BOOK REVIEW: THE ANGKORIAN WORLD Melanie Eastburn – TAASA Review September 2023

The Angkorian World Mitch Henderson, Miriam T Stark and Damian Evans (eds) Routledge London & New York 2023 RRP: Hardback AUD$319.20; 686pp, 161 b/w illustrations The Angkorian World is an exceptional crossdisciplinary resource that presents recent research exploring the intricacies of the Khmer empires from the 9th to the 15th century.

Each of the 35 chapters, by 52 leading experts in the field, has a specific focus – from religion, politics, economics and hydrology to epigraphy, art and the post-Angkor Khmer world. With over 650 dense pages, I dipped in and out of the book, focusing on the subjects that most appealed to me – sculptures, inscriptions, textiles, law and provenance – but the commitment of the editors to ensuring readable and accessible text means that all chapters are informative and intriguing.

Each is extensively referenced, making The Angkorian World a valuable tool for further research, although the inclusion of multiple in-text citations within many sentences can occasionally detract from the reading experience. The work of Cambodian researchers and scholars has often been overlooked and it is significant that The Angkorian World features the work of several Cambodian writers...