Books published by DatASIA, Inc.

Un roman d'amour de Paul-Louis Rivière, situé dans le décor tropical, luxuriant et serein, du Siam (Thaïlande) au début du XXe siècle. Poh Deng, un jeune Siamois, grandit près de la jeune Mè Ping. Une relation amoureuse se noue. Mais à mesure que l'avenir se profile, Mè Ping est choisie pour devenir danseuse au Ballet Royal de la Cour, tandis que Poh Deng rejoint le corps des moines bouddhistes. Leurs destins semblent alors diverger….La rare édition en couleurs de 1913, illustrée par le célèbre artiste Joseph de la Nézière, était limitée à 350 exemplaires. Notre édition moderne reproduit fidèlement l'original dans un format plus grand. Elle comprend également un article de journal de l'auteur écrit 1911, «Autour d'un sacre», ainsi qu'un avant-propos contemporain du professeur Henri Copin, les notes de l'éditeur Kent Davis, et les profils biographiques détaillés de M. Rivière et de M. de la Nézière.C'est donc une édition très soignée, richement illustrée, avec des éclairages documentaires de qualité.

The first and only translation of a rare and important first person memoir of late 19th century Cambodia, written by a prominent businessman who had the good fortune to live in the kingdom for two decades after that nation became a French Protectorate in 1867. Working as an independent importer for the royal palace, Bernard Marrot served King Norodom directly, and the monarch rewarded his loyalty with multiple decorations and contracts. The author's private sector position also gave him unique perspectives of a nation going through enormous political, economic and social changes.For this reason, French government and military officials nominally in control of Cambodia disliked Marrot, and resented his close relationship with the king. Upon his return to France, however, the French Legion of Honor recognized Marrot's service, and he was finally free to express his feelings, prejudices and observations with candor. It is therefore not surprising that many of his unfiltered views in this work directly criticize the French authorities in Cambodia themselves.This monograph-originally published to coincide with the International Exposition of Lyon in 1894-gives readers an accurate description of Cambodia, its monarchy, slavery, Buddhism, habits, customs and the Angkorean civilization at its roots. To promote commerce, Marrot even detailed local agricultural products with potential for investment.In this expanded modern edition, Joel Montague presents an introduction describing the author's life and the exposition that inspired the original publication, supplemented by 87 hand restored illustrations, including images from Marrot's monograph.

Based on a 19th century Cambodian palm leaf manuscript, "Vorvong and Saurivong" dramatizes the personification of the last Buddha in several of his many incarnations. In 1898, a local scholar entrusted Auguste Pavie, one of France's greatest explorers, to copy, translate and publish the antique Khmer folk tale. Subsequent Khmer and French editions consolidated the original color and black-and-white illustrations. The tales later formed the basis of a contemporary Khmer ballet.The story revolves around the challenging lives of two princes, brothers, who were mistakenly expelled from the royal court by their father the king. Separated from each other, they wandered for a decade while facing incredible hardships and vicissitudes including defeating a giant in a cave, suffering the betrayal of the hermit Vorvongby, using magic rings and crystal balls, and repeated interventions by the gods. Finally, they are rejoined to do battle against their wicked stepbrother in a dramatic attempt to enlighten the king to the injustice they suffered, restore their titles, and bring peace and harmony to the kingdom.This first English translation is an important contribution to the cultural history of Cambodia. The full color edition featuring 51 illustrations was translated from the French by Marie-Helene Arnauld, with Jim Mizerski and Joel Montague providing the introduction and commentary.