AN EXPEDITION INTO THE HEART OF CENTRAL ASIA
Inspired by the great adventurers of the Victorian era and intrigued by the history of the Great Game-the century-long struggle between Britain and Russia to control Central Asia-Philip Glazebrook set out on his own journey to the fabled cities of Tashkent, Bokhara, Samarkand, and Khiva. Along the way he encountered remains of two other empires: the Soviet Union, whose spreading disorder was brought home by a terrifying attack in his Moscow hotel room, and the domain of Tamerlane, the thirteenth-century conqueror whose memory and monuments still dominate the imagination of the regions inhabitants Blending his own experiences with tales from earlier travelers, Glazebrook captures the color and fascination of a region where Europe and Asia have long met but never merged, a crucial crossroads from the days of the Silk Road to the present.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
PHILIP GLAZEBROOK's earlier books include Journey to Kars and Byzantine Honeymoon. He lives in Dorset, England.
One of those wry, literate travel books that the British seem to specialize in--and that's as much an investigation of an unfamiliar place (here, Central Asia) as a vehicle for encountering the sublime and the ridiculous. Long fascinated with the lands and cities of Central Asia, Glazebrook, a novelist (Captain Vinegar's Commission, 1987, etc.) and travel-writer (Journey to Kars, 1984)--hoped to learn what drew so many adventurers to those sites. This was the region that in the 19th century had been the playing field for the ``Great Game,'' in which Russia and Britain competed for dominance of the Indian subcontinent. Here, anecdotes about famous players like the noble but doomed Arthur Conolly--who gave the Great Game its name--and the brutal Russian General Kaufman form the link between Glazebrook's travels and the past. Setting off in May 1990, the author travels first by train to Moscow, which he finds ``so new and unpredictable that no one knew what to expect of it from one day to the next.'' Though brutally attacked in his hotel by a knife-wielding thief, Glazebrook recovers sufficiently to fly to Tashkent, where he's met by his official guide and driver. Traveling to legendary cities (Samarkand, Bokhara, etc.), the pair pass through polluted landscapes bereft of any signs of their Islamic past--testimony to Stalin's imposition of Communist ideology and disastrous agricultural practices. The cities, built mostly of drab concrete, prove as depressing as the countryside; the trip's high point ends up being an idyllic picnic on a lake near the Oxus River. Yet despite the disappointing terrain and his fears for the region's future, Glazebrook notes that Central Asia remains for him ``a green oasis composed of many kindnesses.'' An intelligent introduction--if overburdened by footnotes--to a place only recently accessible, by a writer of disarming modesty and humor. (Maps) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Renaissance Books, Riverside, CA, U.S.A.
Soft cover. Condition: New. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Inspired by great adventure stories of the Victorian era, Glazebrook set out on a journey to the fabled cities of Tashkent, Bokhara, Samarkand and Khiva. Along the way he found the remains of two other empires - the Soviet Union, then collapsing into chaos, and the domain of Tamerlane, the 13th Century conqueror. x+288 pages, Maps, Afterword, Bibliography. Published @ $14.00. Seller Inventory # 14159
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 5367151-20
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.6. Seller Inventory # G1568360746I3N00
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_383649963
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB-Movies, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_403922179
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_GOOD. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 2-1568360746-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: James Lasseter, Jr, Brooksville, FL, U.S.A.
Soft cover. Condition: USED_NEARFINE. Number line in the work reads as follows: 96 97 98 99 00 RRD/H 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 2 1. 288 pages, last several pages, starting in the bibliography have some brown spots at the outer edge, rest of book is clean & binding is tight. A nice copy, available for immediate shipment. Seller Inventory # 0007971
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 0.76. Seller Inventory # 1568360746-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.76. Seller Inventory # bk1568360746xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Callaghan Books South, New Port Richey, FL, U.S.A.
Trade Paperback. Condition: USED_ASNEW. Trade paperback, glossy wrappers colorfully designed and illustrated, a huge carved wall in color on front wrapper with birds overhead, dark red and purple spine and back wrapper, 288 crisp pages plus photograph of author. Mint. Seller Inventory # 02104
Quantity: 1 available