Reprint of the original, first published in 1874.

The book presents an informative and well-sourced look at Siam in the 1800s. It provides a historical background of the country, its tradition, religion, beliefs, and daily life.

"Siam : The Land of the White Elephant as It Was and Is" by George B. Bacon. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

This book is a compilation from the annals of history. Taken from first-hand accounts of explorers, missionaries and traders from the West's earliest contact, this is a faithful synthesis of Thai history, culture and ethnography as they knew and observed it. George Bacon brings together the history of these tumultuous times, along with cultural description, a large extent of geographic knowledge, and insight into the people and their lives. He does all of this with a clear focus and a generosity of spirit that was rare for his time. This book is the valuable early account of Thailand as explorers first found her. As such, it is a rare window into a people and a place which is all but lost to us today. The power of memory for a people and a land is beyond estimation. The DNA of the people and the land that we find here in this book holds vital clues to us who would work to call up the Thai people into their divine, end-time destiny!

A crackling Christmas mystery that combines murder and blackmail at a holiday office party, in a mashup reminiscent of Big Little Lies and Clue. There are only a few rules in a White Elephant gift exchange: 1) Everyone brings a wrapped, unmarked gift. 2) Numbers are drawn to decide who picks first. 3) Gifts don’t need to be pricey—and often they’re downright tacky. But things are a little different in Aspen, Colorado, at the office holiday party for the real estate firm owned by Henry Calhoun and his wife Claudine. Each Christmas sparks a contest among the already competitive staff to see who can buy the most coveted gift: the one that will get stolen the most times, the one that will prove just how many more commissions they earned that year than their colleagues. Designer sunglasses, deluxe spa treatments, front row concert tickets—nothing is off the table. And the staff is even more competitive this year as Zara, the hottest young pop star out of Hollywood, is in town and Claudine is determined to sell her the getaway home of her dreams. Everyone is puzzled when a strange gift shows up in the mix: an antique cowboy statue. At least the sales agents are guessing it’s an antique—otherwise it’d be a terrible present. It’s certainly not very pretty or expensive-looking. In fact, the gift makes sense only to Henry and Claudine. The statue is the weapon Henry used to commit a murder years ago, a murder that helped start his company and a murder that Claudine helped cover up. She swore that no one would ever be able to find the statue or trace it to their crime. So which of their employees did? And why did they place it in the White Elephant? What could possibly be their endgame? Over the course of the evening, Henry and Claudine race to figure out who could have planted the weapon, and just what the night means for the secrets they’ve been harboring. Further adding to the drama is a snowstorm that closes nearby roads—preventing anyone from leaving, as well as keeping law enforcement from the scene. And by the end of this crazy night, the police will most definitely be required…