On June 6, 1913, George Groslier, a twenty-six year old French explorer, set out with a small group of native porters on a six-month trek in the Cambodian wilderness. A millennium earlier, the Khmer empire had ruled the entire region. In the 15th century, however, the kingdom mysteriously collapsed, with dense jungle quickly covering its fabulous temples. The French government charged Groslier with documenting the most remote edifices of the Khmer legacy - among them Preah Vihear, Wat Phu, Beng Melea and Banteay Chhmar - sites that remain isolated even a century later. This modern edition - enhanced with 75 period illustrations and detailed appendices - offers readers the first English translation of the dangers, discoveries and people encountered on his solitary adventure. Groslier’s impressions and insights still fascinate those who, even today, seek answers in the ancient shrines of Cambodia. What we find in the shadow of Angkor is not merely an extraordinary example of a dead civilization…but a dead civilization whose torches have been kept alight and shine on. George Groslier - Tonle Repou, July 12, 1913 The re-publication of Groslier’s book is a cause for celebration. While much interest stems from descriptions of these temples as he saw them in 1913 - when they were indeed virtually unknown to more than a few western scholars - there is much more to be found in this book of lyrical, and at times poetic, writing. Milton Osborne - Foreword