Mongolia: Travels in the Untamed Land
‘Detailed ... wide-ranging ... excellent'     Daily Telegraph‘Jasper Becker's book is particularly valuable because it gives sketches not only of Mongolia proper, but of the neighbouring Russian autonomous republics of Buryatia and Tuva. He successfully bridges the gap between travel, reportage and history.'The Times‘There is a mini-boom in Mongolia books and the pick of the crop is by Jasper Becker … This enthralling book, part travel literature, part reportage, is also the quest for an answer to a riddle: how could the Mongol nation flourish so excessively then vanish?’            The Guardian‘..explores Mongolia with spontaneity and imagination … Mr Becker has a fresh eye that makes his mix of history and reportage both entertaining and authoritative...Fascinating.'  The Independent‘Lamas, nuns, politicians and scientists have compelling stories of murder, genocide and cultural destruction to tell. Their accounts are interspersed with excellent travellers' tales, and Becker's own trips … His account of Marshal Choibalsan's terror is an especially valuable piece of historical reconstruction.'  Times Literary Supplement‘He amazes and entertains … His description of life among the camel herds of South Gobi province is particularly evocative.'Far Eastern Economic Review‘As an introduction to Mongolia, it could hardly be bettered…a compassionate portrait of an abused and neglected people, wonderfully diverse and full of surprises.'     Hampstead & Highgate Express