Cycling the silk route opens a window into the landscape and cultures through which this intrepid group of cyclists pedals. The silk road cities of uzbekistan stand out as a jewel in the cultural crown of our adventure. Yes, the founder of silk road, the worlds largest illicit marketplace, the man who had just ordered a hit on his own employee, was disturbed by the lack of integrity in this world. Lands of lost borders is a rhapsodic, deeply researched, and elegantly written book. Read here about my travel route through turkey, iran, kazakhstan, uzbekistan, kyrgyzstan and china including my favorite accommodations, hikes and sights.
Hear first hand the inevitable mix of highlights and challenges faced. In between studying at oxford and mit, harris set off by bicycle down the fabled silk road with her childhood friend mel. In this luminous, incisive memoir, harris chronicles her permanent wanderlust, her twisting career path and the months she spent cycling the silk road with her best friend. Silk route central asia bike tour, including china. Jun 22, 2017 this book will help readers understand the silk road through its unique landscapes and local people, as well as a fathers viewpoint, said dong jingjing, the books editor, adding that. Beijing to istanbul our,000 kilometre selfpowered caravan begins in beijing, china, the p. Feb 16, 2016 this is an excellent book which takes a different perspective on history than the usual run of history books.
The silk road, a series of ancient trade routes stretching across central asia to europe, evokes exotic images of camel trains laden with bales of fine chinese silk, spices, and perfume, of desert oases surrounded by snowcapped mountains, of bustling markets thronging with travellers buying and selling grapes, coriander, baltic amber, and mediterranean coral. While cycling the silk road, canadian author kate harris considers the veracity of the explorers. Many people erroneously think that the silk road connected china with rome. Cycling experience needed, along with good fitness and a serious sense of adventure. Were ben and manon a twenty something frenchaustralian couple with 2 bicycles, not much of a plan, a little bit of luck and a dream to cycle the silk road. Getting to ride alongside kate on her silk road journey is the literary adventure of a lifetime. Cycling the silk road canadian writer and explorer kate harris debut travel memoir recounts her journey along the historic trade route left. Instead, frankopan places the center the centre of the world in the region of modern iraq, iran, the caucasus and the russian steppes. Well along this path, harris set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled silk road with her childhood friend mel yule. The silk road was a network of trade routes which connected the east and west, and was central to the economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between these regions from the 2nd century bce to the 18th century. Cycling the silk route through georgia, azerbaijan and china by friedel on 7th july 2011 in bike touring tips 3 the silk road isnt just one road. Pedaling mile upon mile in some of the remotest places on earth, she realized that an explorer, in any day and age, is the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines.
Cycling the silk road will have wrapped me around the world. Iv done this kind of cycling trip and i enjoyed the sense of adventuredescriptions of cycling that is enfolded in this book but i was so wanted more on the people. How a hunger for a wider world led kate harris to cycle the. Kate harris after a day of gritty riding on the silk road in 2011. Cycle the silk road across georgia much better adventures. Through the cycling adventure scene, shannon had been in contact with nelson trees, the brains behind the pedaled silk road mountain race at that point a. And where shed felt that most intensely was on a bicycle, on a bygone trading route. When marco polo returned to italy after two dozen years travelling in asia, he recounted the wonders of his silk road wanderings in a book, dictated to a writer named rustichello, while they were both imprisoned during the venicegenoa war. It follows gravel, single and double track and old soviet roads that have long been forgotten and fallen into disrepair. This fascinating book, about an unbridled desire for exploration, completely thrilled me. Through the cycling adventure scene, shannon had been in contact with nelson trees, the brains behind the pedaled silk road mountain race at that point a soontobelaunched 1,700km self. In this beautifullyillustrated book, which covers the central asian section of the silk road from lake issy kul through tashkent, samarkand, bukhara, the kyzyl kum desert, khiva and merv to herat, kabul and iran jonathan tucker uses travellers anecdotes and a wealth of literary and historical sources to celebrate the cultural. About two young adventurers cycling the silk road, sharing stories from the places we see and lessons learnt from the people we meet. I was just hungry for the wider world, said kate harris, who chronicles her journey cycling the silk road in her book lands of lost borders.
