I am am going to be traveling to Bangkok, Siem Reap, and Vientiane in a few weeks. I am hoping to read a non-travel book that gives a broad outline of the history of Southeast Asia from Ancient to modern times. Do you guys know of any that would place greater emphasis upon the area that I will be traveling than Vietnam for example. Thanks for your help.

I'm familiar with the fact that Great-Britain saw russia's expanding power in the east as a threat to it's own, but the threaty at Portsmouth was the first one where a western civilised civilization had to give concessions to an eastern country. The victory of Japan caused a chain reaction which set an eastern decolonisation in movement wich probably had worse consequences for Great-Britain?

I understand why they needed the Office of Censorship, to protect classified info, etc., but in a country where freedom of press is so heavily valued how did FDR justify it to the public? And what would've happened if someone challenged it all the way to the Supreme Court? Was it constitutional?

Would prefer the answer to this question to be focused more on japan and united states

Normally I wouldn't read a book that has been criticized so heavily, but I feel like I may be in a situation where it'd be a good idea. Diamond is a professor at my school and I feel like it may be interesting to take his Geography class (which I've heard is based almost entirely on the book). Is the book so worthless that it's not even worth reading, or does it just raise some contentious ideas? Would you guys take the class if you were in my position?

Was there a standard rate they were paid at? i.e. were the soldiers of the group paid their normal army wages? Or was there an amount (or bonus) specifically for the expedition?

I just finished watching The Lives of Others and it got me thinking: after the fall of the Berlin Wall, what happened to the East German government, its workers/industry, and the Stasi? Were any Stasi members tried for crimes in the new government?

(All this is assuming I don't live near a big constructed road)

Over the years, it's not been uncommon for people to collect old Coke bottles and cans. Is anyone aware of any still in existence with the notorious ingredient?

Pretty much have always been taught that the pharaohs of the time were pretty cruel. But how do we know. Was there some Egyptian official writing about the pyramids construction? How much do we know about the ancient Egyptian government and how? Thank you.

Before the bombing of Japan, did the U.S. consider the economic costs to themselves (in the sense that the U.S. knew beforehand that they would be financing and aiding the rebuilding afterwards), the value to and impact of the site's historical structures that would be loss and how it would affect not their own culture but the ours as well, and perhaps the overall U.S. image and world view due to the loss of life from dropping the bomb?

If so then to what extent and how much consideration was given?

Can you recommend a good source for further reading solely on the planning and strategizing process that took place during the target selection?

I'm doing research for my book. My main character, Bayard, is a peasant. He joins the rebellion, which arranged for death of a minor noble family, (it was the only one they could kill without being slaughtered) burned and disfigured Bayard to make his face unrecognizable and sent him to court pretending to be their son. How likely is this? What are other ways for peasants to become powerful?

Why not some other group?

Also, what is the first major historical example of this? Where did it begin?

Bit of a weird, broad question, but I wanted to ask a question about the Balkans and not an obvious one! The disintegration of Yugoslavia is a bigger question and it's easier to read up on it, but when it comes to ALBANIA very little is talked about. So I want to know about the League of Prizren! I've been to the city and seen the relevant building myself, and I'm interested in gaining a deeper understanding. Originally the League seemed very pro-imperial, sot I'd like to learn more about the march toward Albania's independence in 1912 and thus the idea of an Albanian Republic.

And what would it be equivalent to in modern currency

I was told by a European History teacher that the Battle of Waterloo was significant for being the first battle with over a million combatants. However, I have read before that the French had about 70,000 men in their army, while the coalition had about double that amount. When I brought it up, he said that those figures were incorrect. I didn't want to argue about it right there, so I just dropped it. Now, I want to set the record straight here. Were there a over a million combatants at Waterloo?

Edit: I a word

For context, I live in the South and many people around my grandfather's age of 65-80 here that I've met say similar things. Is it based off of a strong sense of nationalism, or something else? Thanks!

I'm doing a history essay on Zika, and its comparisons to other disease outbreaks. I'm wanting to comapre it to the rubella outbreak of the 1960s in the US, but I need suitable primary material (I'm thinking that newspapers at the time is the best source to go for). Does anyone know of any websites that will allow me to at least search for Washington Post/NY Times/other large papers and at least preview the article? Any help would be gratefully appreciated