THE LOST HEART OF ASIA

This 1994 travelogue follows Colin Thubron's journeys through Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. He journeys into a region of uncertainty and instability to interview its people about their hopes for the future. Current-events watchers will be familiar with many of the concerns from reports of Russia and Eastern Europe, but regional traditions and the Muslim faith give the people he meets a different perspective. Stuart Langton gives this fascinating material an understated reading that often lets the ideas of the Central Asian people shine but occasionally proves dull. Casual listeners might be disappointed, but this book is still a good introduction to the region's culture and politics. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]