Christian Tyler

A truly fascinating portrayal of China's hinterlands in the far west and the Uyghur people, whose history and culture is at risk from ever-encroaching Han Chinese dominance in the region. Tyler not only tells a fascinating history of intrigue, war, and literature, but also he writes of present-day challenges that face the Uyghur people - particularly those relating to life with and alongside the Han Chinese. This region, though not as well known as Tibet, has suffered similar cultural show more injustices and deserves wider attention; with Tyler's book, at last Xinjiang's voice is heard. show less

The last two chapters feel dated now that the situation in Xinjiang has exacerbated so drastically, but the rest of the book remains the best academic history of the Uighurs in English.