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FATHER'S DAY

City of Fortune, How Venice Ruled the Seas

Roger Crowley

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PROVENCE & THE COTE D'AZUR

A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France

Georgeanne Brennan

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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PENGUIN CLASSICS

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

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IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GREAT GAME

More Books

Absurdistan

Absurdistan


by Gary Shteyngart

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 333 PAGES

Shteyngart, a young Russian immigrant himself, riffs on the privilege and behavior of the new breed of Russian oligarchs along with many more less politically correct targets in this outrageous first novel set in the Bronx, St. Petersburg and oil-besotted Absurdsvani. (RUS321, $15.00)

Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics and the Rise of the Taliban

Afghanistan's Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics and the Rise of the Taliban


by Larry Goodson

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 264 PAGES

A scholarly analysis of Afghanistan's devastating recent history. (CAS73, $22.50)

The Afghans, Peoples of Asia

The Afghans, Peoples of Asia


by Willem Vogelsang

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 384 PAGES

A wide-ranging history of the people and culture of Afghanistan. (CAS70, $99.95)

Aurel Stein on the Silk Road

Aurel Stein on the Silk Road


by Susan Whitfield

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 144 PAGES

Whitfield draws on the rich collections of the British Library for this lavishly illustrated account of the amazing life and discoveries of Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1942), including a chapter on the extraordinary Buddhist art at Dunhuang. (CAS109, $35.00)

The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor

The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor


by Zahiruddin Babur Shah | Salman Rushdie | Wheeler M. Thackson

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 608 PAGES

The candid memoir of the first Moghul emperor of India (universally known as Babur), descended from Tamerlane. (CAS149, $17.95)

Between Mecca and Beijing, Modernization and Consumption Among Urban Chinese Muslims


by Maris Boyd Gillette

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 296 PAGES

An academic study of the minority Muslim population of Xi'an. (CHN180, $24.95)

Bradt Guide Kyrgyzstan

Bradt Guide Kyrgyzstan


by Laurence Mitchell

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

An outstanding guide to the country, its people, history and allure in the pioneering British series. With a strong focus on adventure activities and a section of suggested overland routes to China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. (CAS154, $26.99)

Buddhist Art and Architecture

Buddhist Art and Architecture


by Robert Fisher

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

A wide-ranging, illustrated survey of Buddhist art, architecture and iconography in the excellent World of Art series. It includes examples from throughout Asia. (ASA30, $19.95)

Central Asia at the End of the Transition


by Bori Rumer

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

Scholars from China, Kazakhstan, Russia, the US and Uzbekistan examine topics such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the influence of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Islamic radicalism and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as landlocked agrarian economies with an unlimited supply of labor. (CAS129, $42.95)

Central Asia: 130 years of Russian Dominance

Central Asia: 130 years of Russian Dominance


by Edward Allworth

  • HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 650 PAGES

A scholarly overview of foreign influence in the region. (CAS26, $27.95)

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)

Chasing the Sea

Chasing the Sea


by Tom Bissell

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 388 PAGES

Self-confessed adventure junkie, Bissell skillfully interweaves anecdote, history and grim reports on ecological disasters in this smart, funny and informative account of travels through Uzbekistan and Central Asia in 2001. (CAS103, $14.95)

China Adventure Map

China Adventure Map


by National Geographic

  • 2011
  • MAP

A double-sided, full-color map of China, at a useful scale of 1:4,375,000, which shows roads and cities. Printed on tear- and water-reistant paper. (CHN06, $11.95)

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)

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)

Eastern Approaches

Eastern Approaches


by Fitzroy MacLean

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 543 PAGES

Fitzroy MacLeans's action-packed account of his amazing adventures undercover in the Central Asian Republics of the USSR during Stalin's reign, as a commando in the Long Range Desert Group in North Africa, and with the Partisans in Yugoslavia during World War II. Touted as the real-life inspiration for James Bond, Maclean is not only a terrific writer but an eyewitness to historic events. Originally published in 1949. (CAS48, $30.00)

Eastward to Tartary

Eastward to Tartary


by Robert D. Kaplan

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 364 PAGES

A glimpse into the people and history that color the countries of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Caucasus and finally Central Asia, in a loosely organized travelogue by the author of the acclaimed Balkan Ghosts. (CAS45, $15.95)

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)

