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BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

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FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

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CENTRAL ASIA & THE SILK ROAD

More Books

Bradt Guide Kazakhstan

Bradt Guide Kazakhstan


by Paul Brummell

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 432 PAGES

A comprehensive guide in the growing series by Bradt, noteworthy for its focus on culture, nature and responsible travel. The author includes sights and activities throughout the country. (CAS162, $26.99)

The Central Asian States, Discovering Independence

The Central Asian States, Discovering Independence


by Gregory Gleason

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A timely analysis of the emergent independent republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. With maps and illustrations. (CAS27, $42.00)

The Dust of Empire, The Race for Mastery in the Asian Heartland

The Dust of Empire, The Race for Mastery in the Asian Heartland


by Karl Meyer

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

An engaging report on politics and struggles in 20th-century Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Russia. (CAS96, $15.00)

The Empire of the Steppes, A History of Central Asia

The Empire of the Steppes, A History of Central Asia


by Rene Grousset

  • HISTORY
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 687 PAGES

The classic history of the region, originally published in 1939 and translated from the French. (CAS43, $32.50)

Halfway House to Heaven, Unravelling the Mystery of the Majestic River Oxus


by Bill Colegrave

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 179 PAGES

Colgrave weaves together the history of exploration in Afghanistan with the tale of his own precarious journey to find the source of the Oxus River, long-sought by adventurers like Curzon and Younghusband. (CAS198, $32.00)

Heritage of Central Asia, From Antiquity to the Turkish Expansion

Heritage of Central Asia, From Antiquity to the Turkish Expansion


by Richard N. Frye | Bernard Lewis

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 265 PAGES

Frye writes with authority and style in this clear, well-written survey of the people, history and culture of the region. (CAS91, $22.95)

A History of Inner Asia

A History of Inner Asia


by Svat Soucek

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A dense, informative survey of the changing fortunes of people in the region, with chapters on Arab conquest and Chinese expansion, Mongols, Samanids, Timurids, Uzbeks, and other kingdoms and people in the region, including the 17th-19th century development of the trading cities. With 13 maps and dynastic charts. (CAS51, $39.99)

Hundred Thousand Fools of God

Hundred Thousand Fools of God


by Theodore Levin

  • MUSIC
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 346 PAGES

An engaging account of adventures in ethnomusicology in contemporary Central Asia, Levin is a wonderful guide to musical traditions in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. With an accompanying CD featuring the traditional music of Central Asia. (CAS59, $29.95)

In Xanadu, A Quest

In Xanadu, A Quest


by William Dalrymple

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 319 PAGES

An intrepid traveler and entertaining writer, Dalrymple offers an anecdotal history of the people and places he encounters en route on this epic journey in the footsteps of Marco Polo across Central Asia to China. (CAS50, $18.95)

Inside Central Asia


by Dilip Hiro

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 480 PAGES

An Indian-born playwright, journalist and popular author based in London, Hiro outlines the culture, history and modern challenges of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikstan in this latest book. (CAS173, $35.00)

Kazakhstan Map

Kazakhstan Map


by Gizi Map

  • 2002
  • MAP

This excellently detailed map of Kazakhstan extends well beyond the borders to include Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as well as part of western China. (CAS107, $15.95)

Modern Clan Politics, The Power of Blood in Kazakhstan and Beyond


by Edward Schatz

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 250 PAGES

An etnographic examination of politics in Kazakhstan. (CAS135, $28.95)

Odyssey Guide Kazakhstan

Odyssey Guide Kazakhstan


by Dagmar Schreiber

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

A beautifully illustrated overview of the history, culture, architecture and nature of Kazakhstan. (CAS156, $34.95)

Odyssey Guide Kyrgyz Republic

Odyssey Guide Kyrgyz Republic


by Rowan Stewart | Susie Weldon

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 318 PAGES

A comprehensive, stunningly illustrated guide to Kyrgyzstan, its cities, traditional cultures, alpine meadows, lush valleys and rugged mountains. (CAS47, $24.95)

