The Last Secrets of the Silk Road: In the Footsteps of Marco Polo by Horse and Camel

Rating:
Summary: wonderful
Review: an amazing book, a right riveting read, the story of a great adventure!
:-)

Rating:
Summary: Day by Day on the Silk Road
Review: I have to admire the spirit and determination that motivated four young women to travel the Silk Road on camel- and horseback; also, author Alexandra Tolstoy is clearly an able and talented person. That said, however, I have to admit that I found this a boring book about a fascinating part of the world. The narrative is rigidly chronological: it starts at the beginning and ends at the end, with little deviation from the set path. Surely that's one way of writing about a journey, but it isn't always the most interesting.
Tolstoy's voice lacks the authority and/or theoriginality essential to good travel literature. I think, for example, of Paul Theroux's many travel books, or, more specifically, Tom Bissell's recent "Chasing the Sea," in which Uzbekistan comes alive. While readers may take exception to many of his opinions, at least he has them, and one sees the world through his eyes. Tolstoy may well go on to write a better book, but this one sounds more like a catalogue than a shaped narrative. If you're planning the same kind of trip, it would be helpful, but if not, look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: An impressive example of adventure tourism
Review: I picked this book up off my public library's new book shelf without any prior knowledge of it, and I am glad I did. The author does not appear to be writing a book for the ages. She is merely telling her story, and it is fun reading. I felt I got a good sense of the adventure the author and her three colleagues (also women) were having. I was often amused or impressed and occasionally touched. I would recommend the book to a friend who is interested in traveling in that part of the world. As for me personally, the book was vivid enough to show me that I want no part of riding horses or camels across central Asia.

Rating:
Summary: Worst possible book on the subject
Review: With the subject itself being so misleading. To start with, this lady talks more about herself then the "silk road". Seems that she is under the impression that silk road is highway 69, one long stretch. When you read someone like Peter Hopkirk or Francis Woods, this book reads like attention demanding little girl's journal.
I am trying to think if there is anything good about this book.... Maybe a few pictures are good. And that Countess crap is the (fermented) icing on (molded) cake!



Rating:
Summary: they kept the secrets
Review: YAWN. no history. no insight into local cultures. no personal epiphanies. no drama. NOTHING. I didn't even finish the book. Read Peter Hopkirk if you are interested in this region.