A Journey through
Indo-China by David Bowden & Mick Shippen was published by John Beaufoy
Publishing in September 2014. It is a paperback published in a large format,
ca. 23 x 28 cm.
In this beautiful book,
Bowden & Shippen take the reader on a journey through five countries in
Southeast Asia, whose names are listed in alphabetical order on the front cover:
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam.
A message on the
back cover explains the purpose of the book:
“A Journey through five remarkable countries, portraying through words and photographs the people, the sites and the scenery that make up this endlessly fascinating region.”
“A Journey through five remarkable countries, portraying through words and photographs the people, the sites and the scenery that make up this endlessly fascinating region.”
The main text is
divided into five chapters, one for each of the five countries. Inside the book, the order is
not alphabetical. Here is the table of contents:
** Chapter 1 –
Vietnam: Country of inspiring natural beauty
** Chapter 2 –
Cambodia: Home of the great Khmer civilization
** Chapter 3 –
Thailand: Land of intrigue and adventure
** Chapter 4 –
Laos: Country of mystery and intrigue
** Chapter 5 –
Myanmar: Land of the golden zedis
In each chapter,
the text is divided into several shorter sections by subheadings, which is very
reader-friendly. Each chapter begins with the same four sections: (a) a general
presentation; (b) geography and climate; (c) a brief history; and (d) the
capital. The remaining part of the chapter depends on the country. Each country
gets around 50 pages. The whole book has 256 pages.
The book opens
with an introduction by Philip Coggan (for more information about this person,
see below). The book ends with an index. There is no bibliography.
The text is lavishly illustrated with maps and photos. All illustrations are in colour. There are seven maps: two maps show all five countries: a political map and a physical map. In addition, five maps show the five countries one by one. In some books you have to look for the illustrations, because they are so few. In this book it is difficult to find a page which has no illustration.
The text is lavishly illustrated with maps and photos. All illustrations are in colour. There are seven maps: two maps show all five countries: a political map and a physical map. In addition, five maps show the five countries one by one. In some books you have to look for the illustrations, because they are so few. In this book it is difficult to find a page which has no illustration.
Bowden & Shippen (and their book-editor) have paid great attention to the layout, i.e. the combination of text and illustrations. In most cases, the text ends at the bottom of the page with a full stop (a period). The common situation where a sentence begins on one page and continues on the following page is almost never found in this book (there are a few exceptions, for instance in the introduction, in the chapter about Vietnam, and in the chapter about Thailand). Each page is an independent unit. This feature is very reader-friendly.
As far as I know,
the text is written by both authors. It is a joint venture. But this rule does
not apply to the illustrations. The photo credits are as follows:
** Vietnam – all
photos by Bowden, except a few
** Cambodia – all
photos by Shippen
** Thailand – all
photos by Shippen, except a few
** Laos – all
photos by Shippen
** Myanmar – all
photos by Shippen, except one
There is much to
like here. The text is clear and concise, and the quality of the illustrations is
high. Obviously, it is impossible to cover a country in depth in 50 pages. Therefore
Bowden & Shippen can only give us the basic facts, the highlights, the main
features and attractions in each of these five countries, but they do this
quite well. Their choice is generally sound.
This “Journey” is
not a guidebook, but tourism is a major element and the authors do on occasion offer
specific advice for travellers: a museum is recommended on page 80; a hotel on
page 225; and a cruise-ship on page 233. But practical suggestions such as
these are not the main purpose of this book. Perhaps I can call it an
appetizer.
The armchair
traveller can enjoy this book and never go anywhere. The real traveller can be
inspired by this book to visit one or several or maybe all the countries
covered here. To do this you will need a real guidebook in order to find more
comprehensive information about your destination, unless you prefer to rely on
the internet or chance.
While there is
much to like here, not everything in this book is as it should be. I have to
mention a few things which bother me. There are general problems and specific
problems.
GENERAL PROBLEMS
(1) The title of
the book is A Journey through Indo-China. There is a problem with the title.
Indo-china is the region located between India and China, and it comprises
seven countries: the five countries covered in the book plus Malaysia and
Singapore. But the latter two countries are not covered here. The decision to
exclude them is not explained anywhere.
The authors offer
a false definition of the term Indo-China. If they had called the book A
Journey through five Countries in Southeast Asia nobody could have complained
about the title. As it stands now, the title is misleading.
(2) Who are the
people behind the book? Bowden & Shippen are not identified anywhere. Looking
at the book, I guess they are travel writers and photographers, but I would
like to know a bit more: when were they born? Where were they born? Assuming
they no longer live in the country where they were born, I would like to know
where they are based now.
A search on the
internet reveals that Bowden was born in Australia and that he is currently
based in Malaysia. However, I still do not know when he was born. Searching the
internet, I came across a website established by Shippen himself. According to
this website, he is currently based in Thailand. But even here on his own
website he does not reveal where or when he was born.
