The Kings of Angkor (Paperback) by Robert Smith

This Kings of Angkor brings to life the story of the Khmer, the builders of Angkor Wat, the Bayon, and numerous other world renown temples. As with Robert Smith's other novels in the Southeast Asia trilogy ("The Kings of Ayutthaya," and "The Kings of the Toungoo Empire,") the story of the Ankorian civilization is told by re-imagining and dramatizing the exploits of its rulers by building on the historical record left on temple carvings, in written accounts, and from archeological research.It was a time of kings. The novel commences as the future King Jayavarman II forged his kingdom from the weakening influence of the Sailendra Kingdom of Java who occupied the lands of Kambujadesa (Cambodia). His declaration of himself as Devaraja, "The Lord of the Universe who is King," laid the foundation for the birth and future growth of the Khmer Empire. He sets the seeds for an empire not matched in size in southeast Asia until the Burman Toungoo Empire under King Bayinnaung many centuries later.The novel progresses through the time of the successive "varman" kings. Times of religion and religious conflict, of greed, betrayal, death, and internecine strife that run alongside those of loyalty, ingenuity, and determination. The building of temples and barays (reservoirs) are the legacies left that visitors flock to Angkor to see but these do not tell the full story. The novel places these structures, and the events surrounding them, in a context that is made understandable, and enjoyable, for the reader.All empires fall. The novel traces the rise and fall of an empire from its beginnings in 802 A.D. to its fall to the kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1431 A.D. The focus is on the "varman" kings, the builders of Angkor and the kings who took it to its greatest achievements. The decline of the empire was gradual but ended in a bloodbath, similar in many ways, to that leveled by the Burman king, King Hsinbyushin on Ayutthaya in 1767 A.D.The story dramatizes the famous figures in Angkorian history through dialogue, description, and narration while following the historical record as closely as possible, but adding the creative touch of the author. If you have visited or intend to visit Cambodia and Angkor Wat this book makes an ideal companion andplaces what you see in context..Support material for the novel can be found at www.thekingsofayutthaya.com/thekingsofangkor. Robert Smith is a writer living in Phitsanulok, Thailand. He specializes in historical fiction.