The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia

by Peter Hopkirk Narrated by Alex Wyndham

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Half-mad Russian czar Paul I dispatched an invasion force to India in 1801. It was hastily recalled upon his assassination. But 70 years later a succession of ambitious czars had crushed the Muslim peoples of Central Asia, and confident St. Petersburg again cast a covetous eye southward on India. Fearing a Russian invasion, the British rulers of India sent English spies disguised as holy men to find out what the Russians were up to. In 1880, after bloody fighting, the British eradicated Russian influence in Afghanistan and established a buffer state. The Great Game, as the Anglo-Russian struggle in Central Asia was called, unfolds in Hopkirk's ( Setting the East Ablaze ) intricate narrative as an incredible tale of high adventure and political intrigue, conveyed here through the exploits of Cossacks, Muslim guerrillas, courageous travelers, spies, mapmakers and soldiers. The Great Game ended in 1907 with an Anglo-Russian pact, but as Hopkirk notes in a foreword, a new imperialist rivalry is underway in Central Asia, pitting the U.S. against Russia, Turkey, China and Iran. Photos. (Sept.)

Booknews

Hopkirk's real-life thriller, first published in Great Britain in 1990 as The Great Game: on Secret Service in High Asia (John Murray Ltd.), tells the story of the 19th-century imperial struggle between agents of Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia for strategic and economic supremacy over an area stretching from the Caucasus to China. Includes 24 pages of illustrations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

From the Publisher

Written with engrossing flair... Hopkirk tells the story well, playing up the romance and glamour while never losing sight of the overarching historical picture."—Andrew Leonard, San Francisco Chronicle



"Those who enjoy vividly told tales of derring-do and seek a clear understanding of the history of the emerging central Asian countries will find this a glorious book." —Byron Farwell, The New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"The Great Game, as the Anglo-Russian struggle in Central Asia was called, unfolds in Hopkirk's intricate narrative as an incredible tale of high adventure and political intrigue, conveyed here through the exploits of Cossacks, Muslim guerrillas, courageous travelers, spies, mapmakers and soldiers." —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170633265
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	08/29/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos