Cambodia's Second Kingdom

Cambodia's Second Kingdom is an exploration of the role of nationalist imaginings, discourses, and narratives in Cambodia since the 1993 reintroduction of a multiparty democratic system.

Astrid Noren-Nilsson is a political science consultant, contributing author, and political and security analyst for various international concerns. She is vice president of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies (CISS), Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and former research fellow for KITLV, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Offers some interesting theoretical insights.... Most arguments are developed in a way that is theoretically and analytically interesting, as well as empirically rich. To that extent, the book is worth reading and is likely to gain attention at a time when liberal democracy, human rights, and globalization come under challenge and are still in retreat, as evident in various regions of the world, including Southeast Asia.

Cambodia’s Second Kingdom provides unique insight into the dynamics of Cambodian elites’ representations of their respective visions for the nation in multiparty politics after the United Nations-sponsored general election in 1993... [t]his book offers an excellent example of discourse analysis and will be a good reference on Cambodia’s domestic politics for years to come.

Kheang Un, Northern Illinois University:

Using a multidisciplinary approach and diverse sources, including elite interviews, Cambodia's Second Kingdom provides a novel analysis of nationalist imaginings of Cambodia by different political parties in the context of post–international democratic intervention electoral competition.