Product Description

Thirty miles long, and in places no more than sixteen metres wide, the Pass is the principal route through the great mountain borderlands between India and Central Asia - and the path of invasion for generations of conquerors. In this ground-breaking book, Paddy Docherty charts its remarkable story - one which involves so many of the world's great leaders and civilisations, from the influential Persian kings to Alexander the Great, from the White Huns to Genghis Khan, not to mention the Ancient Greeks and countless tribes of nomads and barbarians. In addition, Docherty paints an illuminating picture of mountain warriors and religious visionaries, artists, poets and scientists as well as describing how around the Pass emerged three of the great world religions - Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam. Furthermore, he depicts its more modern significance as a lawless region of gunsmiths, drug markets and as a terrorist hideout. And through his own travels in this true frontier region and the continuing presence of US and British troops in Afghanistan, he brings the story into the twenty-first century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #173432 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Sunday Herald
Fascinating reading, and Docherty's excellent book is recommended
to anyone.

Spectator
Excellent ... tells his story with imagination and enthusiasm. HIs
masterful grasp of events is embellished with vivid reconstructions.

Literary Review
A fascinating and extremely ambitious study.

Customer Reviews

Wow
This book was an absolutely fascinating read - really informative, illuminating and hugely entertaining with colourful anecdotes from the author's own personal experience of the Khyber Pass. The historical analysis is written in a way which is sophisticated yet easy to assimilate. I would recommend the book as easily to those who have no particular knowledge of the region as to those with expert knowledge.

epic stuff!
This book, unlike most popular history, is compellingly readable and huge fun.

Paddy Docherty skillfully compresses huge swathes of history in a lucid and very entertaining manner. This allows the Khyber region's past to emerge clearly in context, chapter by chapter, up to the present day.

Within the broad-sweep approach, wonderful detail is also included which really brings to life the cast of characters. I particularly liked the vignette about Ashoka and his mango...!

I read it straight through in a day. More please!

Very disappointing read
What a disappointment. As a child the words, Khyber Pass, tugged at the adventurer in me even though I had no idea where the Khyber Pass was. After reading this book I have to wonder if the author has any idea where it is as it appears so infrequently throughout his book. I was expecting part history, part travelogue along the same lines as John Man's Genghis Khan (a book I highly recommend)with some commentary on the Khyber Pass in the 21st century. Unfortunately, what we get is a dry account of numerous tribes and armies that have briefly journeyed through the Pass. The Pass itself is merely a talking point for the author to waffle on about these tribes and armies, the great Khyber Pass is forced into the sidelines when it should be the star performer. Again, what a disappointment.