Siam and the West, 1500-1700

Dirk Van der Cruysse traces the history of European-Siamese relations, from the arrival of the Portuguese around the beginning of the 16th century followed by the Dutch, British and French. Explorers, merchants, missionaries, and ambassadors came and went across the oceans, leaving behind vivid accounts of lengthy voyages, lavish courts and strange customs. Van der Cruysse weaves together material from journals, memoirs and other archival documents to construct an historical account. It was originally published as Louis XIV et le Siam .