Religions of the Silk Road: Overland Trade and Cultural Exchange from Antiquity to the Fifteenth Century

Religions of the Silk Road: Overland Trade and Cultural Exchange from Antiquity to the Fifteenth Century
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Religion handbook for people interested in Central Asia

First-Rate World History

Alot of information in a little amount of pages.

Wonderful introduction to important history and religions

Where Major Religions First Met

Religions of the Silk Road: Overland Trade and Cultural Exchange from Antiquity to the Fifteenth Century
Richard C. Foltz
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312233388

Book Description

Ever since the label was coined in the late 19th century, the idea of the Silk Road has captivated the Western imagination with images of fabled cities and exotic peoples. Religions of the Silk Road looks behind the romantic notions of the colonial era and tells the story of how cultural traditions, especially in the form of religious ideas, accompanied merchants and their goods along the overland Asian trade routes in pre-modern times. As early as three thousand years ago Hebraic and Iranian religious ideas and practices traveled eastwards in this way, to be followed centuries later by the great missionary traditions of Buddhism, Christianity, Manichaeism, and Islam. But the Silk Road was more than just a conduit along which these religions hitched rides East; it was a formative and transformative rite of passage, and no religion emerged unchanged at the end of the journey.

Customer Reviews:

Religion handbook for people interested in Central Asia.......2006-10-13

I came around this book because it is often cited in books on Central Asia, the Silk Road, Buddhism and also in the last book I read on Xuanzang. The Authors that use it as a citation do not want to explore more deeply some concepts they are treating at the moment so they indicate this text with such an encompassing title as the ultimate resource for omitted information. So when you finally see the book, the small dimensions dampen a little the enthusiasm.

Certainly, the subject is large and the chronological time interval extends from the first millenium BCE to the fifteenth centure CE, while the geographical boundaries go from China to Persia and from North India to Russia considering all the Silk Road extensions. Simplification of such a vast panorama is evidently necessary and this is precisely what the Author has done. He has succeeded in condensing the history of well known and less well known religions into a comprehensive didactic text.

The first chapter states the epistemiological guidelines utilized: the importance of trade for diffusion of religion, the supposed role of women in the transmission of faiths, the division between proselytizing and non proselytizing religions and the difference in acceptance of new beliefs from the center to the periphery, the consideration of the practicality and belonging to the dominant social class as the main drive to acceptance of new forms of faith.

In the following chapters Zoroastrism, Buddhism, Judaism, Nestorian Christianity and Islam are all described and a brief story of their expansion and fortunes is delineated. The book makes two really good points in these chapters one is on the syncretism of all these religions in time and space on the Silk Roads and the other is the concept of Central Asia as a refuge for heretics. Another interesting aspect for non accademics is the description of less well known sects such as the Radanites (merchant Jews from France that practically converted the Khazars)and the description of the Kushan reign that disappeared forever in the sands of history.

Finally there is a wide overview on the religious conquest by Islam of the entire Central Asia and the fading away of all other religious beliefs. The role of sufis is emphatized more than that of the sword. There is one chapter called "Ecumenical mischief" that seems like a small essay inserted in this otherwise schematic text, that dwells on the attempts of missionaries of all faiths to convert the Mongols and on the intestine quarrels between Nestorians and Muslims in the Il-Khan lands. The indepth outlook of these episodes makes one desire the whole book were written with such a research detail since the bird view approach is one of its defects.

Accademic reviewers affirm Prof. Folz makes a few mistakes in dates and historical interpretations and that he has utilized exclusively English sources. The general reader, naturally, does not capture these subtle details. However, since this book is really very cited and has the great advantage of covering such a wide time and space span, a new and revised edition would be welcomed.

The reading is fluent and sometimes it is necessary to reread in order to fully appreciate all the information. The Notes and the Bibliography are rich, so this text can be of help to students, entertain historical fans even if it does fall short of completeness and real satisfaction.

First-Rate World History.......2006-05-11

This is a lovely book. Artfully written and insightfully presented, Foltz does an outstanding job of covering a variety of complex topics in a relatively short space. I first got a copy via interlibrary loan while doing research, but liked the book so much I ordered a copy just to have it handy.

