Philip Short

Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare

TO THE GLORY OF SOCIALISM!

Mr. Short's book describes very well the general picture/scenery of Cambodia's history. Pol Pot is described rather as an important piece in the whole story rather than the subject itself, the story of his country, in which he played such a nightmarish role. It's horror just to think such a despicable person, a murderer of this calibre can walk free around and rule the lives and deaths of millions of people.

The author is trustworthy and objective in his analysis, calm and non-prejudiced by previous accounts. It's a solid and reliable narrative, an honest and well-written book for the layman as well as for the expert. The one outthought that comes from this sort of reading is: How many people have we in the US, in Spain, who are just as evil as this man, and -luckily- are not in position to do as much harm? Yes, maybe some may be politicians, piqueteros de sindicatos... but still, one has to feel relieved.

The only shortcoming, I would say, is the shortage of photographs, maps, etc., to support the narrative.