
The Great Game
The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia
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Narrated by:
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Alex Wyndham
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By:
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Peter Hopkirk
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 TantorListeners also enjoyed...




















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Great stories!
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espionage at its finest
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Amazing detail on critical actors and events— a history not known to most Westerners
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Both dry and dramatic
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Essential reading to understand Asia and related perspectives of the west
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Desperately Needs a PDF Map of Region at the Time
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A time of expansion, discovery checks and balances
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fascinating and exciting
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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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Our leaders need to read
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