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A review by piratequeen
Foreign Devils on the Silk Road by Peter Hopkirk
4.0
For a period of about 25 years, beginning at the turn of the 20th century, a number of archaeological expeditions, led by European explorers, were conducted along the paths of the old Silk Road that skirted the massive Taklamakan desert. These expeditions uncovered numerous fascinating sites, such as oasis towns, monasteries, and fortresses, all of them dating back to the heyday of the Silk Road in the 9th to 12th centuries. They found Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Manichaean artworks and manuscripts, textiles, and frescoes. Unfortunately, these explorers were less archaeologists and more opportunistic treasure hunters; as a result, dozens of sites were stripped bare of their frescoes (which were physically cut from the walls of temples), and hundreds of original manuscripts and documents were spirited away under the noses of the Chinese and socked away in museum libraries in London, Paris, and Berlin. The destruction these explorers caused was unthinkable, but their contributions to central Asian scholarship were huge.
This is a very interesting and exciting look at the adventures of some of Europe's most audacious and adventurous explorers, who lived in a time when there were still mysteries to be found. I was positively envious of these guys, who were still able to discover things, Indiana Jones style. Thanks to modern technology, life on Earth has become easier, the world more accessible; the downside is, it's taken away the thrill of the unknown. Everything has been mapped, photographed, and categorized, and venturing into the remotest places on earth doesn't present the challenge it once did. I don't intend to let this stop me, however; the first item on my bucket list is a trek along the Silk Road, from start to finish. It will be crazy and dangerous, and extremely awesome. And this plan of mine is a direct result of Peter Hopkirk and his amazing books about adventures in central Asia.
This is a very interesting and exciting look at the adventures of some of Europe's most audacious and adventurous explorers, who lived in a time when there were still mysteries to be found. I was positively envious of these guys, who were still able to discover things, Indiana Jones style. Thanks to modern technology, life on Earth has become easier, the world more accessible; the downside is, it's taken away the thrill of the unknown. Everything has been mapped, photographed, and categorized, and venturing into the remotest places on earth doesn't present the challenge it once did. I don't intend to let this stop me, however; the first item on my bucket list is a trek along the Silk Road, from start to finish. It will be crazy and dangerous, and extremely awesome. And this plan of mine is a direct result of Peter Hopkirk and his amazing books about adventures in central Asia.