The Great Game Audiobook By Peter Hopkirk cover art

The Great Game

The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia

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The Great Game

By: Peter Hopkirk
Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
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The Great Game between Victorian Britain and Tsarist Russia was fought across desolate terrain from the Caucasus to China, over the lonely passes of the Parmirs and Karakorams, in the blazing Kerman and Helmund deserts, and through the caravan towns of the old Silk Road - both powers scrambling to control access to the riches of India and the East. When play first began, the frontiers of Russia and British India lay 2000 miles apart; by the end, this distance had shrunk to 20 miles at some points. Now, in the vacuum left by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is once again talk of Russian soldiers "dipping their toes in the Indian Ocean."

The Washington Post has said that "every story Peter Hopkirk touches is totally engrossing." In this gripping narrative he recounts a breathtaking tale of espionage and treachery through the actual experiences of its colorful characters. Based on meticulous scholarship and on-the-spot research, this is the history at the core of today's geopolitics.

©2006 The Estate of Peter Hopkirk (P)2017 Tantor Afghan War Asia Central Asia Europe Great Britain International Relations Middle East Military Politics & Government Russia Wars & Conflicts World England War Soviet Union Suspenseful Imperialism

Critic reviews

" The Great Game, as the Anglo-Russian struggle in Central Asia was called, unfolds in Hopkirk's intricate narrative as an incredible tale of high adventure and political intrigue, conveyed here through the exploits of Cossacks, Muslim guerrillas, courageous travelers, spies, mapmakers and soldiers." ( Publishers Weekly)
Fascinating History • Gripping Narratives • Vivid Storytelling • Compelling Adventure • Thorough Research
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narrator is great, the stories are great and really give you insight on what it was like to live and experience everything. not a lot of focus on the larger scale history so brush up on the context in other places if that's something you care about.

Great stories!

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As a American we are ignorant of the deep rooted colonial ambitions of our world peers our melting pot society is confused by thousand year old tribal fueds very interesting part of the world

espionage at its finest

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Reader was perfect, staging of chapters and highlighting of the various characters who made critical decisions and great details about skirmish’s

Amazing detail on critical actors and events— a history not known to most Westerners

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It’s a bit dry in some areas and definitely has a British slant in its perspective but this is still an excellent book worthy of the attention of anyone interested in the subject matter.

Both dry and dramatic

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Thrilling history about a time and place poorly understood by many North Americans (including me). I’m sure there will be many who find fault in the inadequacy of attention paid to colonial abuses, those perspectives rightly deserve to be amplified. Nonetheless for what it is, this book was exciting informative and engagingly written.

Essential reading to understand Asia and related perspectives of the west

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Very interesting account of the history of Central Asia during the period of the struggle for influence and dominance by Great Britain and Russia, but almost impossible to visualize the many campaigns and treks without the help of a map! Been using Google Maps, but some of the landmark names have changed over the years, so it remains difficult to follow. Ideally there should be a few maps; both large and small scale, covering the regions of interest. Otherwise quite pleased with the book.

Desperately Needs a PDF Map of Region at the Time

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A focused story of a time of expansion of Russia, the decline of central Asian khanates, Afghan tribal and Persian responses to the interplay of British and Russian goals and interactions over an extremely large and somewhat unknown area. This was skillfully illustrated by Mr.Hopkirk and Mr. Wyndham who give the reader a decent understanding of the hardships of the time, including the problems conveying information to London and St. Petersburg.

A time of expansion, discovery checks and balances

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Fascinating history about an area of the world I knew little about and the conflict between England and Russia Excellent story and gripping !

fascinating and exciting

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Peter Hopkirk’s The Great Game is a masterful blend of history, adventure, and political intrigue that brings to life one of the most fascinating and underappreciated episodes of 19th-century imperial history. With the flair of a novelist and the rigor of a seasoned historian, Hopkirk recounts the covert struggle between the British and Russian Empires for control of Central Asia — a high-stakes competition fought with maps, muskets, and men of daring resolve.

What makes this book exceptional is its vivid storytelling. Hopkirk animates his cast of explorers, spies, soldiers, and diplomats — many of whom paid the ultimate price in dusty outposts and forbidding deserts — with rich detail and emotional depth. The drama of their journeys across unmapped terrain, their secret missions into hostile cities, and their fatal misjudgments captures the reader with every page.

Yet The Great Game is more than just historical narrative; it’s a geopolitical case study that remains strikingly relevant today. Hopkirk expertly illustrates how the misreading of cultures, the arrogance of empire, and the relentless pursuit of strategic advantage shaped the modern borders and power struggles of Central and South Asia. For anyone trying to understand modern geopolitics — particularly the enduring complexity of Afghanistan, Iran, and the wider Central Asian region — this book offers invaluable insight.

Hopkirk writes with elegance and clarity, turning what could be a dense political subject into an accessible, gripping saga. The result is a book that appeals equally to historians, soldiers, diplomats, and general readers seeking both entertainment and education.

The Great Game’s Lessons

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A very informative book. The. narrator was great. The authors prose was good and it flowed telling a good story. The picture it painted needs to be understood by modern leaders.

Our leaders need to read

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