On Horseback through Asia Minor

by Fred Burnaby

Overview

Frederick Burnaby (1842–85) joined the Royal Horse Guards in 1859, but, when not assigned to active duty, he crafted his own adventures. He ballooned across the English Channel, and travelled in Spain, Asia Minor and Russia. He was wounded, and eventually killed, fighting for the British Empire. His book, A Ride to Khiva (1876) gave a personal account of his hazardous mission into Russian territory during the 'Great Game' when the British and Russian Empires were vying for power in central Asia. It was an instant bestseller, and brought him overnight fame. This two-volume work, published in 1877, recounts his next adventure: a two-thousand mile journey through Asia Minor to assess Turkey's chances in the impending war with Russia. On the way, he creates vivid snapshots of the region and of the people he encounters. This first volume covers Burnaby's journey from Constantinople to Arabkir and includes a map of the entire route.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108037594
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/22/2011
Series:	Cambridge Library Collection - Travel, Middle East and Asia Minor
Pages:	396
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Frederick Gustavus Burnaby was a soldier, traveller, writer, and pioneer balloonist. He was reputed to be the strongest man in the British Army, and spoke no fewer than seven languages. In 1875, on a one-man Great Game mission, he rode to Khiva in Central Asia, and the following year set out from Constantinople for eastern Turkey. In 1885 he was speared to death while campaigning in the Sudan, where he is buried somewhere in the desert.

Table of Contents

Preface; Introduction; 1. The start; 2. The Bosphorus; 3. The porter at the hotel; 4. Osman; 5. Scutari; 6. The proprietor of the establishment; 7. An Armenian bishop; 8. Camels; 9. Nalihan; 10. Radford; 11. One lives and learns even from Turks; 12. The Pacha's carriage; 13. The band; 14. Leave Angora; 15. The Kizil Armak; 16. A victim to the famine; 17. M. Perrot; 18. The mosque; 19. A visit to some Greeks; 20. The gipsies; 21. Seleh Zela; 22. Tokat; 23. The servant of the house; 24. Osman; 25. Mohammed's horse; 26. A prison in Sivas; 27. The Governor calls; 28. An Armenian monastery; 29. The principal mosque; 30. Snow; 31. The river Dumrudja; 32. Usury laws in Turkey.