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  • The Great Game

  • The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
  • By: Peter Hopkirk
  • Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
  • Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (711 ratings)

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The Great Game

By: Peter Hopkirk
Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
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Publisher's summary

The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road - both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to 20 miles at some points. Now, in the vacuum left by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is once again talk of Russian soldiers "dipping their toes in the Indian Ocean."

The Washington Post has said that "every story Peter Hopkirk touches is totally engrossing." In this gripping narrative he recounts a breathtaking tale of espionage and treachery through the actual experiences of its colorful characters. Based on meticulous scholarship and on-the-spot research, this is the history at the core of today's geopolitics.

©2006 The Estate of Peter Hopkirk (P)2017 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

" The Great Game, as the Anglo-Russian struggle in Central Asia was called, unfolds in Hopkirk's intricate narrative as an incredible tale of high adventure and political intrigue, conveyed here through the exploits of Cossacks, Muslim guerrillas, courageous travelers, spies, mapmakers and soldiers." ( Publishers Weekly)