Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan

Very nice copy

Interesting history of a place few of us in the West know about. A much different perspective from a woman which makes it more interesting. This audible version makes walking or excercising interesting. Nice long journey I think a lot of people will enjoy.

This is the best travel/history guide I have ever read

Awesome book that packs a lot of info into a great story.

Dated... but gives a lot of incredible historical context. Now what? is the question I'm looking forward to answer. We in the west have been awash in European historical impact that does not include everything since Christ's... the catholic imprimatur and marketing efforts.There was a whole world that discovered the world was round before a pope ever existed.

This book was OUTSTANDING for what I needed! I got it 6 weeks before I depart for those countries, and now my departure is TOMORROW! The author, a Norwegian anthropologist, writes like I observe - what are the people DOING? Wearing? Carrying? Each country has a section and each section has several chapters on the landscape, economy, history, an isolated ethnic group, or a fascinating episode. She was there around 2014 - the book was published in 2020 - so it is recent. She focuses on the influence of the Soviet years and how the countries have differentiated in the 35 years since its end. I found the book to be a page-turner for me - I read its 470 pages in 2 weeks! It is highly recommended by me!

I bought this on a whim while shopping for something to read on my device. The author has a wide variety of encounters in each country. Her writing is engaging and each vignette contributes different perspectives for each nation. Worth the read!

Wonderful adventure combined with historical facts in ex USSR republics