Two unpublished books tell the story of Cambodia in the 1950s, between history and family life

AN Studio has just announced the release of two major historical works on Cambodia, now available in EPUB and print formats. These works are sure to interest enthusiasts of Cambodia, its people, history, and culture, exploring the years 1952 to 1954, a key period marked by the kingdom's independence.

The first work, KHMERS by Raymond J. Briault, is a monograph that traces the Cambodian people, their history, religion, and the decisive steps leading to their independence in 1953 under King Norodom Sihanouk Varman.

This book, of great historical value, has been reissued in a revised second edition by André Briault and Rachel Briault Roberge, heirs of Raymond J. Briault.

The original version, published in 1957 by Lemac in Montreal, was printed in 1000 copies. The new edition is offered in EPUB format and as a hardcover or softcover printed book.

In parallel, the second book, Une famille au Royaume du Cambodge, presents a unique collection of unpublished photos taken between 1952 and 1954 by Raymond J. Briault, illustrating family life in Cambodia during that time. This rare photographic testimony revives memories of a journey to the end of the world, that of a Quebecois family who were witnesses and indirect actors of this historical era.

The author explains:

"For more than four decades, dad's collection of photos sat in boxes and traveled with the family from one house to another, either under the responsibility of our brother Marc — now deceased — or that of Rachel or myself.

The collection only waited to see the light of day to remind friends and grandchildren of our family’s story, at a time when travel for tourism was still a dream for future generations. Whereas today crossing the globe is so easy, in the post-war era, air travel was mostly reserved for military and diplomats, and no one today can imagine such a journey.

We left the tranquility of Montreal life in the 1950s to go far away, to Southeast Asia, which mom called the "end of the world." I was then four years old, and my whole world revolved around mom and the toys that accompanied me so far.

I never would have thought that this epic journey would color a large part of my life with its significant events; for even today, they remain as clearly in my memory as they did then — whether during my own travels, in my reading, or in conversations with family, friends, or others who find it hard to imagine that these events truly took place.

It seemed appropriate to me to inventory the documents we had, clean the black and white photos — now quite faded — sort them, and finally digitize everything to produce an anthology of dad’s photographs.

It should be noted that this book is not a technological feat: we did our best with the low resolution of the paper prints, barely larger than a business card, and the fact that we had lost all the negatives.

Dad had made his own prints with a 35 mm enlarger, in our Montreal home between 1954 and 1956, and the chosen size corresponded to about twice that of the original negative. Which, converted to digital, is hardly sufficient to deliver superior quality — not to mention the degradation of the silver paper after sixty years."

About Raymond J. Briault

Before his mission in Cambodia as the head of UNESCO's Technical Assistance Mission, Raymond Briault was a recognized expert in education and social welfare in Canada. A philosopher by training, he devoted ten years to adult and popular education, even participating in an international UNESCO congress on basic education in 1950.

In Cambodia, during the Indochina war, he held a delicate position, embodying a tradition of understanding between French and Cambodian cultures. His work is a sincere and critical testimony towards both France and Cambodia. It calls for a necessary awareness of an Asian people and civilization, whose solidarity with the contemporary world cannot be denied.

Ordering the Books

The monograph KHMERS is available in EPUB format on Kobo, as well as in printed versions (hardcover around 95 CAD, softcover around 70 CAD), with international delivery from Kuala Lumpur in 3 to 4 weeks. To order the printed version, contact directly via email: aberiault@protonmail.com

Une famille au Royaume du Cambodge, with its restored photos, is also available in EPUB on Kobo, as well as printed with hardcover (around 160 CAD) or softcover (around 135 CAD), worldwide delivery included. Also available on the Blurb-Amazon publication website.