Alot of information in a little amount of pages........2006-04-03

I read this book for my History of Asia class. As far as I know no one was impressed with it and had many problems with it.
First, Foltz starts out speaking of religons that hardly anyone in the class had heard of as if we are supposed to know all about them. He does explain them later, but in the first chapters he refrences them without giving any backround information. Most of us were relativly inteligant and felt as if Fotlz were making fools of us. I also felt as if he were stating assumtions rather than facts. It was alot of information in a small amount of time and therefor had to follow.

Wonderful introduction to important history and religions.......2002-08-30

Photos and personalities might provide greater interest but, in fairness, this book is still one of the best introductions to thousands of years of history and many great world religions. Especially for Eurocentric or American readers it is well worth reading. If interested in the religions follow up with Huston Smith; to broaden the history (despite the title) McNeil's Rise of the West is still rewarding.

Where Major Religions First Met.......2002-08-08

The interesting thing about the Silk Road for someone interested in the history of religions, is that along its length is where Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Chinese thought had a prolonged encounter. Where national borders tended to keep them apart elsewhere, here traders and soldiers carried these views back and forth across the spine of Asia. This is their story, though one told in crammed detail over too short a book. Foltz surveys the Jews and Zoroastrians at the Western end of the Road, then follows historically as the Buddhists, then Christians travel its length to China in the East, only to be finally submerged in the tide of an Islamic crusade. He traces the moves of each of the faiths, how it developed into a gigantic melting pot with verging and joined syncretism, and how it all came to an end. I only wish it had been a longer book, particularly since I paid so much for the hardcover! For those who feel the same, however, there is an extensive bibliography of other works covering this area of the world.

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My favorite travel book....
I know a good travel book when I see one
Traveling with Asia Overland was a pleasure
Where lonely planet doesn't go
This book beats Lonely Planet!

Asia Overland (Trekking Guides)
Mark Elliott , and Wil Klass
Manufacturer: Trailblazer Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1873756100

Customer Reviews:

My favorite travel book...........2003-02-03

This book is fantastic for planning your trip between countries and used in conjunction with other travel books detailing the countries you're going to. I found myself relying more and more on it alone as a reference guide as I became more comfortable traveling, as it highlights the things to see / how to get there, and leaves the details to the traveler. I also found people fascinated by its hand-drawn maps (beware trying to get the book back from a crowd- including other travelers!). Now that I'm back, it's the only book that completed my journey with me, and resides in a place of honor on my bookshelf, tattered, dog-eared and stained.

I know a good travel book when I see one.......2002-05-25

I have read and perused many a travel book in my time and I have to say this one is a model for which others should be judged by. I have used travel books extensively through the 100 or so countries I have been to and I wish more travel tomes could match the authors love, maps and general details in their work as these two young fellas have....

Traveling with Asia Overland was a pleasure.......2000-04-21

I used Asia Overland for the first 8 months of a 13 month trip and found it to be excellent. It is written by two guys who are just travellers themselves and have an excellent idea of what is essential when arriving to a strange new place where you do not speak the language.

At the core of the book are simple schematic maps of each country/area with notes written on them which rate and describe destinations, give travel times and costs, and even give recommendations of guesthouses or restaurants. More detailed maps are provided for large cities or areas particularily dense with things of interest. The format is very easy to understand and allows planning at a glance rather than by reading through pages of cross-referenced text. Again their grasp of what information is essential was nothing short of incredible. The book also contains a dirth of border-crossing info and tells you which visas you will need and where you can acquire them. From their own accounts they understood the border rules better than the border guards did on a few occasions.

More than the information it provides Asia Overland is a well written quidebook. Mark and Wil are extremely upbeat writers. Their senses of humor and personal accounts really made me want to go to all the places they wrote about. In summary the book is informative, accurate, entertaining and inspirational. If you are planning a trip to Asia, one country in Asia, or just trying to think of some destinations to visit, I highly recommend reading this book.

Where lonely planet doesn't go.......1999-06-30

This book is excellent and essential reading for those of us who want to do an epic journey but also like to have help overcoming transport and beauracratic obstacles. I think the optimal would be to use this book in concert with a lonely planet style book as they cover different topics. This book is mainly a transport and visa stratgy guide with some helpful hints on routing. The LP books get the finer details on the budget accomodation for more cities.

