The Lost Camels of Tartary [Paperback]

John Hare (Author), Dr. Jane Goodall (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

This narrative reveals the author's experiences on three expeditions to the Mongolian and Chinese Gobi Deserts, in search of the mysterious wild Bactrian camel. They include a 30-day walk in the Kum Tagh sand dunes and his experience as the first foreigner to cross the Gashun Gobi from north to south.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'a terrific tale' LITERARY REVIEW 'an admirable book' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'destined to become a modern adventure classic' FOCUS 'John Hare is a modern version of the adventurers of old... How wonderful that, in this materialistic world, people like John exist to champion that endangered, fast-vanishng wild Bactrian camel.' Jane Goodall 'THE LOST CAMELS OF TARTARY is one of those quests that sounds preposterous but which becomes increasingly compelling thanks to the strength of Hare's exuberant narrative.' TES 'This is more than a book about exploration. It's a great education.' SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 'stirring stuff, as rich in human as in natural scenery.' DAILY TELEGRAPH In 1992 John Hare talked himself onto a Russian-Mongolian expedition into the Gobi desert as their hastily appointed "expert" on the wild Bactrian camel, one of the most endangered species on the planet. Hare was no camel expert, but four expeditions into the wastelands of the Gobi desert and seven years later, Hare has miraculously persuaded the Chinese authorities to establish a massive nature sanctuary to prevent what looked like the inevitable extinction of this particularly enigmatic ship of the desert. The Lost Camels of Tartary is Hare's remarkable story. As he says at the outset of this extraordinary book, "I am neither a qualified naturalist or a scientist, but have always had the instincts of an explorer". As a consequence the book often reads like a good old- fashioned tale of epic discovery and adventure, including being marooned in one of the world's most forbidding deserts, the Gashun Gobi in Central Asia, as well as the discovery of ancient cities stretching back to the days of Genghis Khan and Marco Polo. Yet The Lost Camels of Tartary is also a compelling account of Hare's growing commitment to the cause of the remarkably resilient wild Bactrian camel, living on a diet of salt water and radiation courtesy of the bombardment of its natural habitat by repeated Chinese nuclear tests. Hare's bloody- minded determination to find and save the camel permeates the entire book, to the extent that it becomes easy to forget the magnitude of his ill-equipped and increasingly dangerous forays into the desert, which on his final two trips find him riding on camels which at one hair-raising point desert him. A series of breathtaking colour photographs of the desert give some idea of the epic (some may say crazy) nature of Hare's journeys. The Lost Camels of Tartary is a remarkable story of one man's determination, and which promises a happy ending for the camel. - Jerry Brotton, AMAZON.CO.UK

About the Author

John Hare has lectured to the Royal Geographic Society, the United Nations and the Royal Society for Asian Affairs and broadcast on BBC radio and television regularly.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0349111464
• ISBN-13: 978-0349111469
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,415,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Travel > Asia > Mongolia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful account of an exciting adventure, January 31, 2001

By 

Matthew Teng - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Camels of Tartary (Paperback)

I strongly recommend this book to those with an interest in travel, nature conservation and the history of central Asia. John Hare gives a detailed and clear account of his expeditions into the Gobi and Gashun Gobi deserts in Mongolia and China in serach of the wild Bactrian camel. Combining history, science and keen observation, John Hare brings the desolate wilderness of Central Asia to life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one hump or two?, March 16, 2008

By 

Fantong "AsiaHand" (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Camels of Tartary (Paperback)

I have this and other books by the same authors, describing their intrepid travels, and it is very interesting stuff, maybe slightly obscure, but fascinating.
I listened to John Hare speak at the Hay festival, and none of the other authors, big names included, spoke with the same passion or intensity, which is why I walked out at the end of his speech and purchased his book in the book tent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually quite a good book, September 22, 2007

By 

gemflint "gemflint" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lost Camels of Tartary (Paperback)

Mr. Hare has written a pretty good book, actually. The information on the camels, was quite interesting, though left me wanting to know more. This could be in part due to the wild Bactrians endangered status and the wildness and hostility of the terrain that they live in - it's not easy collecting data in that kind of environment.

Where Mr. Hare really shines though is his access to locales normally off-limits to foreigners (i.e. "Lop Nur" or "Lop Nor", the Chinese nuclear weapons testing ground) and insights given to historical events not commonly known to Westerners (i.e. Russian mass executions of Outer Mongolian peoples). This is scare information that shouldn't be so readily dismissed!

Now, if the author has left you begging for more information on the ancient ruins in the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, here are two other books which you might like:

1. "The Tarim Mummies", by J. P. Mallory and Victor H. Mair. The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West

2. "The Mummies of Urumchi", by Elizabeth Wayland Barber.The Mummies of Urumchi

They don't discuss much about Bactrian Camels, but they do speak of the climate, ecology and history of the area, as well as the migrations of many different peoples. They would both tie-in nicely with Mr. Hare's book.

All in all, a good read by Mr. Hare. Am hoping he'll write another with further information on the Bactrians, hopefully with good news on their status...