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XIAN & THE CHINESE SILK ROAD
More Books
Aurel Stein on the Silk Road
• Susan Whitfield
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •
2004 •
HARD COVER
• 144 PAGES
A illustrated account of the life and discoveries of Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1942), drawn from the collections of the British Library. The book features both archival and modern photographs of the extraordinary Buddhist art at Dunhuang.
(CAS109, $35.00) |
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Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey
• Kenneth Ch'en
RELIGION •
1972 •
PAPER
• 560 PAGES
A well organized, scholarly history of the development of Mahayana Buddhism in China, originally published in 1964. It's a popular college text, covering 2,000 years of Buddhism from its birth in India to the modern period. Ch'en pays particular attention to Buddhism in the T'ang Dynasty. With a glossary, list of Chinese names, and bibliography.
(CHN151, $57.50) |
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Central Asia Map
• Nelles
2011 •
MAP
An up-to-date, double-sided shaded relief map of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Krygystan at the very good scale of 1:1,750,000. With inset plans of major cities. Two Sides. 20x36 inches.
(CAS37, $13.95) |
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Chasing the Monk's Shadow
• Mishi Saran
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •
2005 •
HARD COVER
• 456 PAGES
Traveling in the footsteps of 7th-century Buddhist monk Xuanzang, Mishi Saran explores the historical, cultural and religious legacies of the Silk Road in China, Central Asia and India.
(CHN372, $26.95) |
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Conquering the Desert of Death, Across the Taklamakan
• Charles Blackmore
• Peter Hopkirk
EXPLORATION •
2008 •
PAPER
• 268 PAGES
An account of Major Blackmore's extraordinary two-month-long, 780-mile trek across the high dunes of remote Xianjiang, first published in 1995. His Anglo-Chinese expedition was the first to cross the full length of the Tarim Basin. The sole woman in the team, Carolyn Ellis, was one of two expedition members to walk the entire route without once riding a camel.
(CAS68, $16.95) |
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Eurasian Crossroads, A History of Xinjiang
• James A. Millward
HISTORY •
2009 •
PAPER
• 352 PAGES
Drawing on primary sources in several Asian and European languages, James Millward presents a thorough study of Xinjiang's history and people from antiquity to the present and takes a balanced look at the position of Turkic Muslims within the PRC today. While offering fresh material and perspectives for specialists, this engaging survey of Xinjiang's rich environmental, cultural and ethno-political heritage is also written for travelers, students and anyone eager to learn about this vital connector between East and West.
(CHN469, $45.00) |
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A Field Guide to the Birds of China
• John MacKinnon
• Karen Phillipps
FIELD GUIDE •
2000 •
PAPER
• 586 PAGES
A comprehensive field guide to the birds of China, featuring 128 color plates illustrating 1,300 species of birds, with introductory chapters on the history of ornithology in China, biogeography and conservation. Range maps are organized on adjacent pages to the illustrations. The book also includes a list of endemic, threatened and endangered species. Principal author John MacKinnon has also written "Wild China", "A Photoguide to the Birds of China" and "A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali."
(CHN85, $124.00) |
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The Forbidden City, Center of Imperial China
• Gilles Beguin
• Dominique Morel
HISTORY •
1997 •
PAPER
• 144 PAGES
This slim volume is packed with maps, archival photographs and illustrations. A surprisingly effective overview of Beijing's Imperial Court, with a useful chronology, and a carefully chosen selection of writings over the ages. Part of the acclaimed "Discoveries" series of references that fit in your pocket, for travelers it's an indispensable and handy guide to the Forbidden City and the history of Imperial China.
(CHN32, $15.95) |
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A History of Inner Asia
• Svat Soucek
HISTORY •
2000 •
PAPER
• 384 PAGES
A compact, accessible introduction to the history of Eurasia from the arrival of Islam to Russian conquest, covering the present-day countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Sinkiang and Mongolia. With 13 maps and dynastic charts. An admirable 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 great trading cities. The author is a professor of history at Princeton. Of equal interest to the student or traveler to Central Asia.
(CAS51, $39.99) |
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Inside China
• Jonathan Spence
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2007 •
HARD COVER
• 272 PAGES
The diverse landscapes and peoples of China as seen through the lenses of photographers past (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Li Zhensheng, Marc Riboud) and present (Mark Leong, Edward Burtynsky, Sebastio Salgado). Jonathan Spence, Minxin Pei and other modern experts offer essays on the history and future of the country.
