I am delighted to acknowledge the help and encouragement I’ve received while working on this book. Research began in 1987, when Sally Furgeson, then with Westview Press, wrote to suggest that I write a biography of Pol Pot. I was attracted by the challenge and accepted it at once, but because of prior commitments I wasn’t able to begin writing until 1990. I’m grateful to Ms. Furgeson and to Susan McEachern, who took over the project for Ms. Furgeson, for their patience and support. As the manuscript was being written and later, when she went over it, Ms. McEachern made many helpful suggestions. Deborah Lynes, the book’s editor, made helpful comments at several stages, and I benefited enormously from Michele Kendall’s fastidious, perceptive copyediting.

The Australian Research Council provided a generous grant, twice renewed, that defrayed the costs of research and overseas travel. At various times, I also received financial assistance from Yale University, the Social Science Research Council (New York), California State University at Long Beach, the Institute of International Strategic Studies, and the outside studies program of Monash University (Australia).

Kate Frieson, Christopher Goscha, Stephen Heder, and Serge Thion read the manuscript and suggested many improvements. My wife, Susan, read three successive versions. Without her insights and editorial skill, the book would be clumsier and more obtuse. Over the years, my work on Cambodia has profited from many discussions with these people, as well as with Nayan Chanda, Justin Corfield, May Ebihara, Claude Jacques, Ben Kiernan, Judy Ledgerwood, Jacques Nepote, Lionel Vairon, and Michael Vickery. Several of these friends have generously provided me with material from their personal archives unavailable elsewhere. My debts to the pioneering work on Cambodian radicalism by Heder, Kiernan, Thion, and Vickery should be apparent in the notes. When the book was nearly complete, I profited from the research in progress of J. Thomas Engelbert and Christopher Goscha; this research, since published, provided many valuable insights.

The collection of material took me to Cambodia, Canada, France, Thailand, and the United States. For hospitality and help in arranging interviews, I am particularly grateful to Lionel Vairon, Judy Ledgerwood, Mika Levesque, Tom Sakara, Suon Kaset Sokho, Serge Thion, Hin Sithan, Charles F. Keyes, and Vora Huy Kanthoul.