Angkor and the Khmer Civilization

Informative but very dry. This book is the most popular reference on the history of Cambodia and Angkor in particular. I read it in preparation for a tourist trip. And I was indeed well prepared. But way more historical detail than I was looking for, and without much effort to make for an entertaining read. Fair enough, it's a serious work of scholarship. Just not what I was up for.

The most interesting chapter is towards the end, "The Life and Culture of Classic Angkor". This is the cultural history that I was looking for, more interesting to me than the political history or archaeology. If you're impatient like me, maybe start with that chapter.