The Lost Heart of Asia

May 15, 2012 Cheryl in CC NV marked it as skimmed-reference-dnf

Hmm. So far, p 57, he's spent a lot of time drinking under the desert sun with the men. Now I suppose he's going to have trouble spending time getting to know the women, seeing as he's male and this is a culture of divided gender roles, but I hope he does find a way to learn more about the people who are actually getting things done.

His focus seems to be more on history, ancient, recent, and future. Long ago the region was more rich and powerful due to the Silk Road (?) and its precursors (?), t...more

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Nov 10, 2008 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who want to gallivant off the beaten track

An absolutely fascinating read. It starts out a bit drier than In Siberia, but I always enjoy how Thubron weaves history into his personal narrative.

The one major criticism I have is that in places Thubron can be very condescending in portraying the people he meets. He is constantly describing people in terms of the legacy of the Golden Horde or Tamarlane's people. They all seem like characters from a novel rather than real people. I don't know if this had to do with the language barrier, but i...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Nick D rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thubron travelled through Central Asia in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet empire. Enabled by his knowledge of Russian, he managed to do it largely without intermediaries, so this trip is far beyond what one would expect of a grand tour of this huge region. Yes, there are visits to the touchstones, the abandoned ruins of almost-forgotten empires, the unimaginable savagery of the Mongols, the still-worshipped tombs of Sufi saints. Yes, there is the obligatory tale of the vermin-infested un...more Thubron travelled through Central Asia in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet empire. Enabled by his knowledge of Russian, he managed to do it largely without intermediaries, so this trip is far beyond what one would expect of a grand tour of this huge region. Yes, there are visits to the touchstones, the abandoned ruins of almost-forgotten empires, the unimaginable savagery of the Mongols, the still-worshipped tombs of Sufi saints. Yes, there is the obligatory tale of the vermin-infested underground prison used by the sybaritic emirs of Bukhara and the two British officers who spent years in it before their execution. Thubron recounts how Central Asia had played host to a strain of Islam that was inquisitive and intellectual (it produced one of the Middle Age's great thinkers, Avicenna) and how it was crushed. But what really sets Thubron apart is his affection for the people of these countries, and how they adapted to the wrenching decades of Russian domination, followed by the devastation of the Russian collapse. (This is still the nineties; the self-satisfied, oil and gas-rich Russia of Putin has not yet appeared, it is gripped by the chaos of Yeltsin). Thubron listens, not always the most notable talent of Westerners abroad, even if it's to the guide who swindles him, or the elderly widow who, having lost a father and a husband to the Soviet terror, still believes in Communism. He engages everyone, down to the shepherds who turn out to be some of the last speakers of Sogdian, spoken by Xerxes, Darius and Cyrus the Great, one of whom says of that language, without sadness, that it belongs in the past. Above all, in this collection of countries and cultures so poorly-understood in the West, Thubron has a talent for getting women to talk to him, whether it is the tough matron nostalgic for the Soviets, or the resourceful daughter-in-law who supports the family, or the Kazakh woman who dreams of being a conductor. And, in this inflation-ravaged region, there is always the dream of moving, to Thubron's England or New York. This isn't a book about dust and ruins or elites or about deluded, comic foreigners (I think Sascha Baron Cohen should be sentenced to memorizing it), it is about the people who live there, enduring and often failing but still struggling to create something new. (less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I agree with the reviewers stating that this book is very well written. As in «In Siberia» Thubron comes though as a very gifted writer in «The lost heart of Asia». Though the Lost heart of Asia is 80 pages longer than In Siberia, Thubron succeeds to go much more into depth and cover the region more throughly in «In Siberia» than in «The Lost Heart of Asia».

First «The lost Heart of Asia» is primarily a book about Uzbekistan (213 out of 367 pages) and Turkmenistan (50 pages). As long as a book ab...more I agree with the reviewers stating that this book is very well written. As in «In Siberia» Thubron comes though as a very gifted writer in «The lost heart of Asia». Though the Lost heart of Asia is 80 pages longer than In Siberia, Thubron succeeds to go much more into depth and cover the region more throughly in «In Siberia» than in «The Lost Heart of Asia».

First «The lost Heart of Asia» is primarily a book about Uzbekistan (213 out of 367 pages) and Turkmenistan (50 pages). As long as a book about Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is what you search for, that is of course no problem. Be aware of this if you mainly are interested in reading about some other country in the region though. It is hardly fair to holod against a book the year of publishing, but also be aware that the book was published in 1994 and a lot has happened since then.

