Survival in the Killing Fields

This is in my top five non-fiction of all time, this is amazing.

I knew of Pol Pot and the 10000 ft view. But this sheds light on the inner workings of this disaster. Seeing how the genocidal sausage got made. It also has what might be one of the saddest chapters that ive ever read in nonfiction, and Ive read about pretty much horrible thing humans have done since the 1880

This book is a real page turner. Must read for anyone that doesn't understand the horrors of communism and how dangerous it can be.

I didn’t know much about Khmer Rouge and the history of Cambodia, other than Pol Pot was bad and millions died.This book is a harrowing tale of unchecked power and corruption and the wake of it all.This is the first time in my life that I cried while reading a book. Poor Huoy.The author went through so much pain seeing 78% of family killed.This book has left an impression on me. Fight communism at all costs.

This book is not easy to read. But it's good to read. It's a story of heartache and loss, and the destruction of a society. Some parts are very graphic. He placed a warning at the beginning of those chapters. I live in Cambodia, and the effects of the Khmer Rouge are still very much felt here. Haing Ngor was a doctor in Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge tried to kill the entire educated population and almost succeeded. This is the story of how one doctor hid in plain sight and eventually survived the Khmer Rouge reign of terror. His accounts of his times in prison are so haunting and graphic that, while I was reading, I had to keep reminding myself that he was somehow going to survive! It is hard to read these stories but it is very important not to forget what happened here. If you want to understand what happened in Cambodia, this is a good book to read.

If you are interested in reading the memoir of someone who survived the reign of the Khmer Rouge, then I can't reccommend any other book higher. I have read two other books from survivors, but Ngor's book was by far my favourite.What sets Ngor's book apart from the others that I have read is that Ngor was an adult when the Khmer Rouge took over. His memories are very lucid, and he fully comprehends what is going on around him. He watches his young wife die in his arms, those close to him betray, and everyone around him suffer. There are no high points throughout the entire odysey. Ngor brings you to the senseless and incomprehensible suffering that pervades every aspect of life under the Khmer Rouge.One element I particularily enjoyed about Ngor's book is the extensive descriptions of Cambodian culture, attitudes and behaviour. Cambodian society (from what I can gather from what I have hitherto studied) is highly formal, with a rather complex series of formality set up for intereaction with others and a rather reserved character in regards to expression of feelings. The most important of which in this context being "kum," which is a sort of bitterness and longing for revenge, that becomes evident in a lot of what is happening. You will leave this read with a feeling of not only being inside of what is happening, but also for the actual mechanisms guiding behaviour.This is, however, not a pleasant read in the least. The descriptions of the atrocities are beyond anything that I was expecting, and for that reason, I would seriously warn others that this is not for the faint at heart. Luckily, Ngor offers notes at the beginning of graphic chapters so that one can skip over them. You will lose sleep, and I can guarantee you that it makes any of those goofy horror movies like "Hostel" and "Turistas" look like a day at Disneyland. This horror is real, and not far in the past. Being that my normal area of study is Russian history, I have read a lot about the horrors of communism and tyranny, but nothing from the basements of Lyubyanka Prison or Mao Tse Tung's Cultural Revolution comes close to the abominable atrocities of Pol Pot's Cambodia.Ngor also describes his role in the classic movie, The Killing Fields, as well as his integration of life in America. An afterword by friend Roger Warner ends the book on a particularily haunting and sad note, but rightfully so, none the less.There are a lot of truely excellent books available by survivors of the Killing Fields, and this is the quintessential starting point for those who wish to learn more.

I must admit I am obsessed with reading & watching anything on Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime (Year Zero); as my in-laws are survivors and when my husband was born.I don’t want to pressure my in-laws to talk about it {not really a great conversation starter: “hey! Can we talk about the time you survived starvation and the mass genocide?”....} and older Cambodians want to move on. I will never understand what they went thru; but I think talking about it so everyone will know and learn from it, is the best way (my exact thoughts on WWII and concentration camps ~ another subject I heavily read on).I don’t know why I had waited so long to read this book. It is so well done. There is a lot of insight on the Cambodian culture and their government. Those are two main points that were missing from some of the other books I’ve read on this subject. Although I am very familiar with the culture and have done countless research on their government at that time (as well as America’s secret bombings...which is a HUGE part as to why the Khmer Rouge came to power) ~ I think it is so important for anyone reading this to understand how it happened. Although I’ve heard about the authors death before I read his book and the conspiracies around it, I want to heavily applaud him for remembering this era in such detail and sharing it with everyone. Well done and thank you; as I would like my daughters to read this when they are old enough.Because of America’s involvement in a country that we were not at war with, but we damaged so much because of our Presidrnt’s ego at the time…This book should be a part of every high school history class. Just as we learn about the Nazi regime and what atrocities they committed, we should know about what happened to a quarter of the population of Cambodia in the late 1970’s.

I had seen the movie THE KILLING FIELDS and the book account of Mr. Ngor's life was a page-turner. When his country of Cambodia fell to Communism (and there is never a rise in any of the 70 or so crash-landings of this oppressive, inhuman system), the leadership went absolutely crazy, gutting the city of its people to send them out to farm, in oppressive conditions, decapitating the higher service industries and unable to fulfill the agricultural targets as compensation. Ngor battled oppression, starvation and disease before escaping across the border. Immigrating to the United States, his experiences helped him as an untrained actor to portray very moving scenes in THE KILLING FIELD, playing the role of Mr. Dith Pran who underwent similar experiences. Ngor was, regrettably, murdered in 1996 when a mugger was trying to take a locket, the last-remaining (?) memento of his dead wife. Absolutely a tawdry end to a remarkable life. Society should realize how lucky they are in comparison to the victims of the "killing fields" of Cambodia. This should be required social reading to help people avoid corruption, Communism and committing crimes.

A well written account of one of the world's greatest atrocities. Perhaps should be read by all senior school students to illustrate what people can do when inspired by politics.

Muito legal, sobretudo porque começa leve e vai ficando pesado aos poucos. Não é uma historia light... fala muito sobre subnutrição, estupidez, torturas, estupros, outras coisas que a "esquerda" defende sem saber... muito legal para voce dar de presente para quem acha que o captalismo é opressor.

A very informative journey through a turbulent and traumatic time in Cambodia. This story represents just one of the millions that cannot be told because they did not survive.

A harrowing story at times, but highly recommended. A very well written account of life under the Khmer Rouge. Quite an eye opener.