Beyond The House Of The False Lama, Travels With Monks, Nomads, And Outlaws  •  George Crane TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Crane (Bones of the Master) takes a roundabout route in search of a hidden temple in Inner Mongolia in this meditative account. He writes of travels from the Hudson Valley to the Florida Keys to Grenada to Paris, and on to the Gobi Desert. (MGL53, $14.95)
The Birds of Heaven, Travels With Cranes  •  Peter Matthiessen  •  Robert Bateman NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES • COMING IN Matthiessen traveled with the cranes to Siberia, Japan, Mongolia, North America, China, Bhutan, East Africa, Australia, India and Texas for this handsomely illustrated, informative book. Organizing the book geographically, he interweaves his travels with insightful commentary on the conservation, ecology, and the significance of the crane in art and culture. With color paintings by Robert Bateman. (BRD11, $16.00)
Birds of Mongolia  •  Sundev Gombobaatar FIELD GUIDE •  2009 •  PAPER In preparation. This first modern field guide to the birds of Mongolia features 90 color plates. Prodcued in conjunction with the Ornithological Laboratory of the National University of Mongolia and the Monolia Ornithological Society, which Dr. Gomboo co-founded. (MGL62, $)
Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain Around the World  •  John Carswell ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 224 PAGES This beautifully illustrated and scholarly survey shows the development and history of Chinese Blue and White porcelain, developed for trade during the height of the Medieval Mongol Empire and, thus, transported throughout Asia to the Mediterranean world. Carswell brings to the book an artist's eye and his knowledge of 13th to 16th-century trade routes. In looking at the exchange between China and the rest of the world over this period, he traces the impact of Islamic and other influences on Chinese potters and European fascination with chinoiserie. With 130 color reproductions from museums and private collections, including the British Museum (which originally published the book). Carswell was curator of the Oriental Institute Museum and director of the Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Chicago. (CAS95, $65.00)
Bones of the Master, A Journey to Secret Mongolia  •  George Crane TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES An odd, captivating biography of a 75-year-old Zen monk who escaped Inner Mongolia in the wake of China's Great Leap Forward in 1959, and the tale of his unlikely journey back to China with next-door-neighbor, friend and poet George Crane. It's a powerful story and not a bad introduction to Chinese history and Ch'an Buddhism. (CHN96, $17.00)
The Cave of the Yellow Dog  •  Byambasuren Davaa  •  Lisa Reisch LITERATURE •  2008 •  PAPER The movie-tie in of Davaa's award-winning docu-drama of life on the Mongolian steppe, (MGL58, $15.95)
The Empire of the Steppes, A History of Central Asia  •  Rene Grousset HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 687 PAGES A magisterial survey of the nomadic empires of Central Asia from the Scythians and Huns, to Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and Kublai. It's the classic history of the region, originally published in 1939 and translated from the French. Of great interest to history-minded travelers. (CAS43, $29.95)
Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs  •  Philip J. Currie  •  Kevin Padian REFERENCE •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 904 PAGES This massive volume may be expensive, but it's certainly comprehensive. Compiled by two prominent paleontologists, it's a reference to major dinosaur research up through the end of the 20th century. The 275 articles cover a range of subjects and feature numerous photographs, illustrations and diagrams. There are also plenty of cross-references, a glossary, a chronology and other helpful information. (SCI29, $148.00)
Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire  •  Christopher Atwood HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 688 PAGES A handsome, authoritative survey of Mongols and Mongolian history by Christopher Atwood, a professor of Mongolian history at Indiana University. With 78 black-and-white illustrations and 16 maps (MGL51, $85.00)
The End of Nomadism? State, Society and the Environment in Inner Asia  •  Caroline Humphrey  •  David Sneath HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 355 PAGES In this scholarly book Humphrey and Sneath explore land use policies and its impact on nomads in a changing world through extensive case studies in Siberian Russia, Mongolia, and Northwest China, (ASA44, $25.95)
Essential Tibetan Buddhism  •  Robert Thurman RELIGION •  1996 •  PAPER  • 317 PAGES A collection of recently translated texts by the foremost Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism. Thurman has chosen well from the vibrant sacred literature of Tibet, and helpfully includes suggested further reading, explanatory notes and a directory of sacred sites. (TBT15, $14.95)
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, $116.25)
Fly-Fishing the 41st, From Connecticut to Mongolia and Home Again  •  James Prosek BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A lively, fish-filled memoir of Prosek's global circumnavigation along the 41st parallel, through Spain, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, China and Japan. Along the way he shares some of the best fishing in the world with a host of eccentric and memorable characters. (FSH09, $14.95)