The manuscript for the rest of the region needs to be worked more on. The chapters about Tadjikistan and Kirgizistan are simply weak (and short as if the writer know they are weak). The chapter on Kazhakstan has some great qualities but is not worked enough on to fullfill its full potential. The nuclear testing sites and the Soviet Nuclear program, the Gulags, the deported minorities and life in the mines, Baykonur cosmodroe and the Soviet Space program, the Aral sea, are some examples of topics that arguably need to be covered first hand in a travel book about Kazakhstan.

One can argue that the Aral sea is covered in the Uzbeksitan chapter and that central Asia is more than Gulags and toxic waste. A problem though, is that the coverage of the Aral sea and the Karakalpakistan region is the weakest in the coverage of Uzbekistan (The Aral sea is covered excellent in «Chasing the Sea» by Tom Bissel though). Another problem is that while Thubron is as successful with describing the beauty of the region and its people as in «In Siberia», he is unfortunately not equally successful with including the hardship of ordinary people and ugly face of the region and its history. This is a pity beacuse for instance the meeting with the former Gulag inmate of Vorkuta is among the most moving moments in «In Siberia». Chapter 9 about Fergana Valley is an exception, Thubron's meeting with the old Volga-German and the Uzbekhs story of the local people and the War in Afghanistan are highlights. If you know or have the slightest suspicion that you will like Thubron's portraits of people with a story to tell, chapter 9 is not unlikely to be the chapter you will enjoy most. All in all, that these portraits are fewer and far between and that «The lost Heart of Asia» does not cover the region as good as «In Siberia», makes me conclude on 4 stars, good - but not as good as «In Siberia».
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Jan 16, 2012 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very good travel book. It is perhaps a bit myopic about the author's experiences on this amazing trip through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, and Tajikistan, but it is very entertaining and interesting. I got the feeling that the author genuinely presented his trip as it actually happened, good and bad alike. I'll be taking a much attenuated trip over the same territory later this year, so I was very interested in everything he had to say. This book should be a good...more

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Jan 27, 2009 Alexis rated it 4 of 5 stars

A little dry, but an interesting account (circa 1994-5) of the Stans.

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Jan 14, 2009 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read The Lost Heart of Asia while I was living in the region, in the country of Kyrgyzstan. In this book Thubron travels throughout Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and – of course – Kyrgyzstan. This was by far the most informative book on Central Asia that I have read so far, in addition to being entertaining and well penned. I was a little disappointed by the fact that he spent by far the most time in Uzbekistan, and by the fact that he came to Kyrgyzstan at the very end of h...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Tricia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tricia by: book club

Shelves: abandoned, 11-03-march, book-club

I really couldn't get into this book, but I tried to plough through since it was a book club selection. Timing defeated me, and I had to return the book to the library, but I figured I can always pick it up again hopefully before the meeting, otherwise after, when everyone at book club tells me that the second half makes it all worthwhile.

Surprisingly, I had read the most pages in the book! Some got bogged down as early as page 35. My biggest complaints were that the author was quite smug throug...more

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Nov 30, 2010 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

An excerpt:

We splashed over a gulley, and found the only path out of the village. Ahead of us hung a wooden bridge whose struts stood thin as sticks in the river. My heart sank. It was the only way west. I thought we might edge on to it and test its strength. Then suddenly Oman shouted 'We'll see!' and set the car at it headlong.
For a second it crackled like dry biscuits under us. Then we were over and charging up a precipitous bank.
I yelled: 'Weren't you afraid?'
"Of course I was!' he yelled bac...more An excerpt:

We splashed over a gulley, and found the only path out of the village. Ahead of us hung a wooden bridge whose struts stood thin as sticks in the river. My heart sank. It was the only way west. I thought we might edge on to it and test its strength. Then suddenly Oman shouted 'We'll see!' and set the car at it headlong.
For a second it crackled like dry biscuits under us. Then we were over and charging up a precipitous bank.
I yelled: 'Weren't you afraid?'
"Of course I was!' he yelled back.

"The Lost Heart of Asia" is one of a trilogy Colin Thubron wrote in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, exploring parts of what had made up that great communist power. In this case, he explored Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and maybe a stan that I've overlooked.
This is travel writing at its most basic: There are no five-star hotels, no Michelin restaurants, no Western tourists and no places Western tourists would go. There are no Westerners other than Thubron, who's from England. There's a great deal of adventure.

