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Guide To Northern Thailand And The Ancient Kingdom Of Lanna Review

Northern Thailand, the location of the ancient kingdom called Lan-na whose capital was at Chiang Mai, is less well-known than Bangkok and the south. However, now that interest and tourism in this area is increasing, there is more of a need for information about this part of Thailand; Freeman's book is both timely and welcome.

As with the other books in Freeman's series, this is a guide to the temples, not a full-service guidebook. You still need a Fodor's, Lonely Planet, or whatever guidebook to plan the day-to-day practicalities of your stay. Once you get there, however, you will find Freeman's book to be essential in deciding what to see and in understanding what you are looking at. His expertise, writing, and photography remain unsurpassed.

The only criticisms I have about the book are that (1) it lacks a glossary (I recommend you jot down the definition and page location of unfamiliar terms, the first time they come up; you will thank yourself later,) and (2) the index is not up to par (for example, there is no index entry for the Emerald Buddha.)

But these are only minor criticisms. If your travels or studies take you to the temples of Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand, this book will be a very useful and valued companion.

Guide To Northern Thailand And The Ancient Kingdom Of Lanna Overview

The country that we now refer to as Thailand only achieved its present form in the nineteenth century. Before that, there flourished Lanna (meaning "One million rice fields"), a region whose documented history began in the eighth century; in 1931 it was incorporated into Siam and ceased to exist as a political entity, but its cultural influence is far reaching. Superbly illustrated throughout, Michael Freeman's book shows how the Lanna culture remains as distinctive as ever. What the modern-day visitor sees owes its existence to an incredible number of influences, for the people of Lanna included the Tai Yuan, the Tai Lu, the Shan, the Mon and the Siamese. How they settled in the Lanna valleys, and the subsequent development of the region, can be traced in the art and architecture that still survive today. Taking the region valley by valley, the author explains how the principal cities and sites developed, but most important, he provides a fascinating guide to "Thailand's northern kingdom" as it is nowadays—including houses, temples, its art and its people—all accompanied by stunning photography.

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Customer Reviews

Missing Pages in All Copies? - Howard A. Daniel III - Deltaville, VA USA
After receiving the book yesterday, I flipped through the pages and immediately noticed pages 177-192 are missing! Is every copy like this?










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