The Road to Oxiana

by Robert Byron Narrated by Barnaby Edwards

Overview

In 1933, Robert Byron set off from Venice with his friend Christopher Sykes to explore the architecture of the Middle East. Their long and arduous journey took them from Cyprus and Jerusalem to Syria, Iraq, Persia, Afghanistan, and finally, Oxiana, a tiny country around the river Oxus, the Greek name for the river Amu Darya, which snakes down from Russia into Afghanistan. They travel by any means necessary (truck, camel, horses, and foot), and encounter several setbacks, but their risks are rewarded as they encounter some of the greatest examples of Eastern art and architecture, many of which have now vanished forever.

Funny and erudite, The Road to Oxiana's combination of exquisite lyricism, detail, and humor gave birth to a new kind of travel literature, serving as inspiration for later writers such as Bruce Chatwin, Peter Matthiesson, and Jan Morris.

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile

British narrator Barnaby Edwards captures pioneering travel writer Robert Byron’s historical commentary, humor, and bon vivant sensibility while crossing the Middle East to explore the farthest reaches of Persia and Afghanistan in 1933-34. With the ability to evoke entire centuries and architectural styles in a single sentence, Byron is considered one of the masters of the travelogue genre. Edwards is at his best as he delivers Byron’s hilarious word-for-word conversations with local warlords, stuffy diplomats, and chatty Americans while he pushes through extreme heat, floods, and snow on foot and by horse and motorcar to visit the Mosque of Sheikh Lutfullah, Persepolis, and the crossroads village of Ghazni. Perfect listening for the armchair traveler in all of us. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

related to Lord Byron. He attended Eton and Merton College, Oxford, and wrote several travel books before his untimely death in 1941, while serving as a correspondenBook Review

AUGUST 2019 - AudioFile

British narrator Barnaby Edwards captures pioneering travel writer Robert Byron’s historical commentary, humor, and bon vivant sensibility while crossing the Middle East to explore the farthest reaches of Persia and Afghanistan in 1933-34. With the ability to evoke entire centuries and architectural styles in a single sentence, Byron is considered one of the masters of the travelogue genre. Edwards is at his best as he delivers Byron’s hilarious word-for-word conversations with local warlords, stuffy diplomats, and chatty Americans while he pushes through extreme heat, floods, and snow on foot and by horse and motorcar to visit the Mosque of Sheikh Lutfullah, Persepolis, and the crossroads village of Ghazni. Perfect listening for the armchair traveler in all of us. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169256925
Publisher:	Naxos Audiobooks
Publication date:	03/07/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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