Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia
By George Crane
Why this book?
The best books for would-be travellers
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Browse the best books on Mongolia as recommended by authors, experts, and creators. Along with notes on why they recommend those books.
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By George Crane
The best books for would-be travellers
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By Erin Bow
This story of a young girl, Aisulu, who bucks tradition to become an eagle hunter is simply heart-wrenching and a fabulous read. The research is thorough, and I was steeped in the Kazakh (a nomadic tribe in the mountains of Mongolia), even as the plot advanced with emotional twists and turns for the main characters. The voice of Aisulu is spot on. All the supporting characters but especially her brother Serik, and her aunt and uncle are richly drawn.
Erin spent a summer with the Kazakh eagle hunters and had sensitivity readers review her work for authenticity. This book won…
The best children's books to travel the world without leaving home
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By Stanley Stewart
As a child, Irish author Stewart dreamed of riding a horse across Mongolia and this book is the fulfillment of his dream. In the heart of the book, Stewart travels 1,000-miles across the vast steppes of Mongolia on horseback. He encounters stunning scenery, a hilarious nomad wedding brawl, and “a vast medieval world of nomads apparently undisturbed since 1200.” This book is worth it just for my favorite exchange. While Stewart was watching the wrestling competition at Mongolia’s annual Naadam Festival, he asked a fellow observer why the wrestler’s jackets had “long sleeves but an open front that left the…
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By Peter C. Perdue
Peter C. Perdue gives an exhaustive account of the Qing Dynasty’s conquest of Xinjiang - which, according to many historians, was the first time a Chinese Dynasty consolidated its rule over the whole of the region. This history has important implications for claims regarding the legitimacy of Chinese rule over Xinjiang.
The best books on the Uyghur Genocide
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