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Xian & the Chinese Silk Road

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Get the featured set of Essential Reading, our top picks of what to read, and get free shipping on anything else you order.

Item EXCHN459. Buy these 6 items as a set for $113 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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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)

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road

by Peter Hopkirk

• HISTORY
• 1984
• PAPER
• 252 PAGES

Hopkirk's rousing tale of Sven Hedin and other larger-than-life archaeological raiders of the early 20th century captures the excitement of discovery -- and the glories of the Silk Road. (CAS22, $24.95)

Life Along the Silk Road

by Susan Whitfield

• BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
• 2001
• PAPER
• 253 PAGES

With insight, scholarship and dramatic flair, Susan Whitfield recounts the lives of ten diverse individuals on the ancient Silk Road, including four tales set in Dunhuang. With a superb 15-page history of Central Asia. (CAS44, $24.95)

Along the Silk Road

by Elizabeth ten Grotenhuis

• ART & ARCHITECTURE
• 2002
• PAPER
• 144 PAGES

A nicely illustrated collection of essays on the art, culture and music of the Silk Road with contributions by art historian ten Grotenhuis (who edited the volume), Yo-Yo Ma and others associated with the Silk Road Project. (CAS78, $24.95)

Northwest China Map

by MapLink

• 2002
• MAP

This bird's-eye map takes in the region from Dunhuang west across the Taklamakan to Almaty, Bishkek and the Pamirs. With shaded relief, archaeological sites, roads, tracks and paths, railroads and trade routes. (CHN202, $9.95)

China North Map

by Nelles

• MAP

A detailed travel map of North China, at a scale of 1:1,750,000. (CHN40, $13.95)

 

Also Recommended

China Map

by International Travel Maps

• 2006
• MAP

A double-sided shaded-relief map of China, at a useful scale of 1:3,800,000, indexed with an inset map of central Beijing. (CHN06, $11.95)

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 Ancient Silk Road, An Illustrated Map

by Odyssey Maps

• 2011
• MAP

Three large annotated color maps, dozens of photographs and expert commentary illustrate sites across the Silk Road from China across Central Asia, the Middle East and Asia Minor. (ASA58, $14.95)

Chinese Rugs: A Buyer's Guide

by Lee Allane

• GUIDEBOOK
• 1994
• PAPER
• 144 PAGES

A guide to the history, techniques and variety of carpets produced throughout China, featuring a helpful buyer's guide. (CHN30, $15.95)

Lonely Planet Beijing

by Damian Harper

• GUIDEBOOK
• 2009
• PAPER
• 272 PAGES

This practical guide to Beijing features maps, an overview of culture, history and nature, and a good deal of nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. There's even a section on the locally spoken dialect of Mandarin. (CHN47, $19.99)

Odyssey Guide Xi'an, Shaanxi & the Terracotta Army

by Kevin Bishop

• GUIDEBOOK
• 2009
• PAPER
• 336 PAGES

With color photographs, insightful essays on culture and history, site plans and places of interest in and around China's ancient capital. (CHN34, $24.95)

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)

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)

Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey

by 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. (CHN151, $57.50)

Eurasian Crossroads, A History of Xinjiang

by James A. Millward

• HISTORY
• 2007
• HARD COVER
• 440 PAGES

Millward's engaging survey of Xinjiang's rich environmental, cultural and ethno-political heritage will appeal travelers, students and anyone eager to learn about this strategic crossroads at the center of Asia. (CHN469, $45.00)

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)

Religions of the Silk Road

by Richard C. Foltz

• RELIGION
• 2000
• PAPER
• 186 PAGES

A scholarly survey of cultural traditions, and especially religions, along the trade routes through China and Central Asia from antiquity to the 15th century. (CAS52, $26.00)

Silk Road: Monks, Warriors & Merchants on the Silk Road

by Luce Boulnois | Helen Loveday

• HISTORY
• 2011
• PAPER
• 575 PAGES
• COMING IN FEBRUARY

A history and guide to the Silk Road, organized chronologically and featuring a nice selection of contemporary photographs. (CAS111, $27.95)

Silk, Scents, and Spice, Retracing the World's Great Trade Routes

by John Lawton

• HISTORY
• 2005
• HARD COVER
• 123 PAGES
• OUT OF PRINT

A history and account of adventures on the ancient routes between Arabia, Asia and the West in quest of silk, spice and incense. (GEN335, $24.95)

The Great Game

by Peter Hopkirk

• HISTORY
• 1994
• PAPER
• 565 PAGES
• FAVORITE
• HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

Hopkirk's spellbinding account of the great struggle for European supremacy in Central Asia takes us over the high mountain passes and through the scorching deserts and caravan towns of the Silk Road, capturing the glamour, intrigue, treachery and adventure of the time. (CAS09, $18.00)

The Silk Road, Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia

by Frances Wood

• CULTURAL PORTRAIT
• 2004
• PAPER
• 270 PAGES

Wood draws on hundreds of archival photographs, manuscripts and paintings from the British Library in telling this lively story of the art, culture and history of diverse trade routes. With chapters on jade and silk, trade during the Han Dynasty, Dunhuang, the Great Game, explorers and the Silk Road today. (ASA36, $28.95)

