- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Phoenix; New Ed edition (19 Jun 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0753804786
- ISBN-13: 978-0753804780
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
872,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #39 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Pakistan
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Product Description
A fascinating account of a journey along the North West Frontier Geoffrey Moorhouse's fascination with India, which began with his classic Calcutta in 1971, took him back in 1983 to the North West Frontier, still 1 of the most turbulent regions in the sub-continent of South Asia. For 3 months he travelled through sind and the Punjab, finally reaching the high Hindu Kush mountains in the North. He traversed the Baluchistan desert, lingered in Kipling's favourite city of Lahore, and was one of the few foreigners able to penetrate the Khyber pass as far as the border of Afghanistan. He met Afghan Mujahideen, investigated drug smuggling and 1 day found himself in a room with 2 tons of heroin. In theNorth, he spent time with the celebrated soldiers of the Chitral Scouts. He reports on polo and cricket at altitudes unthinkable at Lords. His account of a terrifying journey along a narrow, precipitous track, complete with thawing but treacherous ice, is a seat-edge experience.
About the Author
Geoffrey Moorhouse was 'one of the best writers of our time' (Byron Rogers, The Times), 'a brilliant historian' (Dirk Bogarde, Daily Telegraph) and 'a writer whose gifts are beyond category' (Jan Morris, Independent on Sunday). He wrote over twenty books, on subjects ranging from travel and spirituality to cricket and rugby league. In 1982 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His To the Frontier won the Thomas Cook Award for the best travel book of its year in 1984. More recently he concentrated on Tudor history, notably with THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE and, in 2005, GREAT HARRY'S NAVY. He died in November 2009.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
So much is yet to be written about this most sensitive of borders, currently the thin line between the West and its focus for the terrorist "enemy." Written in 1983, Moorhouse recounts his travels with a keen eye for detail. He manages to strike the balance between the chaotic and bizarre system of rules and etiquette in this part of the world, leading to an infuriating frustration, the moments of wry humour that arise as a result, an enlightening explanation of the political, social and cultural backdrop to his travels and the moments of sheer trepidation travelling in one of the most inhospitable and hostile routes in the world. It is a blend that is as compelling as it is diverse.
Amongst the highlights for me was Moorhouse's observations of what he called a "flirtation" on a train, Islamic style... The inherent foreignness of everyday normality is often brought into the foreground, whilst the ruggedness and timelessness of such hostile terrain provides the reader always with a sense of the bigger picture. Both are relayed with intelligence and honesty.
The focus of the book is the perilous Khyber Pass. Of course, he makes it, but of the helplessness and vulnerability of the Westerner making the journey in 1983, he remarks "... there was nothing that any authority could do to help you if you got on the wrong side of naturally belligerent men."
Moorhouse gets on the wrong side of no-one, least of all the reader. His very English love of cricket relieves the tension of many awkward moments, and the friendly, gentlemanly Test series between Pakistan and England, with all its twists and turns, underscores the main action.
I am re-reading this, and suddenly, the events of three weeks ago and their aftermath makes this an even more compelling experience than the first time. If you want something approaching an understanding of the ironies and paradoxes of the whole range of peoples in this part of the world (and believe me, they're a pretty diverse bunch) then give this a go yourself.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The book was received swiftly and in pristine condition, as if I had picked it off the shelf of a Bookstore in the High Street.
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Countries & Regions > Asia > India
- Books > History > Countries & Regions > Asia > South Asia > Pakistan
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > India
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Pakistan
- Books > Travel & Holiday > Travel Writing
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
