Shadow of the Silk Road (2007) by Colin Thubron
In this book, Colin Thubron traces the Silk Road out of the heart of China into the mountains of Central Asia, through Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran and into Turkey.
ISBN: 9780099437222 Paperback
The Great Game – On Secret Service in High Asia (2006) by Peter Hopkirk
This classic book tells the story of the Great Game through the exploits of the young officers, both British and Russian, who risked their lives playing it. Disguised as holy men or native horse-traders, they mapped secret passes, gathered intelligence and sought out the allegiance of powerful khans.
ISBN: 9780719564475 Paperback
Kim (revised edition 2009) by Rudyard Kipling
This novel is a memorably vivid evocation of the life and landscapes of India in the late nineteenth century. Kim becomes involved in the Great Game undertaking espionage for the British rulers.
ISBN: 9781853260995 Paperback
Marco Polo – From Venice to Xanadu (2008) by Lawrence Bergreen
This is a narrative history that traces the life and journey of Marco Polo, who accompanied his father and uncle on a journey along the Silk Road through Central Asia to China. Here he entered the court of the Great Khan, Kublai, grandson of the great Mongol leader, Genghis Khan
ISBN: 978187247674 Paperback
Uzbekistan – The Golden Road to Samarkand (1999) by Calum MacLeod and Bradley Mayhew
An Odyssey Guide Publication that focusses on the wealth of sites and colourful legends at the heart of Central Asia. From the blue-tiled splendour of Temur’s Samarkand to the holy city of Bukhara and beyond the desert-girdled khanate of Khiva, Uzbekistan lays claim to a breath-taking architectural legacy.
ISBN: 9789622175822 Paperback
Tamerlane – Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World (2005) by Justin Marozzi
This book is a narrative about the life and times of Temur (Tamerlane). Justin Marozzi travels across Central Asia to trace the extraordinary tale of this complex man and the vast legacy he has bequeathed.
ISBN: 9780007116126 Paperback
Genghis Khan – Life, Death and Resurrection (2011) by John Man
This is an account of the great man himself, of his rise and conquests and of his mixed legacy today as scourge, hero and demi-god. John Man explores the hidden valley where Genghis may have died and is one of the few westerners to climb the sacred mountain where he may have been buried.
ISBN: 9780553814989 Paperback