Eric Shipton, The Six Mountain Travel Books

Eric Shipton, The Six Mountain Travel Books


by Eric Shipton

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 800 PAGES

Shipton's extraordinary adventures in the mountains of the Himalayas, East Africa, Central Asia and Patagonia, now in paper. (EXP12, $34.95)

Feathered Dragons


by Philip J. Currie

  • SCIENCE
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 361 PAGES

A collection of 15 scholarly articles on the transition from dinosaurs to birds. (SCI87, $49.95)

Flashman in the Great Game

Flashman in the Great Game


by George MacDonald Fraser

  • LITERATURE
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

What caused the Sepoy Mutiny, a pivotal moment in the Raj? How about Harry Flashman, the reluctant, much-decorated coward, cad and womanizer at the center of George MacDonald Fraser's wildly entertaining, irreverent series of historical novels. (CAS120, $16.00)

Forbidden Journey

Forbidden Journey


by Ella Maillart

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 312 PAGES

Maillart's classic account of her journey with Peter Fleming from Peking across the Taklamaken through Xinjiang to Kashmir. (CAS101, $22.95)

Genghis Khan, His Life and Legacy


by Paul Ratchnevsky | Thomas Nivison Haining

  • HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

This scholarly biography of the 12th-century conqueror, ably translated from the German, offers great insight into life on the steppes of Central Asia and expansion of the Mongol empire. With illustrations, maps, chronology and dynastic tables and a new introduction. (MGL24, $36.95)

Genghis, Birth of an Empire

Genghis, Birth of an Empire


by Conn Iggulden

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 528 PAGES

The author of the best-selling series of novels on Julius Caesar takes on the legendary warrior in this gripping and historically accurate novel. (CAS145, $16.00)

The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, A Study of T'ang Exotics


by Edward Schafer

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 399 PAGES

A marvelous study of the court of T'ang Dynasty China, and the many splendid works of art that were given in tribute. (CAS53, $34.95)

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 Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia: Volume I: Inner Eurasia from Prehistory to the Mongol Empire


by David Christian

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 472 PAGES

A comprehensive history of the region from the Stone Age to the 13th-century Mongol Empire. This book will appeal to the traveler with a serious interest in the cultural origins of the region. (CAS35, $62.95)

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)

Islamic Art and Architecture

Islamic Art and Architecture


by Robert Hillenbrand

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Covering one thousand years and the geographic scope of Islam, this book is a wide-ranging guide to the arts of Islam, including architecture, calligraphy, ceramics and textiles. (CAS17, $21.95)

Jihad, The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia

Jihad, The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia


by Ahmed Rashid

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

A history and political analysis of the five Central Asian republics -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Rashid sees these volatile, resource-rich nations as keys to understanding the future of the region. (CAS84, $16.00)

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)

Khubilai Khan, His Life and Times

Khubilai Khan, His Life and Times


by Morris Rossabi

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 348 PAGES

This fascinating, scholarly portrait of the culture and politics of 13th-century Asia examines Khubilai Khan's rise to power, the submission of Korea and the attempted invasion of Japan. (CAS10, $24.95)

The Light Garden of the Angel King, Journeys in Afghanistan

The Light Garden of the Angel King, Journeys in Afghanistan


by Peter Levi

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 231 PAGES

An engaging account of travels in Afghanistan in the company of Bruce Chatwin. (CAS72, $18.95)

Lost Cosmonaut, Observations of an Anti-tourist

Lost Cosmonaut, Observations of an Anti-tourist


by Daniel Kalder

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Kalder's offball, offbeat and rather strange report from forgotten corners of the republics of Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Mari El and Udmurtia in what was once the Soviet Union. Kalder revels in being no-place. (EUR199, $19.95)

Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond

Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond


by Kenneth Nebenzahl

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 176 PAGES

This visually stunning collection of 80 rare illuminated manuscripts, early modern masterpieces and archival maps traces two millennia of exploration across Asia. (CAS113, $29.95)

Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World

Marco Polo and the Discovery of the World


by John Larner

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A scholarly, insightful study of the impact of the venetian merchant-explorer's impact on European ideas and knowledge of the world. (EXP22, $21.00)

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)

The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy


by David Morgan | Reuven Amitai-Preiss

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 361 PAGES

A fresh analysis of the Mongol empire by a team of 18 scholars in the field. (CAS94, $92.00)

The Mongols (Peoples of Europe)

