Review: Journeys on the Silk Road – Joyce Morgan & Conrad Walters

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Lyons Press (September 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0762782978
ISBN-13: 978-0762782970
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Synopsis:

In the early 1900s, Word reached Aurel Stein about a hidden library in a cave. This library contained thousands of manuscripts and scrolls of ancient Chinese and Buddhist writings. He set out on a journey that led him along the Silk Road to discover these lost secrets. One of these secrets would surprise not only himself, but the world.

Review

This was an extremely fascinating look at the field of Archaeology. You get to follow the journey not only from the beginning, whispered rumors of great treasures, but you get to follow them afterwards to the museums and further. Along the way, the reader experiences through the text what the work is like, the sacrifices made, and most of all, that it ain’t Indiana Jones.

While the material sounds like it would be rather dry,, the author manages to write in an entertaining style. History unfolds, and the learning experience is outstanding. I learned more than I ever knew about Chinese, Indian, and Buddhist Culture. I also was able to see what happened to these treasures during WW2 and the measures taken by the governments to protect them. You also get to see some of the maneuvering/arm twisting that will go on to obtain these ancient treasures.

If you are interested in books, history, or the field of Archaelogy, then by all means pick up this book. I think you’d find it a fascinating journey as did I. I’d say the book is suitable for all ages, though young readers might not find it interesting, unless they really love the topic. There was really no objectional language, though there were instances of Animals dying due to weather conditions.

About the Author

Joyce Morgan

Joyce Morgan has worked as a journalist for more than three decades in London, Sydney and Hong Kong. Her writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Guardian and The Bangkok Post. She has written on arts and culture since 1994.

Joyce is a senior arts writer at The Sydney Morning Herald and a former arts editor of the paper. She has also worked as a producer with ABC Radio. Born in Liverpool, England, she has travelled extensively in Asia, including India, Pakistan, China and Tibet.

Conrad Walters

Conrad Walters has worked in the media for more than thirty years in the United States, where he won awards for investigative journalism, and in Australia, where he is a feature writer and book reviewer at The Sydney Morning Herald.

Conrad was born in Boston, educated in Europe and the Middle East and has lived in seven countries. He has travelled widely through North America, Europe and Asia. He has a master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Technology, Sydney.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Leyane at FSB Associates for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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4 Responses to “Review: Journeys on the Silk Road – Joyce Morgan & Conrad Walters”

  1. Marjorie Says:

    I love books on the culture of China, especially Lisa See’s books. I will definitely check out this one.
    Thanks for the review.

  2. Rick Rhodes Says:

    Marjorie, I think you’d like it. Quite a bit of it is on the Diamond Sutra, the world’s oldest printed book, predating the Guttenburg Bible.

  3. Joan Says:

    This sounds like an absolutely, fascinating read! Being a follower of Egyptian Archeology, I’ve overlooked the archeology of other countries to my detriment.

  4. Paula H. Says:

    This sounds like it would be extremely interesting. I will have to check it out and put it on my TBR list.

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