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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9780061577673
ISBN: 0061577677
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 400
Publication Date: July 01, 2008
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: July 01, 2008
Studio: Harper Perennial

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.com 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.

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

Product Description:


A land of enormous proportions, countless secrets, and incredible history, Central Asia was the heart of the great Mongol empire of Tamerlane and scene of Stalin's cruelest deportations. A remote and fascinating region in a constant state of transition—never more so than since the collapse of the Soviet Union—it encompasses terrain as diverse as the Kazakh steppes, the Karakum desert, and the Pamir mountains. In The Lost Heart of Asia, acclaimed, bestselling travel writer Colin Thubron carries readers on an extraordinary journey through this little understood, rarely visited, yet increasingly important corner of the world.






Rating: - Beyond the Western World
I had been wanting for a while to learn something about Central Asia. It is possibly the only large region of the world that I know nothing about, have never read anything about, never met anyone from, never visited. This book was not a disappointment - a very educational read that has its moments of drama and humor as well. I wish I could say I became a huge fan of Thubron's writing as well as his travelling, but that would not really be the truth.

The area is, of course, ... Read More

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Rating: - Do not loan this book
Don't loan this book. You'll never get it back. It's that good. It's that informative. It's that true to life. Reading Colin Thubron's "The Lost Heart of Asia" put me in a part of the world I now want to experience for myself, but probably never will. It helped me understand how history and current events interact on such a diverse region. The Soviets left them with one major gift: A common language.

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Rating: - Desolation in lost heart

I've been thinking about Turkestan travel lately, not so much that I plan to do it in person, but more in terms of literature. The whole field of travel literature is such that there are distinct styles among the authors and it's pretty much up to you to select the style that you like. One style that I definitely don't like is the "Yuck" style guaranteed to wrinkle noses, elicit groans, turn stomachs, and produce the reaction "thank God it was her, not me". Authors of this school no doubt ... Read More

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Rating: - Great Writing.
This was a very well-crafted and informative book, which I would recommend reading to those who haven't yet. For those who have, and who enjoyed it like I did, I would also recommend Tent Life in Siberia: An Incredible Account of Siberian Adventure, Travel, and Survival, which George Kennan's account of his travels around eastern Siberia on dog and reindeer sleds.

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Rating: - Talented writing, but with flaws.
From the get go it is abundantly evident that Colin Thubron is an extremely talented writer. He has a way with words that I have not seen in any other travel writing I read; his book is the first I have went through that transcended a quaint, shallow, "Let's Go Travel Guide" type of narrative that storms through cities in a few days, marvels at surface elements, then moves on. There is nothing rushed about Thubron's writing style, his descriptions are thought out, in depth, and delicate. This unique ... Read More

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