Between 1970 and 1975 Jon Swain, the English journalist portrayed in David Puttnam's film, The Killing Fields, lived in the lands of the Mekong river. This is his account of those years, and the way in which the tumultuous events affected his perceptions of life and death as Europe never could. He also describes the beauty of the Mekong landscape - the villages along its banks, surrounded by mangoes, bananas and coconuts, and the exquisite women, the odours of opium, and the region's other face - that of violence and corruption.
River Of Time
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"A remarkable heart-breaking book" (Gavin Young )
"Jon Swain's powerful and moving book goes further than anything else I have read towards explaining the appeal of Indo-China and its tragic conflicts... A brilliant and unsettling examination of the age-old bonds between death, beauty, violence and the imagination, which came together in Vietnam and nowhere else" (J. G. Ballard Sunday Times )
"An absolutely riveting book... Haunting, compulsive and beautifully written, River of Time looks set to become a classic" (Alexander Frater Observer )
"His book is a damning indictment and a triumphant witness. Brief, wrenching, it is surely the freshest and most sensitive account of those times" (Michael Binyon The Times )
"A sombre, magnificent book" (Daily Mail )
"Jon Swain's powerful and moving book goes further than anything else I have read towards explaining the appeal of Indo-China and its tragic conflicts... A brilliant and unsettling examination of the age-old bonds between death, beauty, violence and the imagination, which came together in Vietnam and nowhere else" (J. G. Ballard Sunday Times )
"An absolutely riveting book... Haunting, compulsive and beautifully written, River of Time looks set to become a classic" (Alexander Frater Observer )
"His book is a damning indictment and a triumphant witness. Brief, wrenching, it is surely the freshest and most sensitive account of those times" (Michael Binyon The Times )
"A sombre, magnificent book" (Daily Mail )
Book Description
'A romantic, evocative and touching book, the story of a young man's coming-of-age in the shocking but desperately alluring war zones of Cambodia and Vietnam' Sunday Telegraph
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book while in Phnom Penh and reading it while there, added a poignancy to an already heart-rending experience. The first lines of the book said it all to me because I fell in love with the Mekong myself, and the people who live on its banks. Jon Swain's book River of Time touched me like Cambodia touched me and I came away from the country utterly entranced. The author depicts the lush beauty of these countries excellently, as well as the filth of war with its utter despair and futility. Swain has put into words my own sadness and imcomprehension of the Pol Pot regime, as well as the hope and good humour these people still possess. His power of description is marvellous and I recommend it whole-heartedly to anyone who wants to or has experienced the lands of the Mekong.
43 of 44 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I read this book after a three week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia at the end of last year (and having had numerous badly photocopied versions thrust at me on the streets of Saigon!) I had visited many of the places that Jon wrote about and, like him and many many others, was captivated by it all in a way that is difficult to put your finger on. This book is nothing less than a love story but a very sad and poignant one - you can literally feel Jon's heartache as he realises that the countries have been changed forever by the massive political upheaval and events throughout the 1970s, which he witnessed so closely.
I think the book spoke to me more because I had recently visited the area but I would like to think that other readers would enjoy it despite having not gone there. It is beautifully written but in an easy style - I read it over a few evenings. It is the sort of book you can't put down but don't want it to end. The circumstances of reading it obviously influenced me greatly but this is definitely one of the best books that I have ever read. Highly recommended.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read Jon Swain's book 'River of Time' a number of times. It is an incredibly moving story. Young journalist makes his way to Indochina to cover the wars in Vietnam and Cambodia in the course of which he becomes emotionally attached to the place. I guess Jon Swain will never be able to detach himself emotionally from Indo-China. You can read that right through the whole book.
'River of Time' is a gruesome tale. Jon Swain gives a vivid description of the civil war in Cambodia, the fall of Phnom Penh and the final days at the French Embassy (also depicted in 'The Killing Fields' and in Francois Bizot's 'The Gate') and the end of Khmer Rouge rule in 1979 and the day after. He also covers the Vietnam War quite well and its end and gives a most horrendous account on the boat people and their fate. Swain's kidnapping by the Tigre People's Liberation Front in Ethiopia seems oddly out of place with this Indo-China tale, but to me it seemed emotionally important for understanding the rest of the book.
For anyone interested in Indo-China this is compulsory reading.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent
Loved the first hand account of the fall of Phnom Penh. But he talks a lot about all the things he got up to as a young journalist in south east Asia like the opium dens and those... Read more
Published 14 days ago by E
5.0 out of 5 stars
A really enjoyable read
Jon Swain's recount of his time in Vietnam and Cambodia offered a unique insight into a war journalists experiences during the war in India-China. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Linda Morris
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good intro to history of the region
I didnt know anything about indo-china and liked learining about it from the perspective of the author's personal/professional experience... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Amy K. Raisbeck
5.0 out of 5 stars
Makes you feel like you were there and wish you could have helped.
Such a harrowing time in the history of Vietnam and Cambodia. Written with honesty and passion. This book was much better than I anticipated it could be. Read more
Published 3 months ago by christopher j lawson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping read
This is even better than Sea of Poppies. I am waiting with impatience for the third book in this wonderful trilogy.
Published 4 months ago by Maureen Blake
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read
Succint & very readable version of events in Cambodia. Having just visited Cambodia it was a great book to read.
Published 4 months ago by Dennis Butcher
5.0 out of 5 stars
travel
A very readable book about the author's time in Indo China around the time of the evacuation of the French Embassy in Saigon
Published 5 months ago by Gigha
5.0 out of 5 stars
A story of great beauty, poingnancy and courage.
I have the very great honour to count Jon Swain amongst my friends.
An easy and almost jaunty exterior camouflages a man who loves to love but hides supreme courage with an... Read more
An easy and almost jaunty exterior camouflages a man who loves to love but hides supreme courage with an... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Christopher Morgan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cambodian Nightmare relived
The book is important as a testament to the lives of those who lived through a nightmare and an important memorial to those who did not survive. Thank you Jon Swain.
Published 9 months ago by Prospective Gapper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping first hand account of the Vietnam war
Jon Swain spent many years in Vietnam, and obviously left his heart there. He was brave, curious and meticulous, indispensable features of a good reporter, especially a war... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Marco Carnovale
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