A list of books you should read or take with you if you are planning to travel in Afghanistan and the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia.
Central Asia is one of the world's most politically complex and historically rich regions, but the literature on it is thin, compared with other areas of the world. Before travelling the region, I would recommend the following books, ranging from guidebooks to get you around to histories to give you context to travelogues that will inspire you to dig deep into one of the world's most fascinating regions.
1. Central Asia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) By Bradley Mayhew, et al: A good place to start, the Lonely Planet guide to Central Asia proves useful even if you live in the region. Lonely Planet recently released a new edition of their guidebook, making it the most u-to-date around. But keep in mind that in a volatile region, no guide is entirely reliable.
2. Turkmenistan: The Bradt Travel Guide, By Paul Brummell: This is the best guide to Turkmenistan available today. Remotest of the remote countries in the region, Turkmenistan was lacking a good guide, but Paul Brummell, former British Ambassador to this tiny Central Asian Country, has remedied the situation with an excellent overview of the country and insight into its culture, topography, and politics, with excellent sections on ancient Merv, Dekhistan, Koyne-Urgench, and other lost cities of the Silk Road.
3. The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia, By Peter Hopkirk: A classic and likely the king of Central Asian histories, Peter Hopkirk gives a sweeping overview of the 19th-Century conflict between an expanding Russia and the British Empire, full of amazing larger-than life characters, adventure and tragedy.
4. Setting the East Ablaze: Lenin Dreams of an Empire in Central Asia, By Peter Hopkirk: This excellent follow-up to The Great Game follows the adventures and misadventures of Bolshevism in the region, as the Soviet Empire expands into Central Asia's deserts and mountains.
5. Tournament of Shadows: The Great Game and the Race for Empire in Central Asia, by Karl Ernest Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac: Meyer and Brysac provide a more nuanced version of the Great Game, focusing on Afghanistan and Tibet. Excellent prose and deft political analysis make it well worth the read.
6. Red Odyssey: A Journey through the Soviet Republics, by Marat Akchurin: If you can find this out-of-print title, it makes for a thrilling read. Akchurin, a Tatar from Moscow, travels through all the central asian Republics just as the Soviet Union disintegrates and ethnic conflicts flare up. A harrowing, amazing journey and an excellent portrait of the region in transition.
7. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, by Eric Newby: Possibly one of the most entertaining travel books ever written about the region, Newby's account of his ill-prepared foray into the mountains of Nuristan will inspire you to take a few risks of your own. Has what may be the funniest final lines of all time.
For a similar bookshelf for the Caucasus region, including Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, click here.