But like every country before, it was the time spent in forgotten villages, drinking tea with locals, that really warmed our hearts. In lands of lost borders, kate harris recounts her 10,000 kilometre cycling trip along the silk road, crossing into 10 countries turkey, kyrgyzstan and tibet, to name a few with her friend. Best books to read about the silk road a list for senior travellers. The silk roads have functioned as the worlds the traditional view that the world we know today was shaped by the romans and the greeks is challenged in this book. A new history of the world is a 2015 nonfiction book written by peter frankopan, an english academic at the university of oxford. The result of the yearlong trip is her book, lands of lost borders. The linking of asia to europe via eurasia for conquest and trade since at least 120bc is a unique part of the worlds history.
Books reading about the silk road asia central asia. Alison tetrick is one of the most accomplished gravel cyclists in the world, but joining our trip to kyrgyzstan to ride the silk road brought a new perspective to her cycling. Shadow of the silk road by colin thubron, the silk roads. In some ways, im intimidated by the thought of five months of a structured routine, but then again it will be like travelling with a family of likeminded people looking out for one another, which isnt so bad. Oct 30, 2017 cycling the silk route opens a window into the landscape and cultures through which this intrepid group of cyclists pedals. It has been a long time since i posted, but today is a good day for my silk road ride project, so its time to share the good news. Today, most people travel the silk road in a land rover. It particularly got my attention when i realized it covered a lot of the geographical area i had just learned about in the abovementioned genghis khan book by jack. It starts in northwest china, about the second century ad, and continues up through the age of marco polo.
For centuries, the great civilizations of east and west were connected by the silk road, a fragile network of shifting intercontinental trade routes that treaded across asias highest mountains and bleakest deserts. Last friday in our monthly newsletter we announced the release of the complete video cycling the silk route. Cross the caucasus mountains to the black sea along the ancient great silk road. During the five months of cycling along the silk route the riders and staff have experienced a wide variety of. This book narrates a young girls bike trip on the ancient silk road, together with a girlfriend of hers. Cycling silk what does springtime on the silk road look. Hard to believe, but the cycling silk expedition ended a year ago today, when we flew home to canada to begin other adventures. Out of the heart of china into the mountains of central asia, across northern afghanistan and the plains of iran and into kurdish turkey. I hit save on the last chapter and then added up all the word counts. It looks at world history from the perspective of the lands along the silk roads the trading routes which brought silk from china to europe, and gold and silver in the other direction. That was 2015, since then, i celebrated turning 65, being 65 and getting older cycling across canada then europe solo.
Books to read about the silk road guide for seniors. Find my complete overview of backpacking the silk road in this updated article. Peter frankopan is a historian at worcester college, oxford and director of the oxford centre for byzantine research. A haunting story of adventure, romance and courage, by colin falconer i had to bite through the first couple of chapters, thinking it was a tooeasyofaplot story.
As part of the dark web, it was operated as a tor hidden service, such that online users were able to browse it anonymously and securely without potential traffic monitoring. Author kate harris and her friend mel yule cycling through ladakh. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. His areas of focus are the history of the byzantine empire, the mediterranean. This trailer features turkey, georgia and azerbaijan, our first three countries out of ten total on this yearlong journey to india, including kazakhstan, uzbekistan, tajikistan, kyrgyzstan, china, nepal, and india. Apr 25, 2018 i was just hungry for the wider world, said kate harris, who chronicles her journey cycling the silk road in her book lands of lost borders. Check out kate harris interview with frank wolf for explore magazine about cycling the silk road with mel yule, and then writing a book about it. The ulimate cycle touring blog for anyone planning on cycling the silk road. Lands of lost borders recounts a 10,000 kilometre cycling trip along the silk road, crossing into 10 countries, while exploring the political, cultural and environmental history of the places and. The ancient silk road winds into the shah foladi valley near bamiyan in afghanistan. My book focuses on seven silk road sites and proceeds in chronological order.
Mel and i seemed to go directly from freezing our butts. However given the statutory definition of dangerous cycling this would have to entail riding the bicycle in an obviously and flagrantly dangerous manner. This is an excellent book which takes a different perspective on history than the usual run of history books. Lyrical, brilliant and sharply observed, lands of lost borders is a paean to wanderlust and a call for readers to launch their own explorations. Silk road mountain race august 17th, 2019 kyrgyzstan. How a hunger for a wider world led kate harris to cycle. A new history of the world by peter frankopan, empires of the silk. Traveling solo, wild camping, and spending time with locals inspire my next adventures. The silk road is offthebeaten track, rough and unforgettable.