Fodor's Beijing's 25 Best  •  Fodors GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES This slim book includes a separate full-color map of the center of Beijing, along with a handy 96-page shirt-pocket guide with essential information on its highlights, including restaurant recommendations and sightseeing. (CHN48, $11.95)
Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire  •  Jean-Paul Roux CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  PAPER  • 143 PAGES A sumptuously illustrated pocket encyclopedia covering the origins, successors, empire and legacy of Genghis Khan, whose empire once extended from Korea, China and Russia across Asia to Eastern Europe. With hundreds of maps, archival photographs and color reproductions. (CAS99, $12.95)
Genghis Khan, His Life and Legacy  •  Paul Ratchnevsky  •  Thomas Nivison Haining HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 313 PAGES A scholarly biography of the 12th-century conqueror, ably translated from the German with the general reader in mind. This landmark book by a leading historian of the Mongol Empire, offers great insight into life on the steppes of Central Asia and expansion of the Mongol empire. With a useful chronology, glossary, Dynastic tables and main personalities. Originally published in Germany in 1983. (MGL24, $31.95)
Genghis Khan, Life, Death and Resurrection  •  John Man BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  PAPER  • 388 PAGES In this evocative account of Genghis Khan, his empire, myths and legacy, John Man interweaves his own travels with history and biography. His focus is on the mysteries still surrounding the man, who once ruled an empire that stretched across Asia to the doorstep of Europe. A historian and travel writer, John Man is also the author of Gobi, Tracking the Desert. (MGL47, $19.95)
God Lives in St. Petersburg, and Other Stories  •  Tom Bissell LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Bissell (Chasing the Sea) returns to his years in Central Asia as a Peace Corps volunteer in these sharp, witty fictionalized accounts. His six fast-paced tales are set in Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and the Aral Sea. (CAS117, $13.95)
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, $33.99)
A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia: Volume I: Inner Eurasia from Prehistory to the Mongol Empire  •  David Christian HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 472 PAGES • COMING IN DECEMBER A comprehensive history of the region from the Stone Age to the 13th-century Mongol Empire. With a few maps and photographs, helpful chronology and the usual scholarly paraphernalia. A volume in the ambitious "Blackwell History of the World" series, this book will appeal to the traveler with a serious interest in the cultural origins of the region. (CAS35, $62.95)
In Secret Mongolia  •  Henning Haslund EXPLORATION •  1995 •  PAPER  • 366 PAGES First published in 1934 as "Tents in Mongolia," Haslund's account combines his tales of adventure and misadventure with notes on gods, myths and Shamans. This facsimile edition in the Mystic Traveller Series includes the original black-and-white photographs and maps. Haslund -- a member of Sven Hedlin's 1927-30 Central Asiatic Expedition -- wrote several books on early 20th century Mongolia, including this one and "Men and Gods in Mongolia." (MGL13, $16.95)
The Lost Camels of Tartary  •  John Hare EXPLORATION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 239 PAGES A vivid account of three expeditions on the heels of the migrating Bactrian camel through the deserts of Xinjiang and Mongolia. An engaging writer and adventurer with a sense of humor, the author includes vivid portraits of the people he encounters along the way (including George Schaller who accompanied him on the first expedition). Among the many discoveries of the quest, Hare found Lou Lan, an abandoned city of the Silk Road described by Sven Hedin in 1900. He also helped convince the Chinese government to set aside part of this remote region as a reserve for the camel. (CAS67, $14.99)
The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy  •  David Morgan  •  Reuven Amitai-Preiss HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 361 PAGES This useful collection of review articles by leading scholars, though aimed at specialists in Mongol studies, provides an excellent overview of the impact and extent of the late 13th and 14th century empire, the largest land-based empire in history. The product of a March 1991 conference in London. (CAS94, $66.00)
Mongolia in the 20th Century: Landlocked Cosmopolitan  •  Stephen Kotkin  •  Bruce Elleman HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A comprehensive, scholarly survey of Mongolia's history over the past hundred years, including Mongol communities in Russia and China. (MGL28, $38.95)
Mongolia in Transition: Old Patterns, New Challenges  •  Ole Bruun  •  Ole Odgaard HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER A wide-ranging survey of Mongolia's transition from Soviet control of the economy and government to democracy and a market economy by 14 Mongolian and international contributors. Issues addressed include living standards, economic reform, land use policy and household economy. (MGL48, $51.95)
Mongolian Music: Dance, and Oral Narrative  •  Carole Pegg CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 380 PAGES An ethnography (with CD) of music and performance in the Republic of Mongolia. Not just traditional entertainment, Mongolian music offers great insight into the culture and history of the region. The book includes a compact disc with traditional music compiled by Carole Pegg during her research. With chapters on Shamanism, Buddhist performance traditions, folk religious practices, celebration, sport and play. The author is a professor of musicology at the University of Cambridge. (MGL43, $35.00)
