Maritime Southeast Asia to 500 (Sources and Studies in World History)

This is a really good read for those touring Southeast Asia. It is concise introduction to the history of the area outlining what has made the political development of the area very different than that in the west. While 1500 may seem like an odd date, this includes the construction of the iconic Angkor Wat, ending where the western age of exploration begins. If you have any interest in Silk Roads or the ancient trade routes between Asia and medieval Europe, it is covered here. Since this is an older volume I read a more recent book, A History of Early of SE Asia by Ken Hall, to fact check. I was pleased to find the Shaffer book on Amazon to add to my personal library.