This book beats Lonely Planet!.......1999-02-27

I have known Mark Elliott for seven years and can honestly say that the man knows what he's talking about. He is, in short, a "professional traveler", making his way from Brighton to Bishkek and back with little more than a cheap backpack, a harmonica, and a sure sense of how to find his way among the labyrinths of the Asian hinterlands. He always returns with several nights' worth of good stories (to be told over a pint or three) and a collection of painstakingly accurate notes and maps of his travels. I have used the materials he sent me through private correspondence and found them to be unfailingly helpful, pointing out cheapskate tips and sightseeing suggestions that I hadn't found anywhere else. If you're interested in being a modern-day traveler of the Old Silk Road, then by all means get this book. It will point your feet in the right direction and open your eyes to cultures far removed from anything you could imagine while logged on to a computer, shopping for books. My copy also doubled as a pillow after a night of beers and Dixie dancing in a little outdoor bar along the streets of Turfan (but that's another story ...)

Tibet Overland: A Route and Planning Guide for Mountain Bikers and Other Overlanders (Traliblazer Guides)

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outstanding
A book that will make crossing the impossible, possible.

Tibet Overland: A Route and Planning Guide for Mountain Bikers and Other Overlanders (Traliblazer Guides)
Kym McConnell
Manufacturer: Trailblazer Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1873756410

Book Description

Whether traveling by 4WD, bus, mountain bike, or even yak, this guide provides invaluable advice and the most detailed maps for independent travelers crossing the world's highest and largest plateau. Tibet is a mountain-biker's paradise. Where else in the world can they cycle alongside 8000m peaks and cross 5000m passes almost daily? The Lhasa-Kathmandu route includes the world's longest downhill run--a drop of 4200m in just over 160kms of heart-stopping descent! Tibet is still one of the most remote regions in the world and any visit will be an adventure. Detailed information on over 9000kms of overland routes with a km-by-km breakdown of these classic journeys: *Lhasa to Kathmandu *Everest Base Camp (possible even by bicycle) *Lhasa to Nam Tso *Lhasa to Yarlung Valley *Xining and Golmud to Lhasa *Chengdu to Lhasa *Kunming and Dali to Lhasa *Lhasa to Mt Kailash and Kashgar

Customer Reviews:

outstanding.......2004-01-13

I've done a lot of travelling and mountainbiking throughout the world including the extreme 'Central Otago Rail Trail' and this book rates as one of the best I've read and used in years - the quality of information is outstanding and the author deserves further acolades for what he has done to promote this region of the world.

I'd recommend this book be read with a Devino.

A book that will make crossing the impossible, possible........2003-11-19

If you are planning to carry out a serious adventure across Tibet and the Himalayas, then this book will be your proverbial Bible. It gives remarkably accurate descriptions of exactly where you will be from day to day, is easy to read and understand, and makes you feel safe in an otherwise difficult environment.
I am not a serious cyclist, but with this book it was possible for me to cross what is regarded as some of the most challenging and rewarding off-road tracks on earth.
It offers useful suggestions from what to pack to recommendations of how far to ride per day and it gives you detailed advice on where you can get food and water and even, when availiable, beds.
This book is pricelss to anyone heading that way...

Lonely Planet Istanbul to Kathmandu: A Classic Overland Routes (Lonely Planet Istanbul to Kathmandu)

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Lonely Planet Istanbul to Kathmandu: A Classic Overland Routes (Lonely Planet Istanbul to Kathmandu)
Paul Harding , and Simon Richmond
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
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Book Description

From the edge of Europe to the rooftop of the world, retrace the trail made famous by ancient conquerors, and then infamous by backpackers of the 1960s. Whether you're looking for a meandering journey, an adrenaline-pumping adventure, or simply the chance to marvel at the myriad architectural wonders, this route guide is the one for you.

over 95 maps of the route, plus cities, towns and sights
essential information about visas, permits and border crossings
thousands of budget options for food and accommodation
ancient ruins, crowded bazaars, extravagant palaces and atmospheric teahouses
tips for the adventurous, from action sports to venturing out to wild frontiers

Lonely Planet Trans-Siberian Railway: A Classic Overland Route (Lonely Planet Trans-Siberian Railway)

Average customer rating:

Excellent guide book
Bryn Thomas' Trans-Siberian Handbook the way to go
Good, but fast outdated!
A Nearly Impossible Task
Lot of information, but not correct

Lonely Planet Trans-Siberian Railway: A Classic Overland Route (Lonely Planet Trans-Siberian Railway)
Simon Richmond , and Mara Vorhees
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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From Moscow, past the unique Lake Baikal and on to Beijing or Vladivostok, follow in the tracks of Victoria-era adventurers. Whether you plan to take one week or 10, this invaluable new guide will see you from one end of the world's longest train route to the other.

