A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road (EPUB)

Christopher Aslan Alexander

UK £7.99,
UK Publication June 2010
ISBN 9781848312715
Ebook

Buy: | Amazon UK| Amazon US| Book Depository

Chris Alexander originally travelled to Khiva, a remote walled city in Uzbekistan on the route of the ancient Silk Road, to write a guidebook. But he stayed, mesmerized by a world of silk and forgotten 15th-century carpet designs – discovering indigo blue, madder red, pomegranate gold and the subtle shades of life in a desert oasis. 

 

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‘The fact the author lived and worked among Khiva’s inhabitants for so long distinguishes A Carpet Ride to Khiva from many travel books, as we glimpse life in a Central Asian “desert oasis” of silk, carpets, and extraordinarily colourful natural dyes.’ Financial Times

‘Too many travel writers visit Central Asia in a hurry, bulking out their own misadventures with a slice of the region’s colourful history. But the strength of this readable book derives from the author’s patience: after seven years in Uzbekistan, Alexander has provided a frank and penetrating portrait of the country, with all its contradictions and absurdities. He writes with clear-eye observation and courage, and never fails to emphasize the ingrained hospitality and random acts of kindness that remind you that, in spite of everything, Central Asia is still an exceptionally alluring place.’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Sitting down to read A Carpet Ride to Khiva over the festive season was like entering an oasis of peace and quiet ... like the carpet patterns so intricately interwoven and linked, Alexander’s account of his seven years in Khiva gives us a feel for daily life looped and crisscrossed with weddings, corrupt officials, journeys in rickety buses, gossip at the looms, domestic violence and village hospitality, all of it centreing on the carpet project.’ Irish Times

‘A Carpet Ride to Khiva is full of colour ... Alexander is a personable companion as he brings to life the ancient craft of carpet-making, blending the history of the Silk Road with characterful accounts of his team’s perfecting of traditional dye techniques (a search for madder root sent him over the border into post-invasion Afghanistan) and silk weaving (there’s an extraordinary description of silkworms devouring mulberry branches before spinning silk cocoons.)’ Metro

‘Most travelogues chart a journey, but in this case it is the author’s decision to stay put that lifts his book out of the ordinary. Christopher Aslan Alexander first travelled to Uzbekistan to research a guidebook about Khiva but, enchanted by this little-known region of Central Asia on the ancient Silk Route, he ended up becoming a resident. This memoir of his seven years in the city – during which he learnt the language, was adopted by a local Uzbek family and started a carpet-weaving workshop employing local women – lifts the lid on a world that is usually unseen by western eyes.’ BBC Lonely Planet magazine

 ‘[An] enjoyable account of the seven years the author spent in the remote desert oasis of Khiva, Uzbekistan’. Bookseller

‘This travelogue enriches our understanding of a little-known world, and as Christopher is taken into an Uzbeki family there are some nice touches as West meets East - like when he is hailed a mystic for predicting Bobby Ewing’s return from the grave as Uzbekis get their first taste of Dallas.’ News of the World

‘Unsparing in his censure of Uzbekistan’s repressive government, the author nevertheless paints a sympathetic and often humorous portrait of Khiva’s residents …  More than just a tableau of Khiva, the book also paints a picture of a foreigner’s integration into the community.’ Wanderlust – book of the week

‘[A Carpet Ride to Khiva] serves as a primer on the mysteries of sericulture, and on the endless ramifications of the natural-dyer's craft. His pursuit of powdered madder root takes him deep into Afghanistan, whence he emerges after close shaves.’  Independent

‘Alexander is an excellent guide through the chaos of local life, and his writing is thick with his adventures in this walled city, drawing a vivid portrait of the domestic lives of his Uzbek hosts with great affection and humour, while also casting his eye over the history of trade on the Silk Road.’ Sunday Telegraph

‘The fact the author lived and worked among Khiva’s inhabitants for so long distinguishes A Carpet Ride to Khiva from many travel books, as we glimpse life in a Central Asian “desert oasis” of silk, carpets, and extraordinarily colourful natural dyes.’ Financial Times

‘An extraordinary tale of adventure and enterprise set in the heart of Central Asia, beautifully told, by a most unusual young man.  Hopefully it will inspire others to embark on similar ventures.’  Peter Hopkirk, author of The Great Game

‘Everything about the carpet making process is fascinating, from the designs to the rate at which weavers are paid, and Chris describes it all in intimate detail … The book also paints a picture of the Uzbek way of life, both the day-to-day lives of Khivan families and the intricate workings of a government system which hasn’t quite made it out of the Soviet era.’ callybooker.wordpress.com

‘[A Carpet Ride to Khiva] is compelling, funny and sad, has great characterisations, lovely photographs, and would work as a really unusual gift.’ Reform

‘A deeply personal memoir, A Carpet Ride to Khiva is a magical and often hilarious story of one man’s adventure into the heart of the unknown ... While A Carpet Ride to Khiva reveals how contradictory and different daily life is in Uzbekistan, the reader leaves with a deeply satisfying, lingering sense of how similar we all are.’ Positive News

 

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Christopher Aslan Alexander was born in Turkey and grew up in war-torn Beirut. After university he moved to Central Asia. While writing a guidebook about Khiva, he fell in love with this desert oasis boasting the most homogenous example of Islamic architecture in the world, and stayed.

See more books by: Christopher Aslan Alexander

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Other editions / related titles:

A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road (EBOOK: PDF)
A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road (EPUB)
A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road (HARDBACK)
A Carpet Ride to Khiva: Seven Years on the Silk Road (PAPERBACK)