Foreign Devils on the Silk Road

"A highly readable and elegant book."—Elizabeth Monroe, Times Literary Supplement

"The story of what this handful of dauntless men from different modern countries endured in order to procure some fragments of Central Asia's lost culture for the museums of their own or an adopted land is told in great style. . . . It is a series of interwoven accounts of high adventure, high stakes, spies, loyalty, treachery, forgery, greed, and occasional magnanimity. It celebrates courage, vision, dedication, and will. Hopkirk has a remarkable cast of characters with whom to work. . . . Every story he touches is totally engrossing."—Washington Post

"Foreign Devils on the Silk Road will be useful to those seeking a general knowledge of the subject, as well as to those possessing more specific knowledge who require a painless glance at the whole canvas. while some parts of Foreign Devils are well known, others are not. Hopkirk skillfully blends the parts into an engaging whole. I recommend saving the book for a long evening before the fire."—Central Asian Survey