During the early chapters of the book, Thubron seemed invariably to ask someone to take him to see something. Invariably, that person would insist instead on getting all his friends together for an impromptu party. This would consist of indigestible food -- Thubron lost a tooth at one of the parties -- and large quantities of vodka. Throughout this part of the book, Thubron seemed to be either becoming drunk on vodka, already drunk on vodka, or hungover from being drink on vodka. It's a wonder he was able to record anything that happened. Curiously, though, these are probably the most engrossing chapters of the book.

Thubron is, I think, an amazing writer. Open the book to any page, plunk your finger down on any sentence, and it will be a really good sentence. I like this sentence, for instance, from Page 22:

The historian's face cracked into a smile, which survived there senselessly a long time later, as if he had forgotten it.

I will say that at times during the latter chapters of the book I felt like a child in the back seat of the car, bored with the scenery, wondering when we're going to get there. And when I did get there, I wanted to go back, and I told all my friends about what a wonderful trip it was (which is what I'm doing now).

Pictures and more detailed maps would have been nice.

Oh, and one more thing: If you're ever in Uzbekistan and find yourself in need of transportation, DON'T hire Oman to be your driver. (less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

A land of enormous proportions, countless secrets, and incredible history, Central Asia--the heart of the great Mongol empire of Tamerlane, site of the legendary Silk Route and scene of Stalin's cruelest deportations--is a remote and fascinating region. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of newly independent republics, Central Asia--containing the magical cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, and terrain as diverse as the Kazakh steppes, the Karakum desert, and the Pamir mountai...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Brian added it · review of another edition

The geographic descriptions left me a bit cold, but that's true of most travel writers. Meanwhile, there are passages in here that read like a novel; absolutely brilliant prose. Thubron's knowledge of the history of the region and his deft handling of its inhabitants is extraordinary. Central Asia is rarely discussed, but has been the crossroads of history and is even know undergoing significant change with great implications for the world at large. A bastardized form of Islam begins to inhabit...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Geourska rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed. However, a major turn off for me was Thubron's attitude towards and the descriptions of many of the people he met. He had nothing positive to say about any of them. It was as though he didn't meet a single person worthy of him in all of Central Asia. They were invariably ugly or drunkards or dimwits. given that some of these people opened up their houses to him, I found him rather rude and condescending. I am not against criticism, but his was...more

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Sep 17, 2009 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

"It is the traveler's illusion that everyone is assimilated except himself," writes Thubron, the best living travel writer, in this brilliant book in which he recounts his journey through central Asia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He may write primarily in short, declarative sentences, but they convey all you need to know about the landscape, the people, the culture, and, above all, the history of wherever he finds himself. Thubron's voice is often so subtle that you forget the pow...more

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Sep 15, 2008 Nicholas rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people traveling to Central Asia, students of history

Shelves: nonfiction-current-events, nonfiction-travel

While Central Asia will not rise high and many people's lists of "must go" travel destinations, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, many researchers wanted in on the Central Asian Republics largely because they had remained such a dense black box for so long. Even during the Glasnost period of the mid 80's, many visitors were restricted from entering these hidden parts of the Soviet Union. So, when the Empire fell, and the Republics declared themselves autonomous, people interested in th...more

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Jul 08, 2008 Kyle rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Kyle by: myself

A great book about an interesting, volatile part of the world. Thubron is a travel writer, not the Lonely Planet adventure or tuscan sun package travel writer, but a journalist who travels to see places, meet people and learn about the history, culture and politics of a place. In this book he travels throught Central Asia in mid 90's soon after the collapse of the USSR and the Central Asian countries are cast adrift. You can see the confusion, as in statues of Lenin still in squares; on person s...more A great book about an interesting, volatile part of the world. Thubron is a travel writer, not the Lonely Planet adventure or tuscan sun package travel writer, but a journalist who travels to see places, meet people and learn about the history, culture and politics of a place. In this book he travels throught Central Asia in mid 90's soon after the collapse of the USSR and the Central Asian countries are cast adrift. You can see the confusion, as in statues of Lenin still in squares; on person says they want to take down Lenin's statue but they don't know what to replace him with. Very telling, good summary for the development and problems forging of a national identity for these new nations.