The Mongols (Peoples of Europe)


by David Morgan

  • HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A short, readable treatment of the medieval Mongols, their administration, military, religion and economy. Includes chapters on the predecessors of the Mongols in Central Asia, Chinghiz Khan's rise to power, and the Mongols in China, Russia and Persia. (MGL15, $34.95)

Monkey, A Journey to the West

Monkey, A Journey to the West


by David Kherdian

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

The 16th-century Chinese epic of adventure and pilgrimage, brilliantly retold by David Kheridan. It's the wild tale of the encounters of the rogue-trickster Monkey and his Buddhist companion Tripitaka on the Silk Road. (ASA32, $16.95)

The New Central Asia, The Creation of Nations

The New Central Asia, The Creation of Nations


by Olivier Roy

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

Roy, a leading expert on the region in France, charts the rapid emergence and development of the Central Asian states in this concise history of the Central Asian republics since the Soviet collapse. (CAS136, $24.00)

Night Train to Turkistan: Modern Adventures Along China's Ancient Silk Road

Night Train to Turkistan: Modern Adventures Along China's Ancient Silk Road


by Stuart Stevens

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 239 PAGES

An entertaining account of hard travel from Beijing to Kashgar, following the route of Peter Fleming and his classic News From Tartary. (CAS77, $13.00)

Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road

Oasis Identities, Uyghur Nationalism Along China's Silk Road


by Justin Jon Rudelson

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A survey of Uyghur identity based on the author's fieldwork in Turpan. (CAS92, $29.50)

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 Guide The Silk Road, Xi'an to Kashgar

Odyssey Guide The Silk Road, Xi'an to Kashgar


by Judy Bonavia

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

With its photographs, maps, essays and lively sidebars on people, literature, food, religion, nature and customs, this is a terrific guide. (CAS13, $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)

Setting the East Ablaze, Lenin's Dream of an Empire in Asia

Setting the East Ablaze, Lenin's Dream of an Empire in Asia


by Peter Hopkirk

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 268 PAGES

Another volume in the grand Hopkirk tradition of intrigue, treachery, executions and skullduggery. (CAS25, $15.95)

Silk Road Countries Map, Central Asia

Silk Road Countries Map, Central Asia


by Gizi Map

  • 2003
  • MAP

A map covering the Silk Roads and surrounding territories from Western China and India across Asia to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Black Sea at a scale of 1:3,000,000. (CAS100, $15.95)

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 Road: Trade, Travel, War & Faith


by Susan Whitfield

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 400 PAGES

An exhibition catalog, featuring 300 color photographs of manuscripts, paintings and artifacts from the Aurel Stein collection. (CAS108, $155.00)

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)

Sir Aurel Stein, Archaeological Explorer

Sir Aurel Stein, Archaeological Explorer


by Jeanette Mirsky

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 585 PAGES

Mirsky captures the excitement, derring-do, fortunes and controversy surrounding Stein's discovery of tombs, temples and monasteries and other ancient treasures of the Silk Road. (CAS61, $22.50)

The Spice Route, A History

The Spice Route, A History


by John Keay

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

John Keay draws on ancient logs, traveler's accounts and maps for this rousing history of trade in cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, pepper, gums, resins and other costly goods from antiquity to the 17th century. (ASA52, $24.95)

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia


by Ahmed Rashid

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 319 PAGES

This revised edition of Rashid's prescient account of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Central Asia in the 1990s includes a new chapter covering the period from 2000-2009. (CAS49, $17.95)

This is Not Civilization


by Robert Rosenberg

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Opening in an Apache town in Arizona and closing in the midst of the devestating 1999 earthquake in Istanbul (with a detour to Kyrgyzstan en route), Rosenberg's debut novel follws the fate of an antic, globe-trotting young man trying to make sense out of the world. (TKY117, $17.95)

The Transformation of Central Asia, States and Societies from Soviet Rule to Independence


by Pauline (E Jones Luong

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

This collection of scholary essays examines the formation and evolution of the Central Asian States. (CAS138, $24.95)

Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment

Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment


by 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. An engaging, informative account of travels. (CAS64, $14.00)

Uzbekistan and The United States: Authoritarianism, Islamism and Washington's Security Agenda


by Shahram Akbarzadeh

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

A scholarly study of the increasing political ties between the United States and Uzbekistan, focusing on the role of 9/11 in shaping economic and social policies. (CAS134, $34.95)

A Woman's Asia

A Woman's Asia


by 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. (ASA49, $17.95)

 

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.