What is the reason
for this wish to be so anonymous? If you want to publish books and articles,
you cannot at the same time insist on being anonymous. Why does the publisher
publish a book in which the main contributors are not identified in any way?
(3) Who is Philip
Coggan? On page 8, at the end of his introduction, he is identified as “a
writer and former diplomat with extensive experience in Southeast Asia.” This
is not much, but of course it is better than nothing. However, I would like to
know a bit more.
A search on the
internet reveals that there are in fact two persons out there in the public
light with the same special name: Philip Coggan. One is a columnist for the
Economist and a former journalist at the Financial Times. This is probably not
the one who wrote the introduction to this book. The other is a former diplomat
who was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1950, and who has written some books
about Cambodia, using the name P. J. Coggan. This is probably our man.
Since there are
two writers out there with the same special name, it becomes all the more
important to identify the one we have here; and all the more ridiculous that
this book is surrounded by so much anonymity.
(4) Searching for
information about the contributors, I discovered that Bowden has written a book
about Malaysia and a book about Singapore: Enchanting Malaysia (2012) and
Enchanting Singapore (2012, 2014). Both were published by John Beaufoy
Publishing, i.e. the publisher of the book under review here.
Armed with this
fact, I have to say: the omission of Malaysia and Singapore is not strange or
unfortunate, it is simply inexcusable. The authors had the chapters about these
countries ready, but for some reason they - or the publisher - decided to
exclude them. A most unfortunate decision.
(5) As stated
earlier, there is no bibliography. For each country, I would to see at least three
items: a book about history, a book about the current situation, and a guidebook.
For five countries, the total would be fifteen titles. With Malaysia and
Singapore included, the total would be 21 titles, which could easily be listed
on a single page. But Bowden & Coggan do not offer us anything. The lack of
a brief bibliography is unfortunate.
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS
(A) In his
introduction, Philip Coggan takes over the false definition of Indo-China and
uses it to make a false statement when he says “Indo-China is the land of … Buddhism
and orange-robed monks, of monasteries and temples and tall golden pagoda-spires”
(page 6).
If Malaysia and
Singapore are included among the countries of Indo-China, as they should be, it
is easy to see that this statement is totally false.
(B) Having taken
one step into the world of pure fantasy, Coggan decides to take one more when
he says (page 6):
“The universality of Buddhism and its teachings of non-violence and
compassion provide a clue to the extraordinary pleasantness of interpersonal
relations in every single country of the region: cause no harm, smile.”
The smile is
famous, but behind the smiling façade there is often a dark and sinister
reality. The notion that the history of the region is peaceful because of
Buddhism or any other reason is absurd. The peoples of this region have been
waging war against each other for centuries, and this fact is mentioned several
times in this book. Here is one example: the Burmese invaded and destroyed the
old Thai capital Ayutthaya in 1767 (page 114). Here is another: during the 19th century Cambodia was slowly disappearing, because Thailand was taking over the
land from the west, while Vietnam was doing the same from the east (page 69).
Coggan’s statement
is not only absurd, it is refuted by facts which are mentioned in the book.
This makes me wonder: did he actually read the book before he wrote his
introduction? It is hard to understand that a former diplomat can write such
utter nonsense.
Hostility between
the nations of Southeast Asia is not only a thing of the past: in January 2003
angry Cambodians burned down the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. They believed a
Thai actress had declared that Siem Reap and Angkor Wat belong to Thailand.
This event is not mentioned in the book.
During the years 2008-2011
there were several armed clashes between the army of Thailand and the army of
Cambodia. These battles along the border are not mentioned in the book.
(C) I have to object
to the last paragraph of Coggan’s introduction where he writes (page 8):
“And so
Indo-China goes on: in the villages time is measured by the turning wheel of a
bullock cart, as it has been for centuries.”
The statement
“Indo-China goes on” is true, but also trivial. This statement is true for
every region of the world, and therefore it is meaningless. To illustrate the
life in the rural areas he uses a special metaphor. An almost identical passage
appears on page 206 in the chapter about Myanmar:
“In rural Myanmar time is
marked by the slow turn of bullock cart wheels.”
Perhaps Coggan borrowed his
metaphor from this chapter? Perhaps he did read the book before he wrote his
introduction. If this is the case, I have to say: he did not learn or
understand much from it.
(D) In the chapter
about Vietnam we are told the Vietnam War “raged from 1961 to 1975” (page 12). While
the latter date is right, the former date is wrong. There are two wars: the
First Indo-china War, against the French, took place 1946-1954; the Second
Indo-china War, against the US, took place 1954-1975.
The French defeat
at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 is mentioned on page 18, and the location Dien Bien
Phu is mentioned on page 30. How can the authors think the Vietnam War begins
in 1961?
On page 19 Bowden
& Shippen try to explain why they have chosen 1961 as the beginning of the
war:
“America’s involvement officially started in 1961 when military advisors
were sent to assist the South Vietnamese in their struggle against the north.”
