Mongolia: Travels in the Untamed Land [Paperback]

Jasper Becker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2008

For seventy years Mongolia was all but closed to the west - a forbidden country, shrouded in darkness. Jasper Becker had long dreamed of exploring the sweeping land that lay just beyond China’s Great Wall and when communism disintegrated, he finally did. Setting out from Kublai Khan’s capital, Beijing, Becker was one of the first westerners to cross the border. Tracing the course of the Yellow River, he ventured deep into the heart of Mongolia, witnessing the birth of one of the world’s youngest democracies as well as the deep and tragic impact of the rules of Mao and Stalin on the Mongolian people.  

Unravelling the history of Mongolia which had for so long been obscured and distorted, Becker traces the rise and fall of the Mongols who emerged from the steppes to forge one of the greatest and most feared empires of all time under Genghis Khan and his successors; he examines the shattering, divisive years of communist rule and explores present-day Mongolia, where poverty and the encroachments of westernisation cause as much damage. He goes in search of the fragile remnants of Buddhism and shamanism; visits Tuva - the lost world of Central Asia - and searches for the tomb of Genghis Khan which has been guarded and hidden by the same family for generations. Listening to the pulse of Central Asian history, Becker adorns his narrative with the stories of past travellers, tyrannical rulers, nomads, monks, missionaries, Russian officials, Mongolian activists and the memories of everyday people to paint a moving and enlightening portrait of Mongolia, a country that against all the odds has survived since the days of Genghis Khan and continues to beat to its own rhythm.

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Detailed ... wide-ranging ... excellent'      Daily Telegraph

‘Jasper Becker's book is particularly valuable because it gives sketches not only of Mongolia proper, but of the neighbouring Russian autonomous republics of Buryatia and Tuva. He successfully bridges the gap between travel, reportage and history.' The Times

‘There is a mini-boom in Mongolia books and the pick of the crop is by Jasper Becker … This enthralling book, part travel literature, part reportage, is also the quest for an answer to a riddle: how could the Mongol nation flourish so excessively then vanish?’             The Guardian

‘..explores Mongolia with spontaneity and imagination … Mr Becker has a fresh eye that makes his mix of history and reportage both entertaining and authoritative...Fascinating.'   The Independent

‘Lamas, nuns, politicians and scientists have compelling stories of murder, genocide and cultural destruction to tell. Their accounts are interspersed with excellent travellers' tales, and Becker's own trips … His account of Marshal Choibalsan's terror is an especially valuable piece of historical reconstruction.'   Times Literary Supplement

‘He amazes and entertains … His description of life among the camel herds of South Gobi province is particularly evocative.' Far Eastern Economic Review

‘As an introduction to Mongolia, it could hardly be bettered…a compassionate portrait of an abused and neglected people, wonderfully diverse and full of surprises.'      Hampstead & Highgate Express

About the Author

Jasper Becker has worked as a foreign correspondent for 20 years. He has written several award-winning books including: Hungry Ghosts, The Chinese, Rogue Regime, Dragon Rising and most recently A Farewell to Peking. He lives and works in Beijing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Tauris Parke Paperbacks (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845116496
• ISBN-13: 978-1845116491
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > History > Asia > Mongolia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Insight into Mongolia - if somewhat dated and inaccurate, December 4, 2009

By 

C. Anderson (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mongolia: Travels in the Untamed Land (Paperback)

This is a fascinating book about Mongolia written at the end of the Socialist period. It gives good insight into Mongolia and is one of the few books that deals with greater Mongolia (i.e. including Inner Mongolia in China and the Mongolian portions of Russia). Well written and it covers a nice range of topics. However, it is now a bit dated and there are several inaccuracies in the book (probably because information about Mongolia at that time was hard to come by). Similarly, I'd quibble with the cover - which is actually a photo of two Kazakh eagle hunters. Overall, minor quibbles and if you are interested in the modern-day Mongols, get this book.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I did not expect to like this book, June 30, 2009

By 

Linda A. Brandeberry "Tempie Mindstream" (Salem, Or) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mongolia: Travels in the Untamed Land (Paperback)

I am not a great reviewer of historical material. having that out of the way, I appreciated the journeys, descriptions of landscape, insertion of histories, cultural & political unrest. I was unaware of the great not so publicized sufferings of the mongolian people, the Russian butchering of innocent people for political ideaology. how could any people survive these ordeals is a testement to the spirit strength of these peoples. I am in the process of wanting to learn more in terms of archeology & geography of this part of the world. I do not always appreciate Jasper's description of cultural & religious affairs & find his understanding of Buddhism lacking. I think that he tries diligently to report as much as able & perhaps his sometimes lack of in depth understanding has to be sacrificed if it was even there to begin with. I enjoy the fact that Jasper is British & gives a different perspective for that reason. I think that his writting is confusing at times &I needed to re read sections of paragraphs regarding the paraphrasing of word structure. Other people may not have this problem. Of course, I have problems at times understanding the different dialects of English.I think overall that this is an important book to read & I have already bought another of the author's books to read. This book provided for me a much needed education of worlds whose world views, history & so on was different then the world I am accustomed. I experience an expansion of mind experience upon reading this book.