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Rating: 
Summary: An interesting redundant account.
Review: An interesting but horrid book. It tells the reader the Khmer Rouge's atrocities in layman's terms. There are many disturbing, unforgettable images throughout the book. The short accounts, however, quickly begin to go in circles as many of the stories are similar. The education level of the victims' writing, also diminishes from the book. Dith Pran's decision to take the actual written accounts of these refugees proves to be a double-edged sword. Obtaining more accounts of Cambodians, who actually perpetrated in the persecution end of the "Angka Experiment", instead of the ongoing "victim's point of view," would have made this book much better. Also, the obvious lack of editing detracts from the book credibility. Nevertheless, it is difficult to be so judgmentful, considering the subject matter and the horrible experiences all these people faced. I believe Dith Pran left all these essays intact largely to show respect for the all victims. I give it 3 stars because, despite the flaws, it remains a capitvating book based on its truth. Children of Cambodia's Killings Fields is an important book. On a world view, the general public remains largely ignorant of what happened there, and what the mentality of Cambodia was like at the time. It answers a lot of important questions, albiet inefficiently.
Rating: 
Summary: Stories of the soul
Review: I read a lot of books Cambodia. This is yet another collection of stories about people who survived the holocaust. My heart is always touched by such stories. These types of books are always similar even though the stories are specific to individuals there are common themes. If you are interested in more personal accounts there are 2 others which I would recommend. "When Broken Glass Floats," and "First They Killed My Father."
Rating:
Summary: Repetitive but must be told
Review: The book is full of tragic stories that must be told, but is quite repetitive, and one feels that many of the stories are written with rather alot of assistance and therefore lose the genuine feeling and the language they were told in. The reader should remember that each person has a unique story, and that these are not necessarily representative of the stories of Cambodians or even Cambodian Americans as a whole.
Rating:
Summary: A sad story.
Review: These are the collected accounts of children who suffered untold atrocities under the Pol Pot regime such as torture, rape, starvation, beating, and killing. People were buried alive or thrown into a pot and cooked like fish or poultry. Others had their gallbladders and liver removed to serve as meals for the Khmer Rouge. This is the story of a revolution going haywire and of ruthless men who, in the name of distorted and senseless ideologies, inflicted pain, fear, terror, and death on their countrymen. Power not backed by strong moral values could only lead to barbarism.
Rating:
Summary: Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors
Review: This book of memoirs is deeply moving with one eulogy to a mother which I will never forget. It brought me to tears and crying out loud. Books such as these should be read by our youth before they enlist in the armed services. Naive Americans such as Jessica Lynch might not be so swept up by the manipulative promises of military recruiters if they became more informed before they enlist.
Rating:
Summary: Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors
Review: This is a good introduction for anyone who wants to learn about life under the Khmer Rouge. The stories may be different, but they all provide a vivid detail of children struggling to survive Pol Pot's regime.
Rating: 
Summary: Testimony to Pol Pot's failure and America's great promise.
Review: Twenty-nine essays compiled by Dith Pran, each written by a Cambodian who was still in childhood when Cambodia fell into Pol Pot's hands. Ben Kiernan ties the collection together so well in his introduction: "Children had to work like adults. Adults, given instructions like children, were treated like animals." As Kiernan notes, Pol Pot's efforts to build his twisted revolution on the backs of these children certainly backfired! The accompanying photos of the contributing authors and the details of their successful new lives in America will make any American recognize what a 'promised land' our country still remains. In so many many ways America has failed the Cambodian people, but most of those fortunate few who reached our shores have made successful lives for themselves and their families. The difficulties confronting those who remain in Cambodia today are seemingly insurmountable. As has been said so many times, every Cambodian has a story to tell, and a river of ink could not describe their nation's suffering. Dith Pran has once again served his people proudly with this touching collection.
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