This explanation
does not help. They year 1961 is still wrong. The real US involvement in this
area began in 1950 when the US began to pay for the French war in Indo-china.
From 1950 to 1954, the US paid up to 80 per cent of the French expenses on the
war. Even with this significant US economic support, the French cause was a
lost cause. After the defeat at Dien Bien Phu they packed their bags and went
home.
The US took their
place. After many years of devastating war, the US had to face the same result
as the French: they could not win the war, so they evacuated the area in 1975.
(E) Norodom
Sihanouk is mentioned several times in the chapter about Cambodia (pp. 69-70).
But what happened to him later on? Bowden & Shippen do not tell us anything.
In my opinion: if an author begins a story about someone, he has to tell us the
end of the story as well, if it is possible. An author should not leave a story
unfinished. Bowden & Shippen tell us the beginning and the middle of the
story, but not the end. Here are the missing details (briefly):
Sihanouk was born
in 1922 and he was king two times: 1941-1955 and 1993-2004. He abdicated in
2004 because of poor health. He was replaced by one of his sons. He died in
2012. Incidentally, Sihanouk is not listed in the index.
(F) In the chapter
about Thailand there is a section about Bangkok. A caption on page 117 reads:
“The Skytrain carries commuters above the congestion, making the city a breeze
to get around. There is also an efficient underground system called the MRT.”
This caption is
true and false at the same time. There is a Skytrain, also known as the BTS,
but there are only two lines. There is a subway called the MRT, but there is
only one line. The BTS and the MRT are effective, but cover only a fraction of the
huge capital. If you are going to or coming from a part of Bangkok not covered
by them, it is not “a breeze” to get around.
(G) A caption on
page 129 reads:
“Visitors to Kanchanaburi can travel by train through beautiful
countryside to the Hell Fire Pass Memorial Museum, an honourable tribute to the
war dead.”
You can take the
train from Kanchanaburi to Namtok. But Namtok is the end of the line. The
distance from Namtok to Hell Fire Pass is about 15 km. You will have to take a
car or a bus to get to Hell Fire Pass. While the information about the train is
wrong, I agree with Bowden & Shippen when they recommend a visit to this
location.
(H) In the section
about Patong Beach in Phuket there is a picture of a jet-ski (page 149). It is
a beautiful picture, but something is missing here. The authors fail to mention
(and to warn the reader against) the widespread jet-ski scams which are
perpetrated in this destination. Try to google “jet-ski scams in Phuket” and
see how many hits you will get!
(I) In the chapter
about Laos, Bowden & Shippen mention and show the Li Phi waterfall, also
known as Tat Somphamit (page 201). I have no objection to this, but I am sorry
to see that they fail to mention and show the largest and most dramatic
waterfall in the south of Laos: Khon Phapheng waterfall, which is located where
the Mekong River flows into Cambodia.
(J) In the chapter
about Myanmar, there are two pictures of the famous cruise-ship the “Road to
Mandalay.” We are told it is run by Orient Express Hotels (page 233). This was
true. However, this company has recently changed its name to Belmond. Try to
google “Belmond” if you wish to find more information about river cruises in
Myanmar.
(K) I have to add
a comment about golfing, which is for some reason considered a sport. This
topic is mentioned once in the chapter about Cambodia (pp. 80, 81) and once in
the chapter about Thailand (page 128). I can accept that. I can live with that.
However, in the chapter about Vietnam it is mentioned no less than four times:
** Page 34 – Lang
Co (text)
** Page 39 –
Montgomerie Links (text)
** Page 45 – Dalat
Palace (photo)
** Page 47 – Ocean
Dunes Golf Club (photo)
Is it really
necessary to mention golfing four times? I think this is overkill and I object
to hearing so much about the blessings of golfing. In particular because the
authors completely ignore the negative effects of golfing:
An average golf
course in a tropical country such as Thailand needs 1,500 kilos of chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides per year and uses as much water as
60,000 rural villagers.
For more
information, see for instance Kit Wheeler & John Nauright, “A global
perspective on the environmental impact of golf,” Sport in Society, vol. 9, no.
3, July 2006, pp. 423-443; see also Ben Adler, “The case against golf,” The
Guardian, 14 June 2007. Try to google “the global anti-golf movement” to find
more information about this topic.
CONCLUSION
How many stars does this book deserve? It is a difficult decision, because I have mixed feelings about it. When I look at the illustrations, I want to give it five stars. But when I consider the title and the text, I cannot be so generous.
CONCLUSION
How many stars does this book deserve? It is a difficult decision, because I have mixed feelings about it. When I look at the illustrations, I want to give it five stars. But when I consider the title and the text, I cannot be so generous.
The title is
misleading. Two chapters are missing (Malaysia and Singapore). The introduction
is hopeless. The text is flawed in several ways, and there is no bibliography.
Therefore I cannot give this book more than three stars.
***
David Bowden &
Mick Shippen,
A Journey through Indo-China,
John Beaufoy
Publishing, 2014, 256 pages
***