The people he meets are fascinating, Russians who feel scared now that they are a minority, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Koreans, Turks who are seizing new opportuniities or rehashing old grievances or making new idenities for themselves. Everyone he meets and travels with has a unique story to tell, some are sad, some funny, some inspiring, some revolting. Not everyone he meets is a nice person, some people are ignorant, some are schemers, some are racist, but all are interesting and worth hearing from. The geography and scenery he describes is beautiful and forbidding, and the history and political commentary are interesting nad thought provoking. What I found interesting was the realltionship the Central Asians had with the USSR. It is ambivalent at best, the older folks he meets were vets of WW2 and still wear Soviet Service medals proudly while Russian is their second language and they are concious of the cultural and ethnic distinctness. Most areheavy vodka drinkers, one of the more permanent and ingrained cultural contibutions of Russia.

It is about 12 years ago he mad ethe journey, so it's a little out of date, but that onlymakesd you want to learn more about this region. His commentaries on Islam and fundamentalism pre 9/11 are prescient and revealing. The story stands alone as an interesting, exciting, funny adventure story. Its also a historical document, a snapshot of nations at a pivotal moment in history(less)

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Oct 27, 2008 Anthony rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: open minded people and travelers interested in other cultures

Recommended to Anthony by: online

I think that this book was a drier read in the beginning but very interesting simply for the fact that it gives a unique look into a part of the world I know almost nothing about and it also has the distiction of being written directly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Some people may be turned off becasue it isn't an advenure book. The first 150 pages I learned that people like to drink vodka and radical Islam probably woun't take over the region. However, if you give the book a chance you wi...more I think that this book was a drier read in the beginning but very interesting simply for the fact that it gives a unique look into a part of the world I know almost nothing about and it also has the distiction of being written directly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Some people may be turned off becasue it isn't an advenure book. The first 150 pages I learned that people like to drink vodka and radical Islam probably woun't take over the region. However, if you give the book a chance you will be taken on a grand tour of the region from the second holiest Islamic city of Samakaland in Uzbekistan, to the beautiful mountians of Tajikistan, to the high mountain lake of Issyk-kul where a naval base 1500 miles from the nearest ocean was built to test torpedoes out of the preying eyes of Americans.

I think the strength of this book lies in all of the individual people he meets from Central Asia and how they have all been transformed by the hugely significan collapse of the USSR and the challenges they face in each nation. Readers who open the pages of this book my not see any organization of such random characters, but as a traveler, I realize that they are just that, random interesting people in a foreign world. Everyone has a unique perspective on life in their lands.

In this crisis one can see the sense of identity being lost with each person and the searching for a new sense of belonging to a new nation, religion, or simply tribes and family. It was evident that the collapse had a significant effect on purchasing power of people and how jobs were impossible to find and if you did have one recieving a pay check was hit or miss. Life was hard.

I was not sure how much Soviet culture had influenced each nation but it was interesting to learn how much the vast nation of Kazakhstan was influenced by russians and how things like traditional ceremonies or religion was surpressed and replaced by russian culture. Not only Kazakstan, but the others as well. Industrializaton had taken a heavy toll on the region especially in the nations of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

I was relieved to read about how people in this region are not all religious fanatics. I knew that it was primarily Islamic but didn't know to what degree of Islamic funamentalism each nation was. It ranges from the more Islamic nations of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to the more secular states of Kazakstan and Kirghiztan. Reading how many people didn't think the Iranian style of Islam with its more conservative and fanatical teachings was relieving and to hear that they'd prefer the Turkish style with its secular modern Islam is motivational. This was all 18 years ago so I wonder how it is now.

A surprising fact was that each nation is very diverse. I had no idea that Central Asia had such a tramatic and volitile history due to the physical location inbetween huge empires. I didn't know how much Mongolians, Koreans, Germans, Russians, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and other people mixed together to form nations. This unfortuantely can lead to bad situations when the Russian pulled out bc the Russians were the government handlers and knew how to operate things efficiently. A power vacuum was created when they left to go back to the motherland and in natons like Tajikistan there were little known civil wars that killed tens of thousands.

The journies of this man take place 18 years ago so now I am curious how the region has turned out now after civil wars, spread of Islam, and each nations' people running their own nation. Unfortunately the book contained no pictures which I thought was a great injustice. It is difficult to imagine foreign worlds so I resorted to googling different locations like mountain ranges, roads, cities, mosques etc. This gave me a better idea of how the region lookes. It is a poor, but beautiful area.

