- Paperback: 592 pages
- Publisher: Kodansha America, Inc; Reprint edition (15 May 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1568360223
- ISBN-13: 978-1568360225
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14.2 x 4.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 560,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
THE GREATGAME: THE EPIC STORY BEHIND TODAY'S HEADLINES
Peter Hopkirk's spellbinding account of the great imperial struggle for supremacy in Central Asoa has been hailed as essential reading with that era's legacy playing itself out today.
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 twenty 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.
Peter Hopkirk's spellbinding account of the great imperial struggle for supremacy in Central Asoa has been hailed as essential reading with that era's legacy playing itself out today.
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 twenty 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.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A tremendous tale,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (Kodansha Globe) (Paperback)
Hopkirk's splendidly fluid narrative describes with tremendous zeal
and excitement the cold-war like atmosphere that prevailed in Asia Minor from 1830 to 1900. The British, as they ruled
India, realized that it was one of their most treasured possessions. And Russia recognized this as well. From the time of
Peter the Great, Russia had always wanted to posses India and her resources. From the times that Nadir Shah, the ruler of
mighty Persia, sacked Delhi and took away as much as he possibly carry over the hostile passes of the Hindukush
mountain, the wealth of India was legendary. Even Napoleon, prior to his disastrous invasion of Russia, had approached
the Tsar and proposed a combined effort to drive the British out of India and capture the country and it's fabulous
wealth. But since a sea invasion was impossible logistically for Russia, a land invasion was the only choice. The Great Game
recounts will chilling detail and with great political intrigue the events and actions that forged Central Asia what it is today as
a result of this quest for conquest. But in his book Hopkirk also does us a wonderful favour: he recounts the travels, in brief,
of some of the most intrepid and enduring of the Great Game Travelers like Alexander Burnes, Robert Shaw, and Fred Burnaby.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting rendition of a bygone age,
This review is from: The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (Kodansha Globe) (Paperback)
Meticulously researched and brilliantly rendered account of Imperial rivalry between Russia and Britain in the 19th century over control of Asia and the northern passages to India.Nor does the author neglect to highlight the human cost paid by those who were subjects and victims of this struggle. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the conflicts today in central asia. I certainly hope the author will issue an updated edition in the near future now that sealed Russian archives have become (I assume) more accessible.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic book written by a very gifted author.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia (Kodansha Globe) (Paperback)
Add this book to your must read list. It lends clarity and perspective to so many recent events in Central Asia, you'll wish you'd read it sooner.
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