Preah Vihear book to be published

Written by May Titthara

Wednesday, 17 December 2008 Phnom Penh Post

Renowned scholar Ros Chan Trabot traces the ancient and modern history of the famed site Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN Preah Vihear temple has become the subject of a soon-to-be-released book. A BOOK detailing the long history of the Preah Vihear temple complex has been completed and will be published in January, its author told the Post on December 3. Prasat Preah Vihear, by historian Ros Chan Trabot, will begin with the construction of the temple and follow its history until the present time. Ros Chan Trabot, who is also vice president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said he has conducted in-depth research on the temple since 2001. The author says he was attracted to the topic by the temple's former importance as one of the Kingdom's hubs. "In the past, Preah Vihear was the middle point of Cambodian land and was a centre of religion, history and politics," he said. About 5,000 copies of the first edition of the book, which is nearly 400 pages, will be published in January and will sell on the market for between US$6 and $7 per copy, the author said, adding that he would like to see the book distributed as widely as possible. "If we get support from the government to print more copies, I will distribute them to all ministries, departments and schools because we want to make sure it reaches readers' hands," he added. You Bo, vice president of the Khmer Writers' Association, told the Post he expected the book to reflect the author's scholarly experience. "[Ros Chan Trabot] is a man who has strong experience in research, so what he has done will be very interesting and true," he said. "The book will be very important for younger generations because they will be able to know the real story of Preah Vihear temple, and it will encourage them to love their nation," he added.