The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
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- ISBN13: 9781568360225
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Product Description
The Fantastic Game was the epic stand-off between the two superpowers of the nineteenth century–Victorian Britain and Czarist Russia–for the riches of India and the East. Based on meticulous erudition and on-the-spot research, Peter Hopkirk’s immensely readable account covers the history at the core of today’s geopolitics. Photos and maps.Amazon.com Review
In a axiom coined by Captain Arthur Connolly of the East India Company before he was beheaded in Bokhara for spying in 1842, a “Fantastic Game” was played between Tsarist Russia and Victorian England for supremacy in Central Asia. At stake was the security of India, key to the wealth of the British Empire. When play started early in the 19th century, the frontiers of the two imperial powers lay two thousand miles apart, across vast deserts and nearly impassable mountain ranges; by the end, only 20 miles separated the two rivals.
Peter Hopkirk, a ex- reporter for The Times of London with wide experience of the region, tells an extraordinary tale of ambition, intrigue, and military adventure. His sensational narrative moves at breakneck pace, yet even as he paints his colorful characters–clannish chieftains, generals, spies, Queen Victoria herself–he skillfully provides a clear overview of the geographical and diplomatic framework. The Fantastic Game was Russia’s version of America’s “Manifest Destiny” to dominate a continent, and Hopkirk is careful to clarify Russian viewpoints as fully as persons of the British. The tale ends with the fall of Tsarist Russia in 1917, but the demise of the Soviet Empire (hastened by a decade of bloody fighting in Afghanistan) gives it new weight, as world peace and stability are again threatened by tensions in this volatile region of fantastic mineral wealth and strategic significance. –John Stevenson
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September 11th hasn’t done much for world harmony…neither does this title. All the dreadful Asian Muslim despots and cunning orientals -caricatures all- leap from the pages in stereotypical infamy. Obviously such ‘history’ must be required reading in the Bush war cabinet…its simple going; sort of Bernard Lewis lite. Excellent ancient British chappies do their level best to infiltrate the domains of the asiatic savages and stop persons dreadful Russian coves from taking over. Some excellent lessons though…read about the terrible (and well deserved) hiding the British took in Afghanistan. Watch out George and Tony…history repeats etc. This is ‘Boys Own’ stuff, not serious history. It’s not even serious well loved history. If you like your history comic book style and you hanker for the days of Empire with a sense of nostalgia…this book’s for you. If you feel that the history, culture and representation of large segments of the world’s population deserve to be recounted with respect; if you reflect honest analysis and telling it from both sides makes decent history and advances tolerance and mutual understanding- then you will find this work trying in the extreme.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
I have read the excerpt and concluded that this book is based on erroneous facts about the Mongol domination in Russia. The name of the Mongol Khan in 1480 was not Ahmed Khan. It was Khan Toktomysh, a successor of Ghengis Khan. It’s right that Mongols lost a battle over Kulikovo in 1480. But, in 1482 Khan Toktomysh burned down Moscow and ruined the entire Moscovy army. Thus, the rule of Mongols lasted for another 100 years and Russia did not get independence from the Mongols in 1480. It was not the Russians that broke down the Golden Horde but Tamerlane. Tamerlane and and Khan Toktomysh had been in war for decades. Khan Toktomysh resisted three huge battles, the last being in Sarai, Golden Horde. (I forgot the date but I reflect it was in 1487, which is much later than 1480. So, the Golden Horde was still in its glory might in 1480.)
The only way Russia could get independence was when it had unity of mandate and new weaponry, i.e. the gun powder. Ivan the Terrible used the first bomb to blow up the Kazan fortifications. Persons events happened much, much later than 1480. Ahmed Khan, mentioned above, was the khan of Kazan at that time. So, the facts in the excerpt about Akhmed Khan being indecisive over the River Urga (p. 14) in 1480 are a hundred years off. How can I judge an leader who is incorrect by a whole century??
