The Great Game

For nearly a century the two most powerful nations on earth, Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia, fought a secret war in the lonely passes and deserts of Central Asia. Those engaged in this shadowy struggle called it 'The Great Game', a phrase immortalized by Kipling. When play first began the two rival empires lay nearly 2,000 miles apart. By the end, some Russian outposts were within 20 miles of India. This classic book tells the story of the Great Game through the exploits of the young officers, both British and Russian, who risked their lives playing it. Disguised as holy men or native horse-traders, they mapped secret passes, gathered intelligence and sought the allegiance of powerful khans. Some never returned. The violent repercussions of the Great Game are still convulsing Central Asia today.

ISBN 0719564476   Pages 592 ISBN13 9780719564475 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 410 Publisher John Murray General Publishing Division   Published in London Imprint John Murray Publishers Ltd   Height (mm) 197 Format Paperback   Width (mm) 131 Publication date 27 Mar 2006   Spine width (mm) 39 DEWEY 958.03   Academic level General DEWEY edition DC22

'Brilliant' -- Patrick Leigh Fermor, Daily Telegraph 'There can be few more fascinating subjects, or few authors better qualified to write about it' -- Fitzroy Maclean, Independent 'Immensely readable and magisterially detached. A gripping and impressive narrative of adventure and war' -- Financial Times 'Hopkirk's brilliant and engrossing account remains the classic text on how to handle the various and often dangerous people who inhabit the region, fill of tips and warnings for the Game's current players.' -- BBC History Magazine 20060601 'Fans of political history and adventure are in for a treat as publishing house John Murray reissues its Peter Hopkirk series' -- Sian Gibson, Geographical Magazine 20060601

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