The Uncrowned King of Cambodia: The Life of Lt Col E D (Moke) Murray
David P. Chandler and Anthony Barnett
Kerr Publishing: 2023
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Some people make history, others find themselves in the right place at the right time. Lieutenant Colonel E.D. Murray—“Moke” to friends and fellow officers—knew nothing about Cambodia, but for a few brief weeks towards the end of 1945, he was, in his own words, its “uncrowned king”.

After his return to the UK, the only comparable highlight in Moke’s military career as an officer of Gurkhas in the British Indian Army came in 1953, when he led the Gurkha contingent in the coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth II. He retired into obscurity thereafter.

• Tags: Anthony Barnett, Cambodia, David P. Chandler, Issue 28, Martin Stuart-Fox