This travel book was written in 1933-4 when the author travelled to Persia and Afghanistan. It is a record of his journeys, full of observation of people and places, and funny dialogue. The author, Robert Byron drowned in 1941 when his ship to West Africa was torpedoed. In his short life he travelled as far as China and Tibet. In 1932, attracted by the photo of a Seljuk tomb-tower on the Turkoman steppe, he set out on a quest for the origins of Islamic architecture through Persia and Afghanistan. This book is the result, a ...
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This travel book was written in 1933-4 when the author travelled to Persia and Afghanistan. It is a record of his journeys, full of observation of people and places, and funny dialogue. The author, Robert Byron drowned in 1941 when his ship to West Africa was torpedoed. In his short life he travelled as far as China and Tibet. In 1932, attracted by the photo of a Seljuk tomb-tower on the Turkoman steppe, he set out on a quest for the origins of Islamic architecture through Persia and Afghanistan. This book is the result, a record of his journeys. In this new edition Byron's photographs, which have been omitted from all editions since 1950, are restored.
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Add this copy of The Road to Oxiana to cart. $10.66, very good condition, Sold by Friends of the Phoenix Library rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Pan Macmillan.
Add this copy of The Road to Oxiana to cart. $39.18, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Picador.
Add this copy of The Road to Oxiana (Picador Travel Classics) to cart. $41.18, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1994 by Picador.
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Add this copy of The Road to Oxiana to cart. $64.88, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Picador.
This travel diary takes place in the 1920's and is location specific. It is also written to give to his mother who, it seems, was disappointed in her son for his less than stellar accomplishments as a student.
To understand references to place, architecture, and peoples of the middle east, the reader would need to have ready access to and continually refer to a good number of reference books including an historical atlas. Not to mention the time to look everything up.
Some pluses. The author expresses humor and clearly has an appreciation for antiquity of all types, particularly of the hidden and little discussed variety. Also, he has a wonderful way of comparing structures - or the remaining parts of them - he views with aspects of nature. And he does this in a captivating and lovely way.
So it was a mixed read.
Understanding more history about the formation of Iran and Iraq and their peoples would be very interesting and enlightening.
