"The extraordinary engineering feat of the Thai-Burma Railway, or the Line as it is often called, was built with a slave labour force. A mixture of Australian, Asian, British, Dutch and American men built 688 bridges-eight made of steel and concrete-viaducts, cuttings, embankments and kilometres and kilometres of railway track through thick malarial jungle. The men of the Line died of starvation, torture and disease at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army-here are their stories."--Provided by publisher.

Publisher’s note: This book has been previously published. A new scene has been added for re-release with Ai Press. Book six in the White Tigers Series All Nat wants to do is tie the knot with Ryu, the hot lover who's captured him, body, heart and soul. But a mistake in his past binds him, possibly for good, and he must risk everything to free himself or lose Ryu forever. Four months ago on assignment to protect Ryu from a psychopathic gangster, ex-boxing champion-turned-cop Nat Phoenix fell in love with his sexy charge. Four months later, Nat's feelings have only deepened and all he wants to do is exchange vows with Ryu, the White Tiger who has completely captured his heart, body and soul. But before Nat has a chance to pop the question, tragedy forces him back to Bangkok where he must stand trial, accused of serious misconduct on the very case that brought him and Ryu together. Could he be facing prison and what could be a permanent separation from Ryu? He won't let Ryu come to his aid which would mean giving up his boxing career and fading chances at glory. And Ryu would give those all up in a heartbeat to help Nat, but for another emergency that keeps him in Tokyo. Forced to stay behind, Ryu must confront the demons that threaten his and Nat's bond and fight for the love he's waited for his whole life...

This extraordinary book is an intimate portrait of Thailand’s ladyboys: the men who have chosen to become women. Funny, passionate, angry and provocative, Ladyboys is a no-holds-barred look at the secret lives of Thailand’s transsexual men. The book offers intimate details of the lives that they’ve never publicly revealed. They talk about the choices they’ve made, their relationships, families, frustrations and hopes. The stories include those of an exotic cabaret performer, a sex worker and even a Muay Thai boxing champion. Ladyboys will leave you amused, saddened, and entertained.

"Wanna stand in the face of a charging elephant, get hit by a motorcycle, eat giant water bugs, blowtorch your mouth on some of the hottest chili peppers on earth, then go watch a sex change operation? Of course you don't, but, happily, Jerry Hopkins has done all that and more--lots more--in this darkly humorous, deeply affectionate, clear-eyed but never patronizing portrait of Thailand, his adopted home. Highly recommended." --Tim Cahill, author of Lost in My Own Backyard, Hold the Enlightenment and Jaguars Ripped My Flesh "After over a decade in the country, Hopkins knows and loves his subject dearly--that much is obvious--and his vivid portrait projects that love from every page." --Jann Wenner, editor and founder of Rolling Stone Magazine "A loving expose of everything that's wonderful about Thailand, and much that isn't. Should be required reading for all newcomers." --Joe Cummings, author of the Lonely Planet Thailand Guide Writer Jerry Hopkins came to Thailand for a visit in the 1980s, and ended up a permanent resident with a temporary visa--a big, white farang haunting the bars and back alleys of Bangkok. His essays explore the mystery and mayhem of "The Land of Smiles" to hilarious--and sometimes disturbing--effect. Travel with him to a place where whisky is rum, water buffaloes are gay, insects are dinner, dildos are lucky charms, and your wildest adolescent fantasies can come true (for a nominal fee).

Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and is now the world's longest-serving monarch. This book tells the unexpected story of his life and 60-year rule: how a Western-raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha; and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political, autocratic, and even brutal. Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the king's youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skilful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom. Blasting apart the widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley convincingly portrays an anti-democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, has protected a centuries-old, barely-modified feudal dynasty. When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne after the still-unsolved shooting of his brother, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, crushing critics while attaining high status among his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailand's unique constitutional monarch in the full light of the facts.