The IndoChina Chronicles

In this insightful travelogue, American war veteran Phil Karber takes you on a journey down the roads, rivers and rails of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. He writes insightfully about the political effect of the Vietnam War on the people and places, adding a whole new perspective on the region’s history and culture. Accompanied by a friend, London artist Simon Redington, they follow the Mekong River from China to Saigon, to the infamous Tiger Cages on Con Son Island, and to the city sidewalks of Hanoi, where the author lived for five years.Along the way, the stories will capture your imagination and transport you to a beautiful region, undaunted by war and poverty. Indeed, this book brings to life the harsh realities of the region’s history, culture, politics and people. Together with its unforgettable images of locals, veterans and expatriates, this transcends normal expectations of travel literature.


Phil Karber was born in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas on Halloween, 1951. In late 1998, he was residing in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he took five years to write this book, The Indochina Chronicles . He is married to Joellen Lambiotte, who works in international reproductive health, has two grown children, Maggie and Wes, and a grandchild, Parker. Following a successful career in business, and sending the children off to university, he joined Joellen in Nairobi, Kenya in the mid-nineties. While living there he wrote his first book, Yak Pizza to Go! He now divides his time between his residence in Bangkok, Thailand, and the developing world destinations to which he frequently travels.