Thoroughly Enjoyable

Well observed with plenty of personal encounters and conversations recounted to make this most enjoyable. However, as another reviewer remarked, the carelessness of the narrator with the pronunciation of Chinese names is very annoying. It is not, alas, the only audiobook to fall foul of this error, but how refreshing it would be if the producers of audiobooks spent just a little more money to employ an advisor in to help narrators in this regard.

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5 people found this helpful

magnificent .wonderful

best book I've listened to full of drama and will probably listen or read it again in a few years

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Awe-inspiring

An engaging, awe-inspiring read. Simply beautiful prose interwoven with historical background and lively dialogue Realistically, whilst I may never get to travel to any of the places recorded in this book, I now feel as if I have a far more vivid and informed picture of exactly what I am missing. If I could choose anyone as a dinner guest, Mr Thubron, you’d be top of my list!

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Should have been a great book...

The author is clearly a very accomplished writer. Here, he has sacrificed narrative flow for literary style with the result that I often didn't know where he was or where he was going. It is a journey after all.

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1 person found this helpful

Just needs a map

I have never read Colin Thubron and chose this book because I am interested in the silk road rather than a devoted fan of the author. I didn't learn as much about the silk road as I had anticipated, but I was absolutely delighted with the Thubron's narrative and his subtle use of language. His portraits of the people he meets on his journey are detailed and fascinating. The one thing I felt I missed through hearing this rather than reading it was a map of his journey. I sometimes lost track of where we were and had to wait until we crossed a border in order to locate myself again.

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4 people found this helpful

I walked with him.

What a magical journey. It has been far too long since I read a Colin Thubron book. Thank you for bringing a far away country to my door.

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Another great Thubron travel book

Very much enjoyed this epic voyage, tracing the silk road through modern day China, central Asia, Iran and Turkey. Very well researched. Good narration by Jonathan Keeble.

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Well written.

A well written account of travel experiences in places I know very little about. The author was adept at recalling conversations with both the interesting and the banal.

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Portraits of people we will never meet.

As always Colin writes the intimate and lively stories of people we will never meet. He humanizes and shapes them for us, and each time he moves on its like we’re saying goodbye too. His explanations of the histories of each place he goes is wonderful, and his (mostly) unbiased and human views is refreshing. Colin just seems like a plain up likable guy.

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Great travel book

Great book. I found this book while looking for something to listen to in the car that was a little different and I'm glad I did. It took me a little while to get used to the style but once I settled in it is a great travel book.
Colin Thubron is a great descriptive writer and I could almost picture each of his encounters along his journey.
Not only did I learn about the environment he was in but the history and background were also great education. It is a great chance to learn about whole cultures that I have very little knowledge of.
Downloading another of his books straight away.

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1 person found this helpful