“Moving in a way that’s rare in travel literature...Thubron goes to places most other sojourners can’t.” — Lorraine Adams, New York Times Book Review
“[Thubron is] intrepid, resourceful . . . and immensely talented . . . a splendid book.” — Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World
“Thubron has done it all, with sparkling grace . . . He is a brilliant brooder, artful in his melancholy.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“An exhausting journey and a marvelous book.” — Harper's Magazine
“A fantastically descriptive writer, Thubron digs through the history of Central Asia...Perfect for vicarious travelers.” — New York magazine
“An illuminating account of a breathtaking journey.” — Booklist
“[An] absorbing travel epic…Thubron’s poetic eye still teases out gorgeous subtleties in the panorama.”” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Thubron] augments his trenchant narrative with impressive historical background and evocative, lyrical prose…An impressive, rewarding...trek.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Splendid…Sumptuously detailed, elegantly written and riveting...Thubron misses nothing.” — Providence Journal