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<TITLE>New Book: Prince Damrong's Biography of King Naresuan (translated and annotated by Kennon Breazeale)</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>A new book released last week:<BR>
<BR>
A BIOGRAPHY OF KING NARESUAN THE GREAT HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab<BR>
Translated and edited by Kennon Breazeale<BR>
Toyota Thailand Foundation and The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Science and Humanities Textbooks Project, 214 pp, 600 baht<BR>
ISBN 978-974-06-9716-9<BR>
<BR>
Review:<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.bangkokpost.com/210608_Outlook/21Jun2008_out006.php">http://www.bangkokpost.com/210608_Outlook/21Jun2008_out006.php</A><BR>
<BR>
An annotated bibliography of works by Prince Damrong<BR>
also written by Kennon Breazeale was also launched.<BR>
The diversity of topics he wrote about is pretty stunning.<BR>
>From Thai drama (Inao) to a history of the front palace,<BR>
to a history of Thai musical instruments, to ceramic wares,<BR>
to histories of Wats and Monks, to chronological systems,<BR>
to conversations with a beggar and a thief (to find out<BR>
more about this type of person), to incognito inspection<BR>
tours, to an account of the first train trip in Thailand<BR>
and a comparison with how difficult it was to travel by foot<BR>
before this, really quite amazing.<BR>
<BR>
The book launching event for the press last weekend,<BR>
which I attended, was also quite amazing.<BR>
A two day whirlwind tour through Ayutthaya,<BR>
Lopburi, overnight in the hills of Petchabun, dinner by a lake,<BR>
listening to interesting anecdotes about history and politics<BR>
from Charnvit Kasetsiri and Chris Baker,<BR>
climbing a steep mountain to Thamorat Cave<BR>
to see ancient Buddha images, everyone got lost, traveling over<BR>
three separate paths, apparently because no one has really gone<BR>
there since Jim Thompson disappeared. Then a trip to Sithep,<BR>
not only the interesting park, but a new gigantic laterite jedi that<BR>
had just been uncovered that reminded everyone of Borobudur in Java.<BR>
Although Chris Baker did say that he saw this mound 20 years ago.<BR>
<BR>
Overall very interesting and informative. Certainly, a nice way<BR>
to get motivated and start reading about "Dvaravati" and<BR>
archaeological sites in the Northeast. I believe it was<BR>
all funded by the Toyota Thailand Foundation, quite generous.<BR>
<BR>
Jon Fernquest<BR>
Bangkok Post, Education<BR>
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