Odyssey Tajikistan and the High Pamirs

Odyssey Tajikistan and the High Pamirs


by Robert Middleton

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 722 PAGES

Impressive in its scope, this stunningly illustrated, indispensable handbook covers the traditional cultures and rich history, trekking and mountaineering opportunities, wildlife and extraordinary scenery of Tajikistan with authority and verve. With 250 photographs and 17 exceptionally good maps by Markus Hauser. (RUS331, $34.95)

Radical Islam in Central Asia, Between Pen and Rifle


by Vitaly V. Naumkin

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

A political history of Central Asia's militant Islamic orginizations, including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Hizb at-Tahrir al-Islami, and the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan. (CAS137, $39.95)

Samarkand, A Novel

Samarkand, A Novel


by Amin Maalouf | Russell Harris

  • LITERATURE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

A fictional history of Persia featuring Omar Khayyam, the 11th-century poet and author of the "Rubaiyat." Written by Lebanese novelist Amin Maalouf. (CAS69, $14.95)

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang


by Sally Wriggins

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A nicely illustrated account of an extraordinary, 16-year trek from Xi'an to India by way of Central Asia in search of the origins of Buddhism by Xuan-Zang, the famous 7th-century Chinese monk. (ASA31, $25.00)

Silk Road to Ruin, Is Central Asia the New Middle East?


by Ted Rall | Ahmed Rashid

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 303 PAGES

Part graphic novel-travelog, part tongue-in-cheek travel guide, this book depicts the adventures of caustic cartoonist Ted Rall in the wild and woolly Central Asia -- a powder keg sitting on tomorrow's oil. (CAS140, $22.95)

The Silk Roads, A Route and Planning Guide

The Silk Roads, A Route and Planning Guide


by Paul Wilson

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 447 PAGES

A compact, practical guide to the network of ancient trade routes extending from Turkey and the Mideast across Central Asia to China. (CAS21, $24.95)

Silk Roads, The Asian Adventures of Clara and Andre Malraux

Silk Roads, The Asian Adventures of Clara and Andre Malraux


by Axel Madsen

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Journalist and biographer Madsen recounts the life and times of Andre and Clara Malraux, a wealthy Parisian couple who sailed from Marseilles to Indochina in 1923 to steal Khmer treasures for the New York art market. Though their scheme (and marriage) fell apart -- and they never did make it to Samarkand, theirs is an amazing tale and a window into Indochina. (CAS182, $17.00)

To Peking, A Forgotten Journey from Moscow to Manchuria

To Peking, A Forgotten Journey from Moscow to Manchuria


by Peter Fleming

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 200 PAGES

In this long forgotten diary the young Peter Fleming recounts his 1934 adventures from Moscow through the Caucasus to the Caspian, and on to Vladivostok and Peking via the celebrated cities of Samarkand and Tashkent. (ASA74, $16.00)

The Travels of Marco Polo

The Travels of Marco Polo


by Marco Polo | Ronald Lantham

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1975
  • PAPER
  • 380 PAGES

The memories of a 13th-century journey to China along the Silk Road, among the most famous travel accounts ever. Describing exotic plants, birds, precious gems, silks, and spices with a merchant's eye, this superb geographer recounts his 20 years of travel. (CAS05, $15.00)

When Asia Was the World


by Stewart Gordon

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 228 PAGES

Gordon documents innovations and accomplishments in religion, trade and commerce in Asia from AD 700 to 1500 through the stories of Xuanzang, Ibn Battuta and other monks, merchants and travelers. (CAS195, $17.00)

The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years

The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years


by Chingiz Aitmatov

  • LITERATURE
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

First published in 1980 under the Soviet regime, this novel by a famous Kyrgyz writer mixes the story of a man traveling through the steppes to bury a friend and the tale of two cosmonauts aboard a space station. (CAS139, $20.95)

 

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.