Books
- When The War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Regime — Elizabeth Becker
- Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare — Philip Short
When The War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Regime.
by Elizabeth Becker
Elizabeth Becker is an award-winning journalist who spent much of her career writing about Cambodia. In 1978, Pol Pot invited her, along with two other Westerners, to Cambodia to meet with him, making her one of the only Westerners to interview Pol Pot while he was in power.
In her book, Becker weaves into the history personal stories of Cambodians she interviewed in the refugee camps as well as stories she discovered while researching the S-21 archives. It gives her book a human quality that other history books lack.
If you read one book on the history of The Khmer Rouge, I would suggest this one.
Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare
By Philip Short
Philip Short worked as a foreign correspondent for the BBC for 25 years. He has written well respected biographies not only for Pol Pot, but also Mao Zedong and Vladimir Putin.
Like David Chandler’s book, this book spends a lot of time getting into the small details, however, Short’s writing is captivating which makes it an excellent book for history fans who have an interest in the Khmer Rouge.
Further Reading
A History of Cambodia — David Chandler
Cambodia has a incredibly fascinating history and in this book Chandler goes through everything from the pre-Angkor period up until the present day. Spending only a single chapter on the Khmer Rouge period, Chandler tells the story of how the greatest empire of its time became the Cambodia we know today.
Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide — Alexander Hinton
Why Did They Kill is an anthropological analysis of Cambodian culture, identity and the methods they used to normalize extreme violence. It is essential for those who want to understand how the Cambodian world-view was manipulated to incite a genocide.
Memoirs & Autobiographies
- Prisoners of Class — Chan Samoeum (translated by Matthew Madden)
Prisoners of Class
by Chan Samoeum, translation by Matthew Madden
Many accounts of life under the Khmer Rouge are written decades after then events. Prisoner of Class is unique in that Chan wrote down his experiences in the 1980s, immediately after the genocide ended. Originally scribbled in a school notebook, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that Chan was able to self-published his story in the Khmer language, selling copies in the Phenom Penh markets where it got little notice.
Matthew Madden, however, did notice and immediately understood the importance of his story. He spend years slowly translating the work into English and eventually located the author and got his permission to publish it.
Chan is a natural writer and his richly detailed, meticulous account, interspersed with poetry, make this book one of the best personal accounts of what life was like under Pol Pot.
Quoting Chan about his book: “I wrote it in my bedroom with the door closed so that my wife and children would not see me. I feared my wife would think I was crazy, as tears flowed down my cheeks while I wrote. There was not a page of that manuscript that was not soaked by my tears.”
Further Reading
First They Killed My Father — Loung Ung
Loung Ung was only five years old when the Khmer Rouge arrived in Phenom Penh. Her family has to hide their identity as they are moved from village to village. Eventually her parents are both killed and Ung is trained to become a child solider by the Khmer Rouge.
When Broken Glass Floats — Chanrithy Him
Chanrithy Him recounts her experiences as a child growing up as a New Person under the Khmer Rouge. After fleeing to America as a refugee, she worked with the Khmer Adolescent Project to help Cambodian youth overcome the effects of PTSD, then decided to share the story of how she survived.
Stay Alive, My Son — Pin Yathay
Pin Yathay’s story tells of his family’s horrific experience of trying to survive as a “New Person” under the Khmer Rouge regime. Forced out of their home in Phenom Penh with fifteen family members, he is eventually left with only his wife and son as they try to escape from Cambodia.
The Gate — François Bizot
French anthropologist François Bizot was captured by the Khmer Rouge and spoke at length with Duch before being released. His deep understanding of Khmer culture, eyewitness account of the fall of Phenom Penh, and relationship with Duch make for a unique perspective on the early days of the regime.
Beyond the Horizon: Five Years with the Khmer Rouge — Laurance Picq
Picq married a Cambodian communist sympathizer and later joined him in Phenom Penh to live among the leadership, working as a translator. A rare account from within the Khmer Rouge elite, though limited in scope.
