"Grappling with the enormity of Cambodia's trauma, Nishikanta Verma embarks on a quest for a greater understanding of one worst crimes of the 20th century. This search has resulted in this deeply heartfelt and compassionate account of his journey to Cambodia and the heart of the Khmer Rouge killing machine. A passionate story of one man's quest for the truth."Nic DunlopAuthor'The Lost ExecutionerA bustling city with old-world charm, Phnom Penh became witness to the start of one of the worst genocides in modern history, the effects of which haunt Cambodia today. While well documented in books and especially the movie "The Killing Fields" and more recently, "First They Killed My Father", the Cambodian genocide remained outside mainstream discussions on 20th century tragedies. It was not till a young doctor, Haing Ngor brought the story to life on screen that the world took notice and it was not till I read his book in 2013 that this story came home to me, devastated me and compelled me to travel to Cambodia. I went to Phnom Penh struck by how little I knew of where this country had come from and how much it had suffered. I personally knew plenty about Vietnam and its war, I knew of Angkor Wat of course but to read about the Khmer Rouge, their march on to Phnom Penh, its fall on April 1975 and the subsequent trauma of the Cambodians was all new. I was aghast at my own ignorance and at the sheer scale of this epic tragedy, of which Phnom Penh had been the epicenter. This book describes this three-day trip. It is a travelogue but it is also my attempt to contextualize it. I have added pieces of history and my own reflections as I moved through the time and spaces of this magnificent nation, full of the warmest people I have ever encountered. I will never forget Cambodia. The country and its people changed me. I hope you get a chance to experience The Kingdom of Wonder too.
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