Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road [Hardcover]

[starred review] The monk Xnanzang, the conqueror Genghis Khan, and the merchant Marco Polo each traveled the Silk Road years apart. Their journeys, by different routes and for different motives, are gripping historical narratives, sensitively and excitingly fictionalized here, in language that is lively and descriptive, clear but not oversimplified. Vibrant reproductions of art and photos of artifacts leap off every colorful page. Descriptions of smells, sounds, and tastes are used to complement the abundant visuals, and the three stories are artfully structured to maximize drama and hold interest. Sidebars extend the book's reach with information on geography, language, religion, art, architecture, food, animals, and, naturally, silk manufacture. Maps, further-reading lists, a brief update to today's Road, and an index add to the learning value. Readers will be both riveted and informed. (Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, School Library Journal 20091201)

Hunter manages to capture the exotic places and customs associated with the famous trade route in biographies of three exceptional historic figures who travelled this series of trade routes that linked the Far East lands of China with the more Western worlds of India, Egypt, and even Europe.... Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road is beautifully designed with a lot of colour and numerous illustrations.... Modern photographs of animals and objects such as yurts or gers that have changed little over the centuries helps to connect the lives of the ancient travellers with the current world. Other events or sites are illustrated through reproductions from works of art created long ago.... The authors make use of recreated dialogue but not to excess. The book includes a useful index and two pages of further readings, including many websites organized into four sections: The Silk Road, Xuanzang, Genghis Khan, and Marco Polo. Highly Recommended. (Val Ken Lem Canadian Materials 20091106)

Priscilla Galloway is the author of more than 20 books, including Archers, Alchemists and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed. She divides her time between Toronto and Georgian Bay, Ontario.