What an incredible book, i took so much away from it. A narrative that read like an adventure film, a heartbreaking true account of the plight of the people of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, an insight into how quickly what you have can be lost, how quickly a politically vulnerable country can be taken over by so little ammunition and so much stealth and obfuscation.
What surprised me was how currency was de-valued within three days of the people being driven from their homes, and how survival depended on family and guile.It is ironic that the author lost all of his family when the important message of the book is that family is all that counts.
Anybody who believes that socialism and communism ever work in practice should read this book, and be thankful that they have their freedom and their individuality.