Additionally, one should question a question why did the Crusaders go to pillage Jerusalem as a replacement for of the neighboring Russia? The truth is that they were beaten by the same Mongols a number of times. Mongols were protecting their dominions in Russia from persons knights (mostly German). That is why Russia was able to preserve its Orthodox Church as a replacement for of converting to the Catholic Church. Note: Mongols did not oppose Christianity. Mongols themselves were in majority Nestorian Christians. Ghengis Khan’s first wife was a Nestorian Christian, too.
As a replacement for of this book, I would highly recommend “The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia” by Rene Grousset. A friend of mine, a respected Professor of Anthropology (unbiased in my opinion), initially recommended this book as the best past source. Though “The Empire of the Steppes” is missing some facts, too, I still judge it is the best recommendation. I open a couple of copies to my friends and family tree members.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
“Reads like a novel” ??? Come on, folks! The yellow pages of any phone book are far more exciting. This text takes a theme of fantastic potential, & reduces it to the dried up dust of a Central Asian desert. I am disgusted with Mr. Hopkirk, because I truely like real History. This leader is only one of the sorry crowd who ruin interest in even the most keen seeker. Our schools are full of them. This text belongs to the times when books were sold by the pound, rather than the content. As a ex- teacher – & lifelong seeker after the incredible truths of history – I consign Mr. Hopkirk to the dust bin.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
I reflect I may be intrigued by central Asia because of its vast emptiness. In sculptural terms, it is the negative space that defines the cities and countries which surround it. I imagine the book is analogous to travelling through central Asia. Its pretty appealing on the offset then a huge bleak middle peppered with colorful stops, until it gets appealing again at journey’s end.
The book is pretty disapointing on a number of levels, not but for its comprehensiveness (snore). First of all, the “reads like a novel” aver is probably based upon a few provocative (and repetitve) opening paragraphs of several chapters before lapsing into a dry account of events (and more regularly non-events). Second, I establish it hard to follow at times, the book lacked maps and he uses too many pronouns in place of proper nouns. Thirdly, the British bias creeps along with the implicit conceit that the colonization of India was incorrect (but still better than a Russian colonization). He is allowed to have a point of view of course (he is a reporter for the London Times afterall) but I do look for at least some self-awareness. Hopkirk falls a bit fleeting. For example, the last chapter features a brief but felicitous acknowlegement of the Native Indian Soldiers who fought so effectively for the British empire. It does not occur to him to acknowlege the native peoples so exploited by the Russian army.
I may be nitpicking but I really felt like I was reading an encyclopedia rather than a history. Or perhaps Hopkirk has not adjusted his lens from journalistic reporting (“we report you choose”) to past analysis (like what is significant–or irrelvent). When I finally slogged to the end I could only marvel: Is there really a tale here?
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
Central Asia is an undeniably fascinating place. The histories of the countries are the stuff of fairy tales, and one has to marvel why more movies haven’t been made about them, since they’re really riveting in anecdotal form.
I’ve taken a lot of classes on the area, and did my thesis research in Uzbekistan. As a person who’s read reasonably a bit about these places, I can say that The Fantastic Game follows a tragic trend in Central Asian writing: people who study the place in depth, for some reason, are incapable of communicating the information lacking sucking the life out of it.
I establish the writing in The Fantastic Game to be deplorable. The prose is riddled with cliches and trite expressions, and the style, which I suppose was meant to be ’simple reading,’ is in fact airless in it’s simplicity: it feels like there are few sentences over five words long, and the simple prose makes the book an intensely dull read, despite the fact that it’s covering fascinating people and events.
Maybe it was just me, but I felt like the leader was talking down to me throughout the book. I say ‘throughout the book,’ but I never managed to end it. The leader lost my interest quickly and never managed to regain it, largely because of his incredibly poor form.
I’m still looking for the ideal book on Central Asia to recommend to people, so they can know why I’m so in like with the region. Tragically, this book is absolutely not it.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5