The Lost Heart of Asia

A land of vast expanse, untold secrets, and incredible history, Central Asia was the heart of the great Mongol empire of Tamerlane and the scene of Stalin’s cruelest deportations. This remote land encompasses terrain as diverse as the Kazakh Steppe, the Karakum Desert, and the Pamir Mountains. In The Lost Heart of Asia, award-winning writer Colin Thubron travels by train, bus, car and foot through Central Asia’s five republics. Thubron takes readers on an extraordinary journey through this little understood, rarely visited, yet increasingly important region. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent republics, Central Asia has been in a constant state of transition. In some countries, Muslim groups coexist uneasily with former Communist leaders who encourage capitalist investment. In others, secular Western culture is making inroads where religious tradition has been deeply rooted for centuries. The Lost Heart of Asia is the first travel book of its kind about this remarkable and unforgettable corner of the globe. An award-winning novelist and travel writer, Colin Thubron’s books include Among the Russians, In Siberia, and the New York Times best-seller Shadow of the Silk Road. He lives in London. “One could not ask for a more rewarding travel companion through a little-known land.” — Washington Post Book World