(CHN444, $50.00) |
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Kazakhstan Map
• Gizi Map
2002 •
MAP
An excellently detailed map of Kazakhstan and surrounding Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan at a scale of 1:3,000,000. One Side. 35x47 inches.
(CAS107, $15.95) |
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Khubilai Khan, His Life and Times
• Morris Rossabi
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •
2009 •
PAPER
• 348 PAGES
A serious study of Kublai Khan (the best available biography of the legendary figure) and a fascinating, scholarly portrait of the culture and politics of 13th-century Asia. Rossabi examines Khan's rise to power, the submission of Korea and the attempted invasion of Japan. An invader conquered by his own conquest, Khubilai Khan remains of interest to the casual reader because of his influence on his times and his legendary status as the subject of both Marco Polo's writings and Coleridge's famous poem.
(CAS10, $24.95) |
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Lonely Planet Central Asia
• Lonely Planet
GUIDEBOOK •
2010 •
PAPER
• 528 PAGES
A comprehensive, detailed guide to travel in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in the Lonely Planet series. With a good overview of the history and culture of the region, a modest section of color photographs, and 55 local and regional maps.
(CAS42, $32.99) |
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Lonely Planet Discover China
• Lonely Planet
GUIDEBOOK •
2011 •
PAPER
• 448 PAGES
Focusing on must-see and memorable places and experiences, this all color guide by the discerning editors at Lonely Planet, featuring hundreds of color photographs and maps, includes suggested tours and itineraries along with not-to-be-missed places to stay, eat, shop and see.
(CHN674, $27.99) |
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The Lost Heart of Asia
• Colin Thubron
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •
2008 •
PAPER
• 374 PAGES
The intrepid Colin Thubron recounts his travels to Samarkand, Bukhara and throughout Central Asia in the early 1990s, in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union, in this thrilling travelogue. A fine writer, intrepid traveler and insightful observer, he's an outstanding guide to the history, people and culture of this complex corner of the world.
(CAS07, $15.99) |
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Monkey, A Journey to the West
• David Kherdian
LITERATURE •
2005 •
PAPER
• 224 PAGES
The 16th-century Chinese epic of adventure and pilgrimage on the Silk Road, brilliantly retold by David Kheridan. It's the wild tale of a rogue-trickster and his travels to India via Central Asia in the company of a Buddhist pilgrim -- and a classic allegory on the nature of spirituality. Famously popular in China, the story is the also the source for many very odd movies and television programs.
(ASA32, $16.95) |
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Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road
• Justin Jon Rudelson
HISTORY •
1997 •
PAPER
• 224 PAGES
Rudelson draws on extensive fieldwork in the oasis of Turpan in this scholarly study of the movement for a pan-Uyghur identity in Xinjiang. Rudelson, executive director of the Institute for Global Chinese Affairs at the University of Maryland and an anthropologist, is also the author of the Lonely Planet Central Asia Phrasebook as well as the Hebrew Phrasebook and Mandarin Phrasebook.
(CAS92, $29.50) |
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Odyssey Guide Uzbekistan
• Calum MacLeod
• Bradley Mayhew
GUIDEBOOK •
2011 •
PAPER
• 331 PAGES
A concise introduction to Uzbekistan, its history, culture and attractions, featuring full-color maps and excellent photography. We agree with the NY Times, which said that this was "one of those rare guides that is a joy to read whether or not you are planning a trip." It covers in detail Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent. With 90 color photographs and 22 regional and town maps. Fifth edition.
(CAS23, $27.95) |
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The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane
• Beatrice Forbes Manz
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •
1999 •
PAPER
• 231 PAGES
A portrait of the great nomadic conqueror who rose to power in 1370 on the ruins of the Mongol Empire and led campaigns from Moscow to Delhi, well written, captivating -- and with the usual scholarly paraphernalia; eighty pages are devoted to notes, bibliography, index and chronology. This book covers in vivid detail the tribal politics that brought Tamerlane to power, his administration, the army that he kept on the move, the horror that he inspired in Europe from the tales that filtered back, and the struggle for succession after him. First published in 1989.