The Terra Cotta Army, China's First Emperor and the Birth of a Nation

by John Man

• HISTORY
• 2008
• PAPER
• 304 PAGES

Man recounts the 1974 discovery of the 8,000 terra cotta soldiers two farmers, and uses the legend, lore and fact about Emperor Qin's Tomb to speculate about the mysterious emperor himself. (CHN518, $16.95)

The Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China

by William Lindesay

• HISTORY
• 2008
• PAPER
• 32 PAGES

Lindesay augments colorful illustrations and photographs with detailed captions in this concise visual overview of the extraordinary tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, First Emperor of China. (CHN126, $12.95)

Wild West China, The Taming of Xinjiang

by Christian Tyler

• CULTURAL PORTRAIT
• 2004
• HARD COVER
• 336 PAGES

A portrait of the changing face of the Xinjiang region in northwest China. (CHN231, $28.95)

Islamic Arts

by Jonathan Bloom | Sheila Blair

• ART & ARCHITECTURE
• 1997
• PAPER
• 445 PAGES

A comprehensive survey of 1,000 years of Islamic architecture, design and decoration. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps and site plans. (ISL01, $27.95)

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)

The Arts of China

by Michael Sullivan

• ART & ARCHITECTURE
• 2008
• PAPER
• 352 PAGES

A lively survey of Chinese visual arts and culture through the ages, thoroughly illustrated and accessible. With a new chapter on the 20th century and beyond, this fifth edition covers bronzes, ceramics, painting and architecture from the Neolithic to now. (CHN16, $39.95)

The Mummies of Urumchi

by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

• ARCHAEOLOGY
• 2000
• PAPER
• 240 PAGES

An overview of the culture of ancient people of the Silk Road based on the extraordinarily well preserved Caucasoid mummies unearthed in Urumchi in the Tarim Basin of Central Asia. (CAS34, $19.95)

The Tarim Mummies, Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West

by J.P. Mallory | Victor H. Mair

• ART & ARCHITECTURE
• 2008
• PAPER
• 190 PAGES

A magnificently illustrated account of the Tarim mummies -- Bronze Age inhabitants of the Taklamakan Desert along the Silk Road. (CAS58, $36.40)

Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting

by 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. (CHN152, $55.00)

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)

Chasing the Monk's Shadow

by 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)

Conquering the Desert of Death, Across the Taklamakan

by Charles Blackmore | Peter Hopkirk

• EXPLORATION
• 2008
• PAPER
• 268 PAGES

Blackmore's vivid account of tenacity and courage is all the better for its matter of fact detail and generous credit to the Uyghur camel handlers who made it possible. (CAS68, $16.95)

From Heaven Lake, Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet

by Vikram Seth

• TRAVEL NARRATIVE
• 1987
• PAPER
• 178 PAGES

An unconventional, award-winning travelogue of a 1981 trip to India from China via the Himalayas by the marvelous Indian novelist Vikram Seth. (HML19, $15.00)

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

by Jack Weatherford

• BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
• 2005
• PAPER
• 352 PAGES

Weatherford, who has lived and studied in Mongolia, interweaves his own travels and field work on the Central Asian steppes, much of it on horseback, with a lively portrait of Genghis Khan and the world of the medieval Mongols. The Mongols introduced not only mayhem, but also paper, printing, gunpowder, the compass and trousers to their far-flung empire. (CAS106, $15.00)

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)

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)

News from Tartary

by Peter Fleming

• TRAVEL NARRATIVE
• 1999
• PAPER
• 384 PAGES

Fleming's rousing account of a 3,500-mile jaunt from Peking to Sinkiang and on to India, a classic of imperial British wit and style. (CAS46, $18.95)

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)

Riding the Iron Rooster

by Paul Theroux

• TRAVEL NARRATIVE
• 2006
• PAPER
• 528 PAGES

A wry account an utterly exhausting, exasperating travels, mostly by rail, throughout China for an entire year. Theroux gets himself to every corner of the huge country and includes memorable passages on his experiences in Mongolia, Xinjiang, Manchuria and Tibet (where his journey ended). (CHN133, $15.95)

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 Desert Road to Turkestan

by Owen Lattimore

• EXPLORATION
• 1996
• PAPER
• 384 PAGES

Originally published in 1927. Lattimore recounts his daredevil journey by camel caravan through the high steppes of China's unknown Gobi. (CAS14, $18.00)

The Lost Camels of Tartary

by John Hare

• EXPLORATION
• 2000
• PAPER
• 239 PAGES

A vivid account of three expeditions on the trail of the migrating Bactrian camel through the deserts of Xinjiang and Mongolia. The author includes vivid portraits of the people he encounters along the way. (CAS67, $14.99)

The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane

by 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. (CAS11, $29.99)

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)

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)

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)

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)

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

by 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. Contains introductory chapters on the history of ornithology in China, biogeography, and conservation. (CHN85, $124.00)

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