TWO NEW BOOKS ON THE SILK ROAD BY JONATHAN TUCKER

The Silk Road – China and the Karakorum Highway: A Travel Companion by Jonathan Tucker Foreword by: Paul Theroux Price: £14.99

AND The Silk Road – Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran: A Travel Companion by Jonathan Tucker Foreword by: Paul Theroux Price: £14.99

The ancient trade routes between Europe and the Orient endured for almost two thousand years. Stretching from the former Chinese capital of Xian across the expanses of Central Asia to Rome, the Silk Road was a vibrant network of arteries that carried the lifeblood of nations across the world.

From the East came silk, precious stones, tea, jade, paper, porcelain, spices and cotton; from the West, horses, weapons, wool and linen, aromatics, entertainers and exotic animals. From its earliest beginnings in the days of Alexander the Great and the Han dynasty, the Silk Road expanded and evolved, reaching its peak during the Tang dynasty and the Byzantine Empire and gradually withering away with the decline of the Mongol Empire.

These two new books are concise, more portable versions of Jonathan Tucker’s acclaimed book, “The Silk Road: Art and History,” hailed by The Literary Review as “a beautiful book …the most informative work on the subject.” Replete with fascinating details of the main historical sites, works of art, accounts by ancient and modern travellers, legends, poetry and other literary references, photographs, maps and site-plans, these two new publications will be essential reading for all those interested in or planning to travel the ancient Silk Road.