Danziger's Travels: Beyond Forbidden Frontiers (Paladin Books) [Paperback]

Nick Danziger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1993 | Series: Paladin Books

This account describes the author's adventures during an 18-month journey "beyond forbidden frontiers" in Asia. With minimal equipment and disguised as an itinerant Muslim, he hitch-hiked and walked through southern Turkey, and the Iran of the Ayatollahs, entering Afghanistan illegally in the wake of a convoy of Chinese weapons and then spent months dodging Russian helicopter gunships with the rebel guerillas. He was the first foreigner to cross from Pakistan into the closed western province of China since the revolution on 1949.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1984, 26-year-old artist Danziger set off from London with a grant to trace the ancient trade routes between western Europe and China, intending "to bring a greater richness to our British society, and extend our understanding of the world." Determined to travel by land, he negotiated a colorful but treacherous route through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, only rarely having been able to obtain requisite visas and not infrequently endangering his life. It is impossible not to admire Danziger's daring and his ingenuity in surmounting cultural, linguistic and legal barriers: he contacts Afghan rebels in Iran to smuggle himself across their border and stays with them as they endure Soviet raids; he evades Pakistani intelligence agents to bluff and bribe his way into China, becoming the first foreigner, he claims, to cross the Khunjerab Pass in 35 years. But readers may question the relevance of Danziger's missionthe narration of his maneuverings (including amorous encounters with women who are otherwise omitted in his book) overshadows observations of the peoples and cultures; moreover, he put himself and those who helped him at risk. The uneven prose reveals an affable but callow man, unable to draw more than stock conclusions from his adventures: "Revolution is born of a poverty which does not allow the sharing of material wealth. . . we are all the same under the skin." Readers will wish that the author's literary abilities were equal to his extraordinary exploits. Illustrated.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The author, an Englishman with a facility for languages, set out in 1984 to retrace portions of the Silk Road. His object: "to promote greater understanding of the peoples along the route." He went through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan (in the company of resistence fighters), Pakistan, and
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Pub Ltd (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0586087060
• ISBN-13: 978-0586087060
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,452,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Iran
  • #100 in Books > Travel > Asia > Afghanistan

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY WELL-TOLD, VIVID DETAILS, COMPELLING LIVES...., September 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Danziger's Travels Beyond Forbidden Frontiers (Paperback)

We were vacationing in England, when I saw this book on the shelf at Foyle's. I picked it up and read the back and we spent a lot of money at Foyle's but I didn't buy DANZIGER'S TRAVELS. However, it kept coming back into my thoughts every time we'd pass a bookstore, so at the airport, before we boarded the plane, I ran like a madwoman to the newstand and purchased a copy. I read it the whole way home on the plane, in the limousine on the ride home, and for three days following our return. I did take time out to unpack, but not much. It is a really interesting travel story, and an interesting telling of how Danziger was affected personally by the trip, but more by the people. Pick it up and see if you can put it down, I'll bet you can't. It's worth the time.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic or not, I liked it., December 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Danziger's Travels: Beyond Forbidden Frontiers (Hardcover)

This was a great read. I have an Iranian friend who expressed serious doubts as to the authenticity of Danziger's one-night stand with his Iranian hostess, as well as his other improbable adventures. But fabrication or not, I liked the book a lot.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story; best travel book around -- find it!!!, March 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Danziger's Travels Beyond Forbidden Frontiers (Paperback)

This is THE book to read if you're interested in a non-touristic account of travel in Asia. Danziger travelled from London to Beijing for a total of $1800! His experiences are conveyed with a depth of perception and feeling that make this a truly great read. Out of print??? It's a crime!!!