Enchanted Land by Graham Jefcoate

Enchanted Land

Foreign Writings About Chiang Mai in the Early 20th Century

Graham Jefcoate

River Books · Print & ebook · May 19, 2023

A century ago, northern Thailand (or Siam as it was then known) was home to small communities of Westerners, many of them British diplomats and foresters (like Reginald Le May and Reginald Campbell) or American missionaries (like Lucy Starling and Mary Lou O’Brien).

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
Early-20th-century writings trace Westerners’ hopes, work, daily lives, and attachment to northern Thailand.
Themes
Personal hopes and challenges, Westerners' daily lives in Siam, Attachment to northern Thailand
Genres
Southeast Asian History, Personal Memoirs, Southeast Asia Travel

About this book

A century ago, northern Thailand (or Siam as it was then known) was home to small communities of Westerners, many of them British diplomats and foresters (like Reginald Le May and Reginald Campbell) or American missionaries (like Lucy Starling and Mary Lou O’Brien). Though few in number, they left behind a considerable written legacy.

Continue reading

The writing is invariably personal and often vivid, describing their hopes and aspirations, the challenges they faced in their work and daily lives, and their attachment to this enchanted land. This book makes a selection of that writing accessible to a wide readership, much of it for the first time. The texts are illustrated by 65 evocative photographs, many of them contemporary.

Northern Thailand Writings

Early-20th-century writings trace Westerners’ hopes, work, daily lives, and attachment to northern Thailand.

Come here for

  • Personal writings by British diplomats and foresters
  • Accounts by American missionaries

Expect

  • Selected writings, many accessible for the first time
  • 65 photographs, many contemporary

Where it sits

Southeast Asian History93%
Southeast Asia Travel45%
Personal Memoirs27%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Personal Memoirs
  • Southeast Asia Travel
  • Literary Travel
Authors
Graham Jefcoate
Publisher
River Books
Published
May 19, 2023
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Personal hopes and challenges · Westerners' daily lives in Siam · Attachment to northern Thailand
Reading lane
Personal Memoirs