Shadow of the Silk Road

It is hard to think of a better travel book written this century * The Times *
Shadow of the Silk Road is a work of boundless riches. Every paragraph carries a captivating phrase...offering up an understanding of our world today that is as immediate as tomorrow's news, yet infinitely profound -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
One of Thubron's great strengths is his compassion...his shimmering prose creates a wonderful book, so multilayered that, when I reached the end, I wanted to read it all over again * Sunday Times *
Rich in humour, compassion and history, another confirmation, if any more were needed, that Thubron is the pre-eminent travel writer of his generation * Sunday Telegraph *
A poetic volume - interesting, shocking and deeply engaging, the work of a mature writer at the top of his game -- Sara Wheeler * Daily Telegraph *
Thubron is a very hardy traveller, and a very fine writer...[it is] a book of exceptional erudition, adventure and elegance -- Robert Macfarlane * Spectator *
Thubron makes his way with an appealing blend of self-doubt and erudition; he is willing, he is patient,; he knows he cannot resolve but he can attempt to decipher.... He is the reliable storyteller we needed in place of Marco Polo. His stock in trade makes him invaluable to us * Independent on Sunday *
Haunting, elegiac, melancholy, magical * Financial Times *
An exquisitely written work of great profundity * Herald *
Shadow of the Silk Road is an astonishing achievement - both the journey and the book. Mr Thubron's tenacity, endurance, stamina and erudition metamorphose into exquisite prose. This is harder to achieve than one might think and can only be the result of huge effort and skill * Economist *