Silk Road

If you read my posting from a week ago (Patrick O'Brian), you'll know that we have a novel of his called The Road to Samarcand, which takes place along the route of the Silk Road. Well, we also have a new travel diary by respected author Colin Thubron that takes you along the same journey. Shadow of the Silk Road is an interesting account of Thubron's 7,000 mile trip from Xian in the heart of China to Antakya (Antioch) in Turkey. Unlike the travel books I usually read, this is not full of funny anecdotes and Thubron is not an inept adventurer. Instead, he paints beautiful pictures of both the scenery and the people that he encounters on his journey. He sprinkles his account with some history of the Silk Road and the groups that controlled its access at various times. And unlike Patrick O'Brian's novel, this is a modern Silk Road, with televisions, chemotherapy, and widespread knowledge of global affairs and English. It is also a region touched by modern events: the dissolution of the Soviet empire, the Iranian revolution, the struggle for Tibetan Independence, and the recent fighting in Afghanistan. The book starts off on an interesting note, as Thubron explains that the middle portion of his journey - through Northern Afghanistan - was delayed by a year due to fighting between the Taliban and western forces. This is an interesting look at a region that is playing an increasingly important role on the global stage.