Customer Reviews

Uzbekistan: The Golden Road to Samarkand (Odyssey Uzbekistan)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I live and work in the heart of Central Asia. Of all the guide books available, this one is the best yet. Not only does it have beautiful color photos and maps, the history articles are excellent. Beware: when you open up this book on the streets of Samarkand, Bukhara, or Khiva, people will gather around to view it! It's so good, I am ordering a full class room set for my students to use in the Uzbekistan studies part of our curriculum at Tashkent International School.

This is not just a great book on Uzbekistan, but is a wonderful introduction to Central Asia. I feel that it is a labor of love, not a hackneyed travel guide. Visiting Uzbekistan is not easy -- having this book in your hand will make it all seem worth it.

I got this book from a friend while in Uzbekistan - it is absolutely fantastic! It has some great historical anecdotes in addition to the typical where to stay/eat stuff of normal travel guides. If you're going to Uzbekistan, YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK!

The book was a good overview to what to expect in Uzbekistan and told you what you needed to know. When I went to Uzbek in May and June 1997, a new edition had been printed, therefore information was right up to date. Not as in depth as the Lonely Planet Guides, but somethimes you are overdosed with info in the lonely planet guides. The only better book I have found concerning this area is the Cadogan Guide to Central Asia.

This is not a mere travel guidance of Uzbekistan, but one of the best scientific articles full of joyful information spiced with humanistic reaction of the authors toward the legacy of Silk Road and Soviet Russian history.
Names of people, telephone number, street name, as well as social and political information are all correct. Evaluation of the hotel accommodation including smart managers and busters is illustrated interestingly. If the authors would be aware of the fact that the inattentive attitude of the people in some area shows the existence of military secrets, this book might have shown a different flavor.
Because I have given this book to my friend in Uzbekistan, I would like to order you another copy.

This book is not only the definitive and most comprehensive but it is also the most uncannily accurate and comprehensive guide to Uzbekistan in 2006. Throughout our travels from Tashkent to Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and back to Tashkent it was our bible, not only helping us to negotiate the culture but directed us to the 'must do' places to see or visit. In fact it made eveything about the country utterley comprehensible - from food and culture to history and politics. It came home very badly thumbed. Brilliant!

Youhave not been to amarkhand? Youhave misseda paradise on earth.ut you may still catch up the road the beautiful mosques coming down from the pages of history if you read this book

I enjoyed this book, even if I occasionally got lost in the mass of historical details provided. The book certainly leaves you with both a good idea of the logistics of travel in Central Asia as well as the cultural background on the various sites. All told, this is a thoughtful and interesting book.

Although at times this guidebook serves as an outlet for the authors' intellectual and personal preoccupation with the region, thereby losing its practicality for the reader, overall it is both helpful and beautifully written, brimming with sensory and cultural detail... The authors do not just tell you to go to a bazaar in Samarkand; they take you there, weaving you through narrow streets and by beer vendors, letting you smell the shashlik, nudging you to watch out for pickpockets. Because the authors do not miss a beat, this guide is at times almost a virtual tour of the country. Because the region is unstable and consequently dynamic, this book is now somewhat outdated in certain areas. The two need to update the edition.

Excellent book that doesn't only cover the practical stuff but includes fascinating extras: the horrific story of British envoys Connelly and Stoddart in Bukhara; astronomer king Ulug Beg; poetry by Alisher Navoi; a biography of Tamerlane. Also has lots of evocative photos. Found it really useful during my holiday in Uzbekistan (a lovely unspoilt and exotic country- can't recommend it highly enough)