Watch & Listen
- In The Shadows of Utopia — Podcast by Lachlan Peters
- Enemies of the People — Documentary (2009)
In The Shadows of Utopia
Written and hosted by Lachlan Peters
Lachlan Peters majored in International Studies with a focus on Cambodia, history and genocide and has also worked with The Documentation Center of Cambodia. His podcast is an exceptional deep-dive into Cambodia, its culture, history and how both local and international events created the conditions for the ‘perfect storm’ that lead to the rise of Pol Pot’s regime. With topics ranging from the French Revolution, Cambodian culture, the history of Marx, Lenin and Mao, the Vietnam war and more, Lachlan doesn’t shy away from filling you in on all the information you’ll need to fully understand who the Cambodians are and what enabled the Khmer Rouge to come to power.
His podcast style is heavily influenced by Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History and it is, by far, one of the most well-written and informative podcasts about the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia. It’s the perfect accompaniment for those long bus rides.
Enemies of the People (2009)
Directed by Rob Lemkin, and Thet Sambath.
Noen Chea was second-in-command of the Khmer Rouge. Up until 2007, he was living in Cambodia, a free man. In this documentary, Thet Sambath, whose family was killed during the Khmer Rouge regime, tracks down Noen Chea and spends several years interviewing him to try to understand why the Khmer Rouge killed so many people. He also interviews Khmer Rouge soldiers who were involved in the mass-killings and speaks with them about their experiences.
While many other documentaries and books explore the lives of the victims, this documentary is exceptional as it tries to understand the experiences and justifications of those who committed the atrocities.
Further Watching & Listening
The Killing Fields (1984)
Released in 1984, this movie was one of the first times Westerners became aware of the situation in Cambodia. It tells the true story of New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg and his colleague, Cambodian journalist Dith Pran. When Phenom Penh is taken over by the Khmer Rouge, they are forced to separate and Pran must survive the Killing Fields while Schanberg, back in America, tries to bring attention to the situation in Cambodia.
Dith Pran is played by Cambodian actor Haing Ngor, who also survived the Khmer Rouge Regime. His performance won him several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll (2014)
After Cambodia gained its independence from France in 1953, Cambodia went through a golden age of music and culture. Through the 1950s–1970s, Cambodia had a vibrant Rock & Roll scene. This documentary is a fascinating look into that era and how it ended when the Khmer Rouge took over.
First They Killed My Father (2017) — film
Based on Loung Ung’s memoir, this film brings to life what it was like to live under the Khmer Rouge as a “New Person”, evacuated from the cities and forced to work for the regime.
Extra History: Angkor Wat
Extra History: Angkor Wat
Extra History’s videos of the Khmer Empire and Angkor Wat. This is an incredibly well-researched and entertaining summary of the history of the Khmer Empire. A must-see before visiting Angkor Wat
Additional Resources
Survivor Testimonies & Archives
Acts of Memory — Bophana Center
A series of video interviews with Khmer Rouge survivors.
“Through documenting and sharing the personal stories of survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime, the project aims to encourage youth to learn the past, and elder people to transmit their message to the younger generation, focusing on the importance of ‘acts of memory’ for Cambodian people to move forward.”
Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) — YouTube
The Documentation Center of Cambodia has collected hundreds of interviews with survivors of the Khmer Rouge period and shares ongoing genocide education work.
Academic & Specialist Reading
A History of Cambodia — David Chandler
Survey history from pre-Angkor to the present. Only one chapter focuses on the Khmer Rouge; the emphasis is on the long arc of Cambodian history.
Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide — Alexander Hinton
Anthropological analysis of culture, identity, and how extreme violence was normalized. Essential if you want to understand the social logics behind the genocide.
First They Killed My Father — Loung Ung
A widely read memoir by a survivor who was five when the Khmer Rouge arrived in Phenom Penh; chronicles her family’s struggle and loss.
When Broken Glass Floats — Chanrithy Him
Personal account of growing up as a “New Person” under the Khmer Rouge and later work helping Cambodian youth address PTSD.
Stay Alive, My Son — Pin Yathay
Memoir of a family’s forced evacuation from Phenom Penh and attempts to survive and escape; more formal style, but important testimony.
The Gate — François Bizot
Westerner’s perspective: Bizot’s imprisonment and conversations with Duch, plus his eyewitness account of the fall of Phenom Penh.
Beyond the Horizon: Five Years with the Khmer Rouge — Laurance Picq
Rare memoir from within the Khmer Rouge elite; niche but unique vantage point from a translator living in the capital.