Edge of Blue Heaven: A Journey Through Mongolia [Hardcover]

Benedict Allen (Author), Adrian Arbib (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1999

An account of the explorer, Benedict Allen's journey through Siberia and the remote landscape of Mongolia, and across the Gobi Desert to the border with China. The book ties in with the broadcast of a series of six documentaries following the journey on BBC2 in Autumn 1998.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: BBC Pubns (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0563383755
• ISBN-13: 978-0563383758
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,091,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Travel > Asia > Mongolia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breath-taking Pictures., April 5, 2000

By 

Devon E Gary - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edge of Blue Heaven: A Journey Through Mongolia (Hardcover)

Mr. Allen took amazing photographs during his journey through Mongolia. I would recommend the book for its pictures alone. Mr. Allen's journal entries weren't quite as engaging as his photos, however. I found that he had a tendancy to repeat things. But aside from that, he gave excellent descriptions of the country's proud people, the harsh yet beautiful landscape, as well as humorous details about his camels and journeying mishaps. If you don't know much about present-day Mongolia and wish you did, get this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp observations, July 30, 2010

By 

R. M. Watkins (Wimberley, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Edge of Blue Heaven: A Journey Through Mongolia (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book for the journey. I stumbled into this author at Half-price books, when the store was charging one dollar for his adventure seeking the Gugu's of Sumatra. Since I hope to take horseback packtrips in the future, and I am fascinated by the Far East, I though I might enjoy this.

I liked this book better than the other: His keen observations of the people he meets, and his respect for their culture, help him to accomplish what he sets out to do, overcoming many setbacks and making friends along the way.

What surprised me most was his love and caring for the horses and camels who assisted him in the trek. He noticed their personalities, strengths and weaknesses, using all of that information to make decisions about how to treat them, and when to let them go. He was genuinely distressed when they were suffering injury, doing everything he could to minimize their suffering. He mourned their loss, whether the loss was from leaving them behind or from their deaths. The Mongolian perspective was quite different and more practical, and he saw the benefit in it, but struggled with adopting it for himself.