Sihanouk

This is a biography of the controversial Asian leader. The text critically examines the prince's claims to have ruled a "fairytale kingdom" that was an "oasis of peace". Tracing the course of events that led to the prince's elevation to the Cambodian throne in 1941, it describes Sihanouk's transformation from a dilettante king to a vigorous and sometimes ruthless politician who abdicated his throne to ensure his grasp on power. It shows how apparent success in the early 1960s turned sour as Sihanouk alienated politicians of both the left and the right. This text charts the history of Sihanouk's overthrow in 1970, his life in Peking and then as a prisoner in Phnom Penh during the Pol Pot years. It describes Sihanouk's emergence in the 1990s from the political "half life" of an exile to return to an ambiguous position in his homeland.