Designed to assist the adventurous visitor to the region, the book is also an armchair traveler's introduction to many of the most historic and visually engaging monuments across seven nations: Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Malaysia. In addition to background on and descriptions of individual sites, the guide provides essential tips for travelers and an extensive reading list and glossary. The result of over twenty years of research and site visits by the author, archaeologist, and architectural conservator William Chapman, Ancient Sites of Southeast Asia provides a succinct overview of the region's many historic ruins and related sites.