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The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road-both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to twenty miles at some points. Now, in the vacuum left by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is once again talk of Russian soldiers "dipping their toes in the Indian Ocean." The Washington Post has said that "every story Peter Hopkirk touches is totally engrossing." In this gripping narrative he recounts a breathtaking tale of espionage and treachery through the actual experiences of its colorful characters. Based on meticulous scholarship and on-the-spot research, this is the history at the core of today's geopolitics.… (més)
True stories spanning 100 years in central Asia with each chapter reading like a new Indiana Jones epic adventure; great insight into the 1800's and the lives of the people in this era. ( )
This book focuses on a very specific portion of two countries' (Russia and Great Britain) empire building manuevers ("The Great Game"); and in what ways they tried to race to control the Central Asian areas and how they tried to outmaneuver each other. I had mistakenly thought this book was a broad history of the British in India. I did finish the book, but I certainly did not enjoy it. I would only recommend it to those specifically interested in that geographical area and specific period of time, and learning all they can about the Russian and British "Great Game" in particular. It is devoid of many historical backgrounds and biographical information and made for dry reading. It is more a very lengthy timeline of actions of Russian and British "players" against various Asian cities and rulers and a neverending list of the battles and skirmishes. At times some of the bloodbaths are depicted with some gruesome details.
The book was extremely biased in favor of the British, even though the Russians were supposed to be a co-player. They were definitely overshadowed with the author's glowing rendition of the British heroes and exploits. Worse yet was the consistent derogatory terms used to depict the local population whose land British and Russia were busily invading and claiming, as barbaric, uncivilized, savage, etc. The Western Civilization rhetoric and narrative was heavy and disturbing. The book certainly does lay a groundwork of how we have ended up where we are today and the catastrophic events going on in the world ( )
Una pericolosa partita a scacchi durata più di un secolo in un mondo con idee talmente remote da far leggere questo saggio - bello e documentato benché inevitabilmente di parte - anche come un libro d'avventura. ( )
Hopkirk tells his story "through the individuals, on either side, who took part in the great imperial struggle, rather than through historical forces or geopolitics." This approach has the advantage of bringing to light many remarkable individuals obscured by the passage of years; it also has the disadvantage of leaving the reader somewhat uncomprehending about the deeper causes or consequences of the action-packed pages he's read.
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès.Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
On a June morning in 1842, in the Central Asia town of Bokhara, two ragged figures could be seen kneeling in the dust in the great square before the Emir's palace.
Citacions
Darreres paraules
Informació del coneixement compartit en neerlandès.Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
Today they live on only in unread memoirs, the occasional place name, and in the yellowing intelligence reports of that long-forgotten adventure.
The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road-both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to twenty miles at some points. Now, in the vacuum left by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is once again talk of Russian soldiers "dipping their toes in the Indian Ocean." The Washington Post has said that "every story Peter Hopkirk touches is totally engrossing." In this gripping narrative he recounts a breathtaking tale of espionage and treachery through the actual experiences of its colorful characters. Based on meticulous scholarship and on-the-spot research, this is the history at the core of today's geopolitics.
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(4.2)
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