Extreme Continental: Blowing Hot and Cold Through Central Asia

by Giles Whittell

Release Date: February, 1996

Edition: Hardcover

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Mediocre

Whittell's book has only one strength -- that of covering a special region in the world on which there is little information or unfortunately, little international interest. Whittell's book is purely descriptive and an account of the places he visited, how he got there and the people he met. It is sorely lacking in observation and whatever little observations he comes up with are trite and tacky. Whittell seems to have a lack of understanding of the people, or chooses to be so. One gets a feeling that this book will fit right into a larger anthology on Whittell's life rather an attempt to make readers learn more and understand a region and its people. Whittell's account is a mediocre and half-hearted attempt to delve into the deeper issues facing Central Asia -- identity in the period after Soviet occupation. Central Asia has always been an interesting region for me, from the culture, history, to the location and the people. I would love to visit there sometime. The book is good for some information on the vast region, but otherwise less than average.