Following nearly a century of Soviet rule, Central Asia, surrounded by Russia, Iran and China, and sealed off by mountain ranges, is comparatively little-known in the West. When the USSR broke up in 1991 the five republics which had been artificially created by the Russians - Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kirghizstan and Kazakhstan - were released and emerged as autonomous entities. They are now accessible to the independent tourist. In 1914, before the Bolshevik Revolution, Stephen Graham journeyed across this vast land of fearsome deserts, mountains and inland seas, making his way from the Caspian Sea to Siberia. Nearly 80 years later, just after the fall of the Soviet regime, Giles Whittell came across Graham's account of his travels. He read it in one sitting and was inspired to make a similar journey, curious to see how much had changed. Avoiding the official Intourist routes, he met many larger-than-life characters and had a succession of bizarre and sometimes alarming experiences. Containing many anecdotes, this book is Whittell's description of his journey.
- ISBN10 0575400072
- ISBN13 9780575400078
- Publish Date 20 June 1996 (first published 19 January 1995)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 27 March 2003
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Orion Publishing Co
- Imprint Orion mass market paperback
- Edition New edition
- Format Paperback
- Pages 224
- Language English