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Survival in the Killing Fields
Haing S. Ngor, Roger Warner

Best known for his academy award-winning role as Dith Pran in "The Killing Fields", for Haing Ngor his greatest performance was not in Hollywood but in the rice paddies and labour camps of war-torn Cambodia. Here, in his memoir of life under the Khmer Rouge, is a searing account of a country's descent into hell. His was a world of war slaves and execution squads, of senseless brutality and mind-numbing torture; where families ceased to be and only a very special love could soar above the squalor, starvation and disease. An eyewitness account of the real killing fields by an extraordinary survivor, this book is a reminder of the horrors of war - and a testament to the enduring human spirit.

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This is an incredible account of Haing Ngor's life prior to, during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Tragic stories, heatbreaking scenes and an unbelievable struggle to survive under the communist rule of Pol Pot.

One of the saddest aspects I found was that Haing sought sanctuary in America, but unfortunately he was shot dead in LA by a street gang who stole his locket which had the only picture of his wife who died under the Khmer Ruge rule.

This book is a must read. It is not graphic when dealing with death and torture as some books tend to be and lets the imagination work out the detail, which is enough. There is not much else I can say about this except read it and think how lucky we are.