(CAS11, $29.99) |
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Sir Aurel Stein, Archaeological Explorer
• Jeanette Mirsky
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •
1998 •
PAPER
• 585 PAGES
Villain, brilliant archaeologist, explorer, scholar and geographer, Aurel Stein trekked 25,000 miles across Central Asia (in the company of a small dog and large retinue) in search of ancient treasures of the Silk Road. Walker follows the fortunes and expeditions of the man from his origins in Hungary, devoting much of the book to his discovery of sculptures, manuscripts, paintings and other archaeological treasures, now scattered in museums across Europe. Written with the cooperation of the Stein Trustees, she nonetheless does not dodge the controversy surrounding Stein's legacy as a foreign devil on the Silk Road.
(CAS61, $22.50) |
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Search for Ancient China
• Corinne Debaine-Francfort
ARCHAEOLOGY •
1999 •
PAPER
• 160 PAGES
With information on everything from jewelry to emperors' tombs, this pocketsize, illustrated encyclopedia covers a wide scope of discoveries in China from prehistory to the dazzling 400-year Han empire. The concise text is complemented by 150 illustrations, most in color.The book includes sections on the Great Wall, terracotta warriors (not discovered in Xi'an until 1974!) and other well known monuments.
(CHN69, $15.95) |
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The Tarim Mummies, Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West
• J.P. Mallory
• Victor H. Mair
ART & ARCHITECTURE •
2008 •
PAPER
• 190 PAGES
A provocative, magnificently illustrated account of the Tarim mummies, the Bronze Age inhabitants of the Taklamakan Desert along the Silk Road. The authors discuss in depth what is known of the culture, genetics, textiles, language and, most interestingly, the cultural affinities of these tall, blue-eyed people.
(CAS58, $36.40) |
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Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting
• Richard Barnhart
• Yang Xin
ART & ARCHITECTURE •
2002 •
PAPER
• 400 PAGES
An oversize, nicely illustrated survey of Chinese art traditions with contributions by leading specialists and 300 well chosen color illustrations. Wu Hung, a professor at the University of Chicago, contributed the chapter on the earliest period, including a good overview of the caves at Dunhuang.
(CHN152, $55.00) |
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The Travels of Marco Polo
• Marco Polo
• Ronald Lantham
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •
1975 •
PAPER
• 380 PAGES
The memories of a 13th-century journey to China along the Silk Road, maybe the most famous travel account ever, as edited by Ronald Lantham. Describing exotic plants, birds, precious gems, silks, and spices with a merchant's eye, this superb geographer recounts his 20 years of travel and return to Venice in 1295.
(CAS05, $15.00) |
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Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment
• Richard Bernstein
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •
2002 •
PAPER
• 352 PAGES
In this journey of self-discovery, Bernstein travels across Central Asia from China to India, loosely in the footsteps of the seventh-century Buddhist monk Hsuan Tang. A foreign correspondent in China in the 1970s and religious skeptic, Bernstein (who turns 50 during the journey) offers the insight and eye for detail of an experienced traveler and writer.
(CAS64, $14.00) |
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Wild West China, The Taming of Xinjiang
• Christian Tyler
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •
2004 •
HARD COVER
• 336 PAGES
Despite a savage landscape and climate, Xinjiang has a rich past: sand-buried cities, painted cave shrines, rare creatures, and wonderfully preserved mummies of European appearance. Their descendants, the Uighurs, still farm the tranquil oases that ring the dreaded Taklamakan, the world's second largest sand desert, and the Kazakh and Kirghiz herdsmen still roam the mountains. The region's history, however, has been punctuated by violence, usually provoked by ambitious outsiders--nomad chieftains from the north, Muslim emirs from Central Asia, Russian generals, or warlords from inner China. The Chinese regard the far west as a barbarian land. Only in the 1760s did they subdue it, and even then their rule was repeatedly broken. Compared with the Russians' conquest of Siberia, or the Americans' trek west, China's colonization of Xinjiang has been late and difficult. The Communists have done most to develop it, as a penal colony, as a buffer against invasion, and as a supplier of raw materials and living space for an overpopulated country. But what China sees as its property, the Uighurs regard as theft by an alien occupier. Tension has led to violence and savage reprisals. This portrait of Xinjiang should be essential reading for travelers and for anyone interested in today's China and the fate of minority peoples.
(CHN231, $28.95) |
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