The Lost Camels of Tartary

by John Hare

Release Date: May, 2000

Edition: Paperback

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One for those with really esoteric interests

I thought I had some rather peculiar interests, but why on earth would anyone want to spend years trudging through the wastes of some of the owrst deserts on earth looking for wild camels? Worse still, the author didn't even see that many in all his years of travel!

That said, there are some true gems in this work. His description of the ruins of the ancient city of Lou Lan is intriguing, as is his description of other archeological sites. I was disappointed, though, that many of these fascinating places could have been dealt with in greater depth, and more photos could have been provided. In the end, I felt that the topic was very much "underdone."

There is little explanation of major issues surrounding this book, like the backgound events surrounding the creation of the Gashun Gobi nature reserve, or the means by which he was given permission to visit these areas. They just "miraculously" happened.

I bought it for the archeology and history, tolerated the camels, but felt a little cheated by a book which could have contained so much more.

A wonderful account of an exciting adventure

I strongly recommend this book to those with an interest in travel, nature conservation and the history of central Asia. John Hare gives a detailed and clear account of his expeditions into the Gobi and Gashun Gobi deserts in Mongolia and China in serach of the wild Bactrian camel. Combining history, science and keen observation, John Hare brings the desolate wilderness of Central Asia to life.