Items related to The Lost Heart of Asia
Thubron's first travel book since "Behind the Wall" (winner of the Hawthornden Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award) describes the newly emergent countries of Central Asia, originally part of the Soviet Union. They contain the magical cities of Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent, the Kazakh steppes, the deserts of Karakum and the Pamir mountains. North of Iran and west of China, east of the Caspian Sea, this is an enormous land, as big as Western Europe, heart of the great Mongol Empire of Tamerlane, route of the silk roads and scene of Stalin's most devilish deportations.
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Review:
West of China, south of Russia, hemmed in by mountains, steppe, and desert, lie the five Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. Cut loose from Moscow in the early '90s, the five "Stans" (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan) discover that their newly found freedom plays tug-o-war with despair and a nostalgia for the certainties of the Soviet past. It's during this time that author Colin Thubron travels the width of central Asia, asking questions about the past, present, and future. Not content to simply bounce from place to place, Thubron travels from person to person, uncovering their many vibrant stories and developing a deep understanding of the area's lesser-known history. Kyrgyz and Uzbeks debate the place of Islam. Koreans and Germans, descendants from forced migrants, wonder if they know enough of their ethnic tongue to return to their homelands. Russians find themselves left behind, disbelieving, as the tide of Russian power recedes toward Moscow.
From the Inside Flap:
Central Asia was mostly off limits to foreigners during the Soviet years, and while officials are still uncertain about how to deal with a backpack-wearing solo traveler, the locals Thubron meets are not. Thubron finds the heart of Asia in the hearts of its people, swimming in a sea of tea, vodka, and hospitality. From the oldest-known Quran to a deserted Soviet naval base on the shores of a high mountain lake 1,500 miles from the ocean (used to test torpedoes far from spying eyes), Thubron's writing echoes the melancholy emptiness of the wide spaces he passes through. The Lost Heart of Asia is a rare meeting of a marvelous writer and a mysterious land. --Ken Peavler
A travel book on the newly-emergent countries of central Asia which contain the magical cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, the Kazakh Steppes, the deserts of Karakum and the Pamir Mountains.
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- PublisherPenguin
- Publication date1995
- ISBN 10 0140246193
- ISBN 13 9780140246193
- BindingPaperback
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The Lost Heart of Asia
Published by
PENGUIN BOOKS LTD
(1995)
ISBN 10: 0140246193
ISBN 13: 9780140246193
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Book Description Condition: Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included. Seller Inventory # Z08K-00853
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.65. Seller Inventory # G0140246193I3N00
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.65. Seller Inventory # G0140246193I5N00
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The Lost Heart of Asia
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Penguin Books Ltd, United Kingdom, London
(1995)
ISBN 10: 0140246193
ISBN 13: 9780140246193
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This is a travel book on the newly emergent countries of central Asia, which contain the magical cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, the Kazakh Steppes, the deserts of Karakum and the Pamir Mountains. This is an enormous land, as big as Western Europe, secret, turned in on itself, heart of the Great Mongol Empire of Tamerlane, Route of Silk roads and scene of Stalin's cruellest deportations. Colin Thubron travelled by train, bus, car and foot throughout the former Moslem Republics, and this is the story of his encounters with their people, landscape and past. Central Asia, which since 1917 has been almost unknown, has become doubly important with the collapse of the Soviet Union. This book is a search into the region's fragmented identity and the crisis of the many once-dominant Russians who remain. Will central Asia fall prey to the Moslem fundamentalism of its neighbour, Iran, or revert to communism, or push into capitalism? The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR002873139
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Book Description Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.66. Seller Inventory # bk0140246193xvz189zvxgdd
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Book Description Condition: Fair. Buy with confidence! Book is in acceptable condition with wear to the pages, binding, and some marks within 0.66. Seller Inventory # bk0140246193xvz189zvxacp
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The Lost Heart of Asia
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Penguin 06/07/1995
(1995)
ISBN 10: 0140246193
ISBN 13: 9780140246193
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780140246193
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Book Description Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. Trade paperback reissue. Near Fine. Seller Inventory # ES1438A
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. Shows only minor signs of wear, and very minimal markings inside (if any). 0.66. Seller Inventory # 353-0140246193-vrg
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The Lost Heart of Asia
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(1995)
ISBN 10: 0140246193
ISBN 13: 9780140246193
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. All orders are dispatched the following working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we have over 500,000 books in stock. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. Seller Inventory # mon0004503066
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