Synopses & Reviews
The Silk Road is not a place, but a journey, a route from the edges of the Mediterranean to the central plains of China, through high mountains and inhospitable deserts. For thousands of years its history has been a traveller's history, of brief encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes and nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China, and the site of much of the "Great Game" between 19th-century empires. Today, its central section encompasses several former Soviet republics, and the Chinese Autonomous Region of Xinjiang. The ancient trade route controversially crosses the sites of several forgotten kingdoms, buried in sand and only now revealing their secrets. An Armchair Traveller's History of the Silk Road not only offers the reader a chronological outline of the region's development, but also provides an invaluable introduction to its languages, literature and arts. It takes a comprehensive and illuminating look at the rich history of this dynamic and littleknown region, and provides an easy-to-use reference source. Clements pays particular attention to the fascinating historical sites which feature on any visitor's itinerary and special emphasis is also given to the writings and reactions of travellers through the centuries.
Synopsis
Comprehensive and illuminating look at the rich history of this little-known region, and the trading route that shaped it.
Synopsis
The Silk Road is not a place, but a journeya route from the edges of the Mediterranean to the central plains of China, through high mountains and inhospitable deserts. For thousands of years its history has been a traveler's history, of encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes, and nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam into China.
An Armchair Traveller's History of the Silk Road takes a comprehensive and illuminating look at the rich history of the dynamic and little known region through which the Silk Road passes. Paying particular attention to the historical sites that feature on any visitor's itinerary, Jonathan Clements give special emphasis to the writings and reactions of travelers through the centuries.
About the Author
Jonathan Clements is an author and scriptwriter whose works include An Armchair Traveller's History of the Silk Road, and a well-received biography of Carl Gustaf Mannerheim. He has also written biographies of Kublai Khan, Marco Polo and Empress Wu, as well as volumes on China and Japan in the Makers of the Modern World series.