News from Tartary  •  Peter Fleming TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A rousing, ironic account of Fleming's 3500-mile trek in the 1930s from Peking to the province of Sinkiang and onwards to India. (CAS46, $18.95)
Pass the Butterworms, Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered  •  Tim Cahill TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER A collection of entertaining travel essays, many originally appearing in Outside Magazine. It includes Cahill's acerbic commentary on his adventures from the North Pole to Irian Jaya, Mongolia and Peru. (WLD01, $13.00)
Przewalski's Horse, The History and Biology of an Endangered Species  •  Lee Boyd  •  Katharine Houpt NATURAL HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 313 PAGES The story of the only truly wild horse, long extinct in their natural habitat of China and Mongolia, mostly focused on what has been learned from captive rearing programs. Written for zoo managers and wildlife scientists, this book will appeal to general readers with a special interest in horses and wildlife management. This is a Print-On-Demand title, and may take 3-4 weeks to receive. (MGL12, $22.95)
Riding Windhorses: A Journey into the Heart of Mongolian Shamanism  •  Sarangerel Odigan  •  Julie Ann Stewart RELIGION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 210 PAGES An heartfelt, wide-ranging introduction to Mongolian and Siberian Shamanism and culture by a practitioner who now makes her home in Ulaanbaatar. The author, Sarangerel Odigan, born in the United States, was trained in traditional the traditions of Mongolian and Buryat Shamans. With chapters on healing rituals and techniques, fortune-telling and dreams, and contemporary practices in Mongolia. (MGL29, $14.95)
Rough Guides Adventure Travel 25 Ultimate Experiences  •  Rough Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES Subtitled Make the Most of Your Time on Earth, these colorful pocket guides, 25 in all, published in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rough Guides, celebrate remarkable, not-to-be-missed things to do and places to go, certain to inspire. With an appendix including, for example, excellent reading and some practicalities, these teasers might just help you choose the next trip. As a celebration of Rough Guides, their scope and personality, they can't be beat. (WLD110, $5.99)
Shamans Through Time: 500 Year on the Path to Knowledge  •  Jeremy Narby  •  Francis Huxley RELIGION •  2004 •  PAPER  • 354 PAGES An anthology of observations and writings on Shamanism from the 16th-century to modern day. The compilation offers a wide variety of views on the Shaman, religion and culture. (GEN202, $14.95)
The Silk Road, Art and History  •  Jonathan Tucker  •  Antonia Tozer ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 384 PAGES • COMING IN Tucker, a specialist in Asian Art, interweaves history, exploration, culture, art, archaeology and literature in this richly illustrated celebration of the ancient Silk Road from Xi'an to Rome. Organized geographically, brimming with excellent maps and featuring 300 color photographs, the book is an essential reference. Among the many images in the book are the photographs by Tucker and his wide, Antonia Tozer, of the monumental Buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan. (CAS98, $65.00)
Time Traveler, In Search of Dinosaurs and Other Fossils from Montana to Mongolia  •  Michael Novacek BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A memoir and globetrotting tour of paleontological discovery and adventure, including Novacek's expeditions to Yemen, Patagonia and the Gobi. (SCI44, $18.00)
Truth, History and Politics in Mongolia  •  Christopher Kaplonski HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES Kaplonski looks at the relationships between politics and historical memory using Mongolia since the collapse of the Soviet Union as an example. Based on extensive field research, this book is the first English-language account of the democratic revolution in Mongolia. Christopher Kaplonski is affiliated with the Mongolian and Inner Asia Studies Unit at the University of Cambridge. (MGL49, $190.00)
Where the Pavement Ends; One Woman's Bicyle Trip Through Mongolia, China and Vietnam  •  Erica Warmbrunn TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 280 PAGES An account of an eight-month, 8,000-kilometer odyssey across Vietnam, China and Mongolia by bicycle. (MGL32, $24.95)
Wild East, The New Mongolia  •  Jill Lawless TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 230 PAGES An account of the journalist author's travels and experiences in Mongolia in the 1990s, shot-through with irony and humor. Editor of "ub Post," an independent newspaper in democratic Mongolia, Lawless captures the startling contrasts of emerging technologies, MTV culture and crumbling Soviet heritage on the wide, open plains. The first chapter is entitled "Stranger Than Paradise." With a short selection of color photographs. (MGL27, $16.95)
A Woman's Asia  •  Marybeth Bond ANTHOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 310 PAGES These thirty-five personal, often hilarious accounts of women's adventures from China to Sri Lanka to Turkey to Bhutan, not only illuminating the everyday, oft-overlooked cultural practices of Asia, but also giving a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the female traveller. Featuring selections from Jan Morris, Pamela Logan and Alison Wright. (ASA49, $17.95)