35 maps covering routes as well as major cities
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includes the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian branches of the line
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Customer Reviews:

Excellent guide book.......2005-07-06

This LP was all i needed for the russian leg of my trans-siberian trip, It offers more than enough to keep you busy for the standard one month tourist visa. (The people above must have never gotten off the train between Moscow and Irkutsk!) If you intend to branch out in mongolia or china then you will obiously need to supplement this guide. It is a short compact guide focused specificly on the train routes, and it covers them remarkably well.

Bryn Thomas' Trans-Siberian Handbook the way to go.......2005-04-23

You'll get more of the generic country information that LP is good at (and provides in their various country-specific guides) but we found the research in the Handbook provides a much more informative passage across the time-zones. By far the best and most up-to-date source of information on booking tickets is a website called "www.seat61.com". Having tried various "tour" organisations, we ended up booking all arrangements through one of the recommended Russian agencies for half the price - all through internet cafes on the hoof in Bolivia! As for companion guides, much preferred the handbook.

Good, but fast outdated!.......2004-03-28

We've used the book in july/august 2002 for a trip from Beijing to Helsinki. Much information in the book, but a lot of it is copy-past'ed from the country guides.
Another reviewer remarked on the rapidly changing circumstances in the countries... no guide can outrun those.
We visited Beijing, Irkutsk, Listvanka, Jekaterinaburg, Moscow and Saint-Peterburg. Most of the time we found accomodation from the book. At that time, the Trans-siberian handbook (Thomas Bryn - ISBN 1873756704) was older.

We had both books: LP fresh of the press and Thomas Bryn's book - THE guide to have.
Thomas' had a new edition in february 2004. Best to take the most recent editions of guidebooks. The handbook is more interesting to read, so that's a must. You'll have plenty of time to read!

The trip is recommended to anyone: we found a british couple with 2 kids doing it! Don't be too easily discouraged, try to take the east-west trip (to avoid wagons full of tourists!).

A Nearly Impossible Task.......2003-12-18

Given the pace that Russia, Mongolia, and China are changing and developing, it is an incredibly daunting task to write a travel guie attempting to cover all three countries in any level of detail. Inevitably hostels shut down, restaurants move, store hours change, and even train schedules fluxuate.

This book is a decent rough guide and the only one of its kind. For that reason I rated it a three. It was sufficient for my trip on the railway, but I wouldn't call it a "Survival guide" as such. I'm usually a huge supporter of The Lonely Planet, but in this particular instance they have not done a supurb job.

Lot of information, but not correct.......2003-08-07

I was impressed about amount of information, but there are so many errors, especially in russian words and transcription, I can count up to 5 errors on page. Seems that publisher was in a hurry and didn't correct original text or author(corrector?) was not competent in this stuff.

Marco Polo: Overland to China (In the Footsteps of Explorers)

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Marco Polo: Overland to China (In the Footsteps of Explorers)
Alexander Zelenyj
Manufacturer: Crabtree Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0778724530

Overland through Asia;: An underground guide

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Overland through Asia;: An underground guide
Paul Dowsey-Magog
Manufacturer: Glide Publications
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The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg, through the Deserts and Steppes of Mongolia, Tartary, etc.

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The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg, through the Deserts and Steppes of Mongolia, Tartary, etc.
Alexander Michie
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
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Release Date: 2001-01-31

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Asia overland: A practical economy-minded guide to the exotic wonders of the East (A Stonehill adventurer's handbook)

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Asia overland: A practical economy-minded guide to the exotic wonders of the East (A Stonehill adventurer's handbook)
Dan Spitzer
Manufacturer: Stonehill Pub. Co
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Journey to the North of India, overland from England, through Russia, Persia, and Affghaunistaun: Volume 1

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Journey to the North of India, overland from England, through Russia, Persia, and Affghaunistaun: Volume 1
Arthur Conolly
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Release Date: 2002-02-06

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