Shadow of the Silk Road

By: Colin Thubron

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Out of the heart of China into the mountains of Central Asia, across Northern Afghanistan and the plains of Iran into Kurdish Turkey, Colin Thubron undertakes a journey along the greatest land route on earth: the Silk Road. Travelling 7,000 miles in eight months, he traces the passage not only of trade and armies, but of ideas, religions and inventions. With a gift for talking to others, and of getting them to talk to him, Thubron meets some fascinating people and encounters some of the world's discontented margins, where the true boundaries are not political borders but the frontiers of tribe, ethnicity, language and religion.

©2006 Colin Thubron (P)2007 Isis Publishing Ltd.

Incredible book

Both poetic and informative this book takes you on a journey you will never forget. Both an ancient and modern history . and gives you an understanding of central Asia like no one has before. I did not want this book to end

Travels through past and present

I found this book to be deep in the history of the regions as well as informative of currents of thinking of now. Highly engaging.

A lyrical trip through Central Asia

Beautifully written and narrated, this description of one man's journey in the footsteps of the ancient traders along the Silk Road is full of unforgettable sights, experiences, and characters. I listen to it whenever I want to be transported to another world where familiar human dramas are played against the backdrop of very unfamiliar times and places. It is one of the best expressions of I have found of the meaning that travel can have in the human experience. I wish the author would write another hundred or so books like it.

Want a travelog from a post 9/11 Central Asia?

Then this is the book for you. Thubron tries his best to drown his inner British Imperialist and successfully does so despite dimly heard sputterings from the postcolonial well of thought. He is still an old white man, and sometimes focuses too much on the varieties of pretty girls at least forty years his junior a bit much for even my tastes. Once you get used to that, though, it's like a fascinating narrative told by your favorite, slightly ribald but really rather tame uncle. I recommend this highly to all interested in travel writing, though the parts on Afghanistan (and the Uyghurs) are painful in light of the intervening years of bloodshed and horror.

prose meets poetry

I never listen to a book twice. As soon as I finished this book, I listened again and enjoyed it as much the second time. His words are like poetry and his descriptions of the places he visits and people he meets are unbelievably beautiful. I wish Audible would have more of his books.

Central Asia travelogue

This travel journal is an amazing trip in an amazing part of the world. You get a real flavor of the many regions and their inhabitants but the style is somewhat dry. The author makes a point of contrasting what the histories say of various locations and what the reality is now. It can be a bit discouraging and easy to walk away with a hopeless feeling. I read his other book "heart of central asia" and enjoyed it as well. A good book if you are planning to visit the area or just want a better understanding of what we are up against in that region.

excellent

a travel journal. an historical account of ancient civilizations along this also ancient trade route. a cultural and an anthropological report. and an excellent reader. what more could the armchair traveler want in a book?! no regrets here! highly recommended.

Beautifully written, evocative

This book is a wonderful blend of history -- much of which was new to me, though I have read some on this area before -- poignant vignettes of people met along the way, and poetic landscape descriptions that convey the feeling of being there more than a visual picture. The thought of the possibility of the descendants of Cassius' Roman legions in China is captivating ... The hopes, dreams and, sometimes, prejudices of people so far away touched me deeply and makes me even more angry at the actions of governments that keep us from knowing and understanding one another better. The narrator did a very good job, though some of the pronunciations did sound a bit peculiar -- not sure if it is a difference in that of British English or fault in the narrator, but it was only occasionally distracting. Loved the book and will no doubt return to it again and again. The author was/is a fan of Freya Stark -- if you've never read her you should. I know the recordings of her books exist as I've listened on cassette. I hope Audible will make them available someday (soon).

Memorable

Colin takes you on a journey meeting unforgettable people and describing the complex history on the way. The mix of hospitable and terrifying places was fascinating. I appreciate my dentist that much more now! The narrator was also excellent.

The narrator detracts from the material

His unfamiliarity with certain pronunciations extends to Taoism (pronounced "daoism") and bodhisattva, which is most assuredly NOT pronounced "bodhitsattva." Where the extra T comes from is anyone's guess! A most interesting book nonetheless.