Closed to the world for half a century, like a black hole in the Asian landmass, the wilderness of Xinjiang in north-west China is returning to the light. The picture it presents is both fascinating and disturbing. Despite a savage landscape and climate, Xinjiang has a rich past: sand-buried cities, painted cave shrines, rare creatures and wonderfully preserved mummies of European appearance. Their descendants, the Uighurs, still farm the tranquil oases that ring the dreaded Taklamakan, the world's second largest sand desert, and the Kazakh and Kirghiz herdsmen still roam the mountains. The region's history, however, has been punctuated by violence, usually provoked by ambitious outsiders - nomad chieftains from the north, Muslim emirs from Central Asia, Russian generals or warlords from inner China The Chinese regard the far west as a barbarian land. Only in the 1760s did they subdue it, and even then their rule was repreatedly broken. Compared with the Russians' conquest of Siberia, or the Americans' trek west, China's colonization of Xinjiang has been late and difficult.
The Communists have done most to develop it, as a penal colony, as a buffer against invasion, and as a supplier of raw materials and living space for an overpopulated country. But what China sees as its property, the Uighurs regards as theft by an alien occupier. Tension has led to violence and savage reprisals. This portait of Xinjiang should be essential reading for travellers and for anyone interested in today's China and the fate of minority peoples.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
'A fascinating book ... following in the footsteps of Peter Fleming, Tyler paints a vivid portrait of Xinjiang and reminds us of another of the immense problems facing China's new leadership' -- Chris Patten 'The world is only too aware of what the Chinese are up to in Tibet. But few know of the sufferings of neighbouring Xinjiang. Now, at last, its subjugated people have found a champion in Christian Tyler. His revelations will not go down well in Beijing' -- Peter Hopkirk 'I greatly admire Christian Tyler's book on the Uygurs ... now we have a splendid account of a people, the Chinese Turks, whom the lengendary "Empire of the Steppe" left behind. As China grows, books such as this will obviously be important as well as enjoyable' -- Professor Norman Stone 'Christian Tyler is an excellent reporter ! Formerly staff writer for the Financial Times, he is determined that while there is a body of academic work on Xinjiang and some lurid travellers' tales, what is needed is a book for the general reader. This he has quite brilliantly produced. In rigorous, clear language, he manages to give a comprehensive account of Xinjiang's long, tangled and violent history as well as a closely observed survey of the current situation, which he neatly summarises' -- Jonathan Mirsky, Literary Review 20030901 'An important and timely book. It is not only the first popular history of Xinjiang, but also an expose of China's colonial oppression ! Christian Tyler has assembled a detailed and forceful narrative whose span is enormous ! Inevitably he leaves open the question of whether there is any future for the Uighur in their homeland, and whether the book will rank as a watershed, or a requiem.' -- Colin Thubron, Sunday Times 20030727 'An excellent and engrossing portrait, the first of its kind for the general reader ! Divided into two parts, Wild West China first presents a credible account of the Tarim Basin's history, which until now had been sketchy at best. Then it delivers a meticulously sourced and hard-won anatomy of a contemporary cultural as well as physical genocide' -- Financial Times 20030727 'An enjoyable and very readable general account ! This is not in any sense a classic of history, geographical description, travel writing or political analysis. Instead, it contains elements of all four. The author has put together a book that will save anyone interested in Xinjiang -- someone planning a trip along the Chinese section of the Silk Road, for instance -- from the labor of having to read a whole library of others' -- Taipei Times 20030824 'The intriguing Machiavellian detail of this narrative is as expansive as the land in which it's set, the author keen to record and elucidate the past, present and future of Xinjiang, a corner of the world about which he is clearly very passionate' -- Geographical Magazine 20031001 "What Beijing dreams of turning into a Chinese California has been relatively neglected in the West. Christian Tyler handsomely repairs that omission." -- The Tablet 20031213 'Tyler's book eloquently presents a lucid historical and present day political, social and economic context' -- Indobrit magazine 20031213 "Well written and informative" -- The Tablet 20031213 'Tyler details the cycles of repression and resurgence, dating from the 1760s up to today' -- Good Book Guide 20040801 'Tyler took a 100-mile trek across the Taklamakan desert in 1995 and determined to write an accessible history. This is exactly what he has done. He has the knack of untangling political knots, making a difficult subject comprehensible and, above all, conveying a real sense of place' -- Sunday Times Culture Supplement 20040815
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Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 242 mm
Breite: 162 mm
Dicke: 31 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-7195-5735-4 (9780719557354)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Christian Tyler is a former staff writer of the Financial Times of London. He has reported on industry, politics and international trade, and has travelled widely in China. He is married to the actress Ciaran Madden, has three children and a stepchild, and lives in Dorset.
