When The War Was Over: Cambodia And The Khmer Rough Revolution (Publicaffairs); Author: Becker, Elizabeth; Paperback

Author: Becker, Elizabeth
Publicaffairs Edition; Paperback
624 pages
Published: December 1998
The Perseus Books Group
ISBN: 1891620002

After the Khmer Rouge embarked on a revolution in 1975 that brought unprecedented terror and destruction to Cambodia, Elizabeth Becker, who covered the country for The Washington Post, was one of two American journalists allowed to return. When her visit ended with the murder of a fellow Western observer, Becker resolved to tell what happened after the revolution. In this powerful and authoritative account -- often told in the words of those who miraculously escaped -- Becker captures the essence of a nightmare: a capital city emptied, with everyone sent to the fields; the intelligentsia of the old society systematically hunted clown and often killed; scant food, poor shelter, and no relief from punishing work; a population ruled by terror; and routine torture and death.The Khmer Rouge revolution brought unprecedented terror and destruction to Cambodia. In this account, often told in the words of those who escaped, Becker captures the nightmare: a capital city emptied; the intelligentsia hunted down; scant food, poor shelter; and routine torture and death.