I found it motivating that the old woman in Kirghistan said that she had enough to make her happy and didn't know what the fuss was all about. She was a true optomist in troubling times and as the book wound to a close seemed a prelude to better times in the region.
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Oct 21, 2007 Nicholas Whyte added it · review of another edition

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1267616.html[return][return]This is a travelogue of a journey through the five Central Asian former Soviet republics in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the USSR. It had been lingering on my unread books shelf for a while, but I realised that in fact I had read it shortly after it came out. In those days I was interested then in the legacy of Tamerlane and Ulugh Beg in Samarkand, which Thubron indeed describes in so far as it was there to be found. The...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Lit Bug rated it 4 of 5 stars

A brilliant insight into a vast, but little-known, little-explored area on Earth - Central Asia. A very simple account, yet, heart-warming and heart-wrenching. An exploration of not only physical places, but of the people, their culture, and their painful history. An effort to uncover and understand hitherto unknown facts of a place pushed back to a corner in world history and politics. A wonderful read. Both as travel and as exploration of human emotions.

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Apr 04, 2012 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: around-the-world-in-80-books, asia, non-fiction, travel

A thorough and inviting look at the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia soon after independence (about 20 years old at this point). Mainly about people trying to invent an identity out of nothing. Their history had been so thoroughly crushed by the USSR, that it appeared to be almost lost. The only things they gained from the last 100 years of colonization were melancholy and alcoholism - very Russian traits! It would be interesting to find out how things have changed, and whether there real...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Jan-Maat added it

Shelves: travel, central-asia, 20th-century

An ok travel book. Thubron travelled in Central Asia a couple of years after the end of the Soviet Union in the period of transition while the current regimes were still establishing themselves and before the reoccurrence of large-scale fighting in Afghanistan and steady migration of ethnic Germans and Russians out of the region. Entertaining and readable although I didn't think it was particularly insightful.

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Jan 19, 2011 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eurasia-frontier, thehistorynerd

This is a great travel book. One that meanders through Central Asia shortly after, "the Fall" of the Soviet Union. Before the rest of the world was really worried about radical Islam as we know it, you constantly find yourself reading Thubron's question, "Do you think this will become like Iran?" It begins by the time he heads to Kazakhstan like a broken record.
His descriptions of the landscape however are beautiful, and you can find yourself imagining the scenery. As someone who has recently be...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which fulfilled my criteria of learning new things, being stimulated to explore the topic further, peaking my interest and keeping me involved. This book is about Central Asia, an area of the world that I knew next to nothing about I came away with basic knowledge of the geography, the people, the political upheavals over thousands of years and a sense of the vastness, rugged beauty and brutal climate that inhabitants have grappled with. I recommend this book to an...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jesus, Thubron seems like a trial of a person. He's humorless, relentlessly critical, condescending and seems to not understand the concept of joy. And yet, I keep coming back to his books. Why? He's blisteringly intelligent, and he writes history like no one else - he makes places come to life, even as they existed hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Because I'm heading to Uzbekistan (Inshallah) in the coming months, I was happy with the content imbalance in this book because it favors th...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Rosemary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating modern journey through Central Asia, the old home of the Silk Road. Wonderful evocations of Central Asia's Mongol and Soviet past and conflicted present... a must read for all eager travelers.

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May 28, 2010 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: z2010, travel

Really interesting book travelling around central Asia to countries I've never considered going to. I found it really fascinating how many of the countries had been recently created and were struggling to find a national identity.

The things Thubron did were amazing and his writing style enthralling.

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Mar 13, 2009 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent travelogue! Thubron has a knack for discovering unusual characters and for describing ordinary people in interesting ways.

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Aug 19, 2012 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel-writing

Fascinating account of places I knew little about. A little drier than In Siberia but great writing and very enjoyable.

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Sep 07, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs-biographies

A bit depressing and judgmental I thought. Not worth buying, but okay to borrow

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Sep 13, 2012 Terrance Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars

In my view the best of travel writers- background, background.

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Mar 22, 2012 Seawood rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-200-books-challenge, hard-copy, non-fiction

A truly breathtaking, poetic piece of travel writing. If you've ever wondered about the Eastern former Soviet states between Russia and China - or you just want to go *way* out of your Western comfort zone, do read this. Absolutely fascinating.

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