Product Description

From the blue-tiled splendor of Tamerlane's Samarkand to the holy city of Bukhara, and beyond to the desert-girdled khanate of Khiva, Uzbekistan lays claim to a breathtaking architectural legacy. Bound by sand and snow, fed by meltwater from the Roof of the World, these fertile oases have attracted travelers and conquerors along the fragile threads of the Silk Road throughout history. This groundbreaking guide focuses on the wealth of sites and colorful legends along Central Asia's golden road.

• Informative insights into the history, religion and culture of Uzbekistan
• Special topics include the disappearance of the Aral Sea, and the life and death of Tamerlane the Great
• Up-to-date practical information for the traveler, covering visas, customs and travel agencies
• Hints for business visitors
• Environmental issues
• Useful maps, together with detailed plans of principal sites
• 108 color photos, 23 maps

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #267429 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9789622177956
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"The best guidebook to bring is the Uzbekistan volume in the Odyssey series... It is one of those rare travel guides that is a joy to read whether or not you are planning a trip." - New York Times - "...a quintessential...glorious guidebook..." - Houston Chronicle - "

About the Author
Calum Macleod and Bradley Mayhew graduated in Oriental Studies (Chinese) from Wadham College, Oxford University. Macleod has traveled extensively through Russian and Chinese Central Asia, China and Indochina. He contributes regularly to a range of publications. Mayhew has traveled and trekked across Chinese and Russian Central Asia, Tibet, Iran and Ladakh. He has led adventure tours along the Silk Road and is the author/co-author of numerous Lonely Planet guides, including Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway, Tibet, The Indian Himalaya and Southwest China. MacLeod lives in Beijing, China. Mayhew lives in Montana, USA when not "on the road."

Customer Reviews

Excellent
I found this book just about perfect!
Unlike Odyssey's guide to neighbouring Tajikistan which I found carried too much dead weight with hundreds of pages on the history of past explorations, this book has hit the balance between history, sights and practical information very well.
The result is a guide that offers enough background info to be interesting rather than boring, enough info on where to go to let you go off the beaten track if you wish, and a range of accommodation options ranging from homestays to upmarket hotels, with actual prices noted.
And of course, as usual with this series, it has absolutely gorgeous photography, a very important point in a book about this country, where the stunning architecture is a main attraction.
As an added bonus, it even offers information on the most rewarding side-trips you can make to neighbouring Central Asian countries.
Really, it is better than I had hoped - if you want to visit Uzbekistan, take this book. It is better than Lonely Planet!

Better than Lonely Planet if you are going to spend a lot of time in Uzbekistan
If you are going to spend a lot of time in Uzbekistan, this book is a better buy than the Lonely Planet which covers each Central Asian country briefly in the regional "Central Asia" guide. However, there's too much focus on culture and history in this book and not enough focus on things to do. If you want to read a fiction/thriller that takes place in Uzbekistan and accurately captures the people and culture, check out The Opportunists, by Yohann de Silva. Here's the link: The Opportunists: A Novel