[Tlc] New Book: Prince Damrong's Biography of King Naresuan (translated and annotated by Kennon Breazeale)

[Fernquest Jon]

A new book released last week:

A BIOGRAPHY OF KING NARESUAN THE GREAT HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab
Translated and edited by Kennon Breazeale
Toyota Thailand Foundation and The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Science and Humanities Textbooks Project, 214 pp, 600 baht 
ISBN 978-974-06-9716-9

Review:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/210608_Outlook/21Jun2008_out006.php

An annotated bibliography of works by Prince Damrong 
also written by Kennon Breazeale was also launched. 
The diversity of topics he wrote about is pretty stunning.
>From Thai drama (Inao) to a history of the front palace,
to a history of Thai musical instruments, to ceramic wares,
to histories of Wats and Monks, to chronological systems, 
to conversations with a beggar and a thief (to find out
more about this type of person), to incognito inspection 
tours, to an account of the first train trip in Thailand
and a comparison with how difficult it was to travel by foot 
before this, really quite amazing.

The book launching event for the press last weekend, 
which I attended, was also quite amazing. 
A two day whirlwind tour through Ayutthaya, 
Lopburi, overnight in the hills of Petchabun, dinner by a lake,
listening to interesting anecdotes about history and politics
from Charnvit Kasetsiri and Chris Baker, 
climbing a steep mountain to Thamorat Cave
to see ancient Buddha images, everyone got lost, traveling over 
three separate paths, apparently because no one has really gone 
there since Jim Thompson disappeared. Then a trip to Sithep,
not only the interesting park, but a new gigantic laterite jedi that
had just been uncovered that reminded everyone of Borobudur in Java.
Although Chris Baker did say that he saw this mound 20 years ago.

Overall very interesting and informative. Certainly, a nice way 
to get motivated and start reading about "Dvaravati" and 
archaeological sites in the Northeast. I believe it was
all funded by the Toyota Thailand Foundation, quite generous. 

Jon Fernquest
Bangkok Post, Education
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