While cycling the silk road, canadian author kate harris considers the veracity of the explorers accounts. Drawing on prodigious sources, frankopan the first crusade. This trip was just a simulacrum of exploration, she thought, not the thing itselfa little adventure to pass the time until she could launch for outer space. A journey on the silk road dey street books, an elegant and accessible travel memoir recounting a modern explorers bicycle ride along the road, a trip that superbly tells much about the history and nature of exploration itself. A cyclist who is considered to have caused death by dangerous cycling may be charged with involuntary manslaughter. This book will help readers understand the silk road through its unique landscapes and local people, as well as a fathers viewpoint, said dong jingjing, the book. I love the cover of piper verlags gorgeous german edition of my book. To commemorate the end of this particular road, we recently put together a random, purelyforkicks highlights reel of sorts which condenses ten months, ten countries, and ten thousand kilometers of adventure into roughly ten minutes of footage.
So long as cycling is a significant feature of the book not just some character in chapter three once rode a bike, then it should be okay. What does springtime on the silk road look and feel like. A new history of the world reprint by frankopan, peter isbn. Books about central asia, mongolia and the silk road. Kate harris travelled 10,000 km through 10 countries across. Cracked asphalt deepened to night beyond the reach of our headlamps, the thin beams swallowed by a blackness that receded before us no. Central asia combined silk road tour from the first contact with odil at steppe journeys to the final flight home we were. I have read several great cycling travel stories such as where the pavement ends by erika warmbrunn and enticed by the title of this book was looking forward to.
Feb 16, 2016 throughout history, central asia has been a nexus of burgeoning trade in goods, people, and ideas. Best cycling books the best or at least most popular books featuring cycling or cyclists biographies, histories, photo collections, travel guides or memoirs, novels, training manuals, etc. The temptation in writing any book subtitled a new history of the world is to be doggedly, defiantly. This afternoon i finished the first draft of my book about cycling the length of the silk road. Their principal goal is to provide via the internet materials for learning and teaching about the silk road. The silk road mountain race follows a fixed anticlockwise route of 1700 kilometres with a total of 26,000m of climbing and three checkpoints along the way, and like many ultradistance cycling events there is no prize for the eventual winner. Kate harriss book about cycling the silk road won a major. Surprisingly, the biggest threat to kate harris and her cycling partner was trafficnot bad weather or bad people. The book is a fast read, and as a teacher i enjoyed his descriptive passages about the specific geography of the silk road. Iranian photog takes tour of asia to cover islamic sites. Silk route blog stories from the participants and the staff as the bicycle tour progresses along its route. Brady writes of interesting people, governments, and cultures as he rides his mountain bike in the footsteps of marco polo and other silk road traders. Each day of cycling, despite the challenges, has brought us closer to here. How a hunger for a wider world led kate harris to cycle the silk road.
List of books and articles about silk road online research. Kate harriss book about cycling the silk road won a major canadian book prize. Silk road was an online black market and the first modern darknet market, best known as a platform for selling illegal drugs. Questions for peter frankopan, author of the silk roads its been centuries since camel caravans crisscrossed eurasia along the silk roads. Silk road seattle silk road seattle is an ongoing public education project using the silk road theme to explore cultural interaction across eurasia from the beginning of the common era a. A 10,000km bicycle trip along the silk road macleans. The silk road we spent four months biking disappears from view in minutes. The journey, and i hope the book, came alive with those encounters. The silk road mountain race is a fixed route, unsupported, singlestage cycling race through the mountains of kyrgyzstan. Tehran iranian photographer hamid soltanabadian embarked on a cycling adventure in 2011 covering 11 asian countries on the silk road to prepare a collection that represents the influence of iranian and islamic architecture on the monuments built along the ancient route. I enjoyed the sense of adventuredescriptions of cycling that is enfolded in this book but i was so wanted more. So harris quit the laboratory and hit the silk road again with yule, this time determined to bike it from beginning. Though the main focus of the book seems to be the chinese portions of the silk road, readers will find his descriptions of the taliban in afganistan back in around 1998 quite chilling.
Uzbekistan 7 day cultural tour from tashkent to bukhara, samarkand, and back to tashkent. Cycling the silk route through georgia, azerbaijan and china. Shadow of the silk road records a journey along the greatest land route on earth. Well hold